River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre
Andrew Ward talked about his book River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre in the American Civil War, published by Viking. The book detailed… read more
Andrew Ward talked about his book River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre in the American Civil War, published by Viking. The book detailed the capture of the Union garrison at Fort Pillow, Tenn., by Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate cavalry on April 12, 1864. The author discussed the bigotry and rage that was displayed during the battle, as well as the role of the Confederate general and future reputed founder of the Ku Klux Klan. The attack on the outnumbered garrison, containing an artillery regiment of 300 freed slaves and a cavalry regiment of 350 white Tennessee Unionists, left approximately two-thirds of the garrison dead or taken prisoner. The author concluded that the often-disputed term of “massacre” is the correct designation for the incident. He detailed the evidence that many were killed while surrendering or wounded, and that the Confederate soldiers slaughtered fleeing African-American civilians as well. A congressional investigation resulted, but General Forrest w close
People in this video
-
Andrew Ward Author
Hosting Organization
Series
More Videos From
Book Discussion on River Run Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre
- Gather at the River: Notes from the Post-Millennial South
- America\'s Middle Child: Southern Identity
Related Video
-
The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jesse Washington
Outside of the BookTV Bus, Patricia Bernstein was interviewed about her book The First Waco Horror: The Lynching of Jes…
-
Master Mind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber
Daniel Charles talked about his book Master Mind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber, the Nobel Laureate Who Launched the…
-
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Timothy Snyder, history professor at Yale University, presents a history of the mass killings led by Hitler and Stalin. …
-
Remembering Scottsboro: The Legacy of an Infamous Trial
George Washington University professor James Miller talked about his book, Remembering Scottsboro: The Legacy of an Infa…