Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War: Fort Pillow Massacre. Returned Prisoners.

"Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War" is a historical account likely written during the mid-19th century. This document provides an examination of the events surrounding the Fort Pillow Massacre, wherein Union troops, including a significant number of Black soldiers, were brutally attacked by Confederate forces after surrendering. The report seeks to investigate the circumstances leading to the event and the policies that allowed such atrocities. The opening of the report outlines the congressional directive to investigate the alleged massacre at Fort Pillow, emphasizing the insistence on understanding the facts of the event. It details the appointment of a subcommittee to gather testimony and highlights evidence that the actions taken against the surrendered troops were not spontaneous but rather the result of a deliberate policy. The document describes the horrific nature of the violence inflicted upon the soldiers, including indiscriminate killings and brutal treatment, as illustrated by eyewitness accounts of survivors, thereby setting the foundation for a thorough inquiry into the conduct of the war and wartime policies regarding captured soldiers.