Ft Pillow Casualties

Wiley M. Reid Killed

Lieut.-Colonel of 5th Mississippi Cavary Regiment
OR's - refers to Lt.-Col Reid. General Forrest's correspondance refers to loss of Lt.-Col. Reid in his first report on the results of Fort Pillow.

"Confederate Military History: Tennessee" statesLieut-Col. Wiley Reed was a Cumberland Presbyterian minister(page 282). It also states that earlier Lt.-Col. Reid investigated the series of atrocities of Col. Fielding Hurst of the 6th Tennessee(USA) Cavalry. This report was passed on to General Forrest and can be found in Official Records of the War, page 118, Vol. XXXII, Part 3.
"Confederate Military History: Mississippi" mentions death of Lt.-Col Reed (Reid) and Lt. Burton and Lt. Hubbard of 18th Battalion.

"River Run Red" Lt.-Col. Wyly Martin Reed(Reid), commander of the 5th Mississippi Cavalry, was standing next to Lt. N. B. Burton about 80 yards from the fort's parapets. Both were struck by a volley. Lt-Col. Reed was severely wounded and Lt. Burton was killed. Lt.-Col. Reed was taken to Jackson, TN, where he died after 19 days of excruciating pain.

W. R. Sullivan Mortally Wounded

Captain of Willis Battalion, Company E.
Enlisted on Oct 16, 1861 at Galveston, TX with Waul's Texas Legion. This unit dissolved and became Willis Battlaion.

National Archvies states he was wounded at Fort Pillow and left in Brownsville, Tenn. Died on 20 May, 1864.

N. B. Burton Killed

Lieutenant of 5th Mississippi Cavary Regiment, Company A.
Enlisted on August 20, 1863, from Grenada, MS.

National Archvies states he was killed.

J. Cardwell Wilson Dangerously Wounded

Captain of 2nd Tennesse Cavalry, Company F.

National Archvies states J. Cardwell Wilson, Company F, enlisted September 20, 1863 in Henry Co., TN, by Col. Bell for 3 years. Appointed Captain September 20, 1863. "Died Apl. 16, 1864 of Wounds received at Fort Pillow, Apl. 12, 1864". Described as 25, blue eyes, dark hair, dark complexion, 6 ft. Previously served as 2nd Lieutenant, Company "G", 5th Tennessee Infantry to June 30, 1863. Wilson enlisted in the 5th Tennessee Infantry (Corporal, Co. B) in 1861. He was elected Lieutenant in 1862 and wounded and captured at Perryville (KY, Oct. 1862). Before his exchange, the regiment was consolidated and his position eliminated. Thus, after exchange he recruited a company for the 20th and became its captain. He was shot through the lungs at Ft. Pillow "while charging at the head of his company. He was carried by his men on stretchers eighteen miles to Dr. Brodie's, where he died after lingering several days" on April 16, 1864. Two of his men ("Hard" Wilson and Smith Randle) were detailed to wait with him.

Richard Wesley Cole Killed

Private of 5th Mississippi Cavary Regiment, Company C.
Enlisted from Black Hawk, Carroll County, Mississippi.
Born 1819 in Alabama. Lived in Carroll County, MS in 1860. Married with 5 children.

"Military Annals of Carrol County" incorrectly states that "Mr. Cole of Black Hawk was killed at Collierville". This refers to the battles of Collierville, TN, which was fought by General Chalmers's division. However, census records and archive records show that Robert W. Cole of Black Hawk was killed at Fort Pillow on 12 April, 1864.

Marceullis B. Davis Severly Wounded

Private of Willis Battalion, Company B.
Enlisted on May 10, 1864, from Gonzales, Texas with Waul's Texas Legion.

National Archvies states he was severly wounded at the fight at Fort Pillow and left in Brownsville, Tenn.

Reuben Barron Killed

Private of 15th Tennessee Cavalry, Company B.
Enlisted on 13 Sept, 1863 from Carrol, Tenn.

National Archvies states he was killed at Fort Pillow.

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Fort Pillow State Historic Park (external link) is a 1,646-acre park located on Mississippi River about 60 miles north of Memphis, TN on Hiway 51 near Henning. The park has an Intrepretive Center & Museum, a Nature Center, a lake, campgrounds and hiking trails covering the three tiers of breastworks. The park is a nice place to hike and fish and is covered with dense foilage in summer.

   Photo of interior of inner breastworks of Fort Pillow. The breastworks face away from the Mississippi River.
   Another battery was positioned below the bluffs, next to the river. The Union troops retreated to this position
   on the Battle of April 12.

Another Photo taken from on top of the inner breastworks. On other side, the earth sloped down to a moat,
which served as temporary burial for the Union dead. The Confederates had to rush to bury them while
being shelled from a river boat.

Remains of the outer breastworks of Fort Pillow. These outer breastworks were part of the fort in 1862
when it was manned by approximately 10,000 Confederate troops. This area is part of the Park's hiking trails.

	NAME	RANK	UNIT & COMPANY	Comments
1	Barrow, R. W. Barron, Reuben	Pvt	15 Tenn - B	KILLED
2	Beck, Jas. A.	3Sgt	15 Tenn - B	KILLED
3	Jones, Henry	Pvt	16 Tenn - H	KILLED
4	Thompson, W. C.	Pvt	16 Tenn - H	KILLED
5	Haslip, T. W.	Pvt	2 Missouri - H	KILLED
6	Tune, George Love, George	1 Lt	2 Tenn - D	KILLED
7	Burtan, N. B.	Lt	5 Miss Cav - A	KILLED
8	Cole, R. W. Richard	Pvt	5 Miss Cav - A	KILLED
9	Flowers, I. E. J.E.	Corp	5 Miss Cav - A	KILLED
10	Jones, Sidney	Pvt	5 Miss Cav - K	KILLED
11	Reid, W. M. Reed, Wiley M.	Lt-Col	5 Miss Cav	Dangerously wounded: Bowels, shoulder & ankle.
12	Cearley, J.C. John	Pvt	Duffs Miss. - E A	KILLED
13	Prett, B. F.	Pvt	Forrests Rgt - E	KILLED
14	Ryan, A. F Ryon, Albion F.	Pvt	Willis Btn - E	KILLED
15	Sullivan, W.R	Capt	Willis Btn - E	Dangerously wounded: Feared to be mortal. Died May 20, 64.
16	Wilson, J. Cardwell	Capt	2 Tenn - F	Wounded, Dangerously.
17	Davis, Marceullis	Pvt	Willis Btn - B	Severly wounded.
18	Campbell, P. M.	Pvt	5 Miss - K	Wounded - Not able for duty.
19	Hubbard, R. J.	1 Lt	Miss Btn - H	Wounded. Died near Somerville on 24 April, 1864.
20	McLinn, W.H.	Pvt	16 Tenn - H	Listed as Wounded. KILLED