of writing it, that General had hundreds of blacks
under his command at Charleston building fortifications.

"CHARLESTON, S. C., Oct. 13th, 1862.

"HON. WM. P. MILES, RICHMOND, VA.

"Has the bill for the execution of abolition prisoners,
after January next, been passed? Do it, and England will be
stirred into action. It is high time to proclaim the black
flag after that period: let the execution be with the
garrote. G. T. BEAUREGARD."

The confederate thirst for "nigger" blood seemed to have been no
stronger in Kentucky than in other Departments, but it does appear, for
some reason, that Kentucky and northern Mississippi were selected by the
confederate generals, Pillow and Forrest, as appropriate sections in
which to particularly vent their spite. The success of Forrest at Fort
Pillow rather strengthened General Beauford's inhumanity. He commanded a
portion of Pillow's forces which appeared before Columbus the day after
the Fort Pillow massacre, and in the following summons demanded its
surrender:

"_To the Commander of the United States Forces, Columbus,
Ky._:

"Fully capable of taking Columbus and its garrison, I desire
to avoid shedding blood. I therefore demand the
unconditional surrender of the forces under your command.
Should you surrender, the negroes in arms will be returned
to their masters. Should I be compelled to take the place by
force, _no quarter will be shown negro troops whatever_;
white troops will be treated as prisoners of war.

"I am, sir, yours,
A. BEAUFORD, Brig. Gen."

Colonel Lawrence, of the 34th New Jersey, declined to surrender, and
drove the enemy off, who next appeared in Paducah, but retired without
making an assault upon the garrison.

These occurrences, with the mysterious surrender of Union City to
Forrest, on the 16th of March, so incensed the commander of the
Department that a strong force was organized, and in command of General
S. D. Sturgis, started, on the 30th of April, in pursuit of Forrest and
his men, but did not succeed in overtaking him. A few weeks later,
General Sturgis, with a portion of his former force, combined with that
of General Smith's,--just returning from the Red River (Banks)
_fiasco_,--again went in pursuit of General Forrest. At Guntown, on the
10th of June, Sturgis' cavalry, under G