Fort Pillow Massacre

<p>On April 12 1864 a small Union force occupying Fort Pillow Tennessee a fortress located on the Mississippi River just north of Memphis was overwhelmed by a larger Confederate force under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest. While the battle was insignificant from a strategic standpoint the indiscriminate massacre of Union soldiers particularly African-American soldiers made the Fort Pillow Massacre one of the most gruesome slaughters of the American Civil War rivaling other instances of Civil War brutality.</p><p>The Fort Pillow Massacre outlines the events of the massacre while placing them within the racial and social context of the Civil War. Bruce Tap combines a succinct history with a selection of primary documents including government reports eyewitness testimony and newspaper articles to introduce the topic to undergraduates.</p>