Battle of Fort Pillow Materials

Collection

Identifier: MC 1667

Staff Only
Select files to request

Scope and Content Note

This collection reflects Mainfort’s efforts to unravel conflicting reports of the Battle of Fort Pillow. The collection includes materials representing both Union and Confederate sides of the conflict, focusing on soldiers’ recollections of their experiences. Materials address the battle, the Confederate occupation of Fort Pillow in 1861-1862, Union naval actions against the fort, and the Union occupation of the fort in 1862-1864.

The collection is comprised of military records, such as troop rosters, written orders, journals, and military histories (both Confederate and Union), letters, reminiscences, official investigations, notes, newspaper articles, photographs, and sketches. Materials also include microfilmed records from the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The collection is arranged in the following ten groups: Mainfort's research files; Fort Pillow background and general materials; Fort Pillow Battle; Fort Pillow Massacre; Fort Pillow Siege of 1862; miscellaneous; people at Fort Pillow; units and military records; images; and microfilm.

Dates

1858-2000

Creator

Mainfort, Robert C. (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Information

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Use Information

No Use Restrictions Apply.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

Archaeologist Robert C. Mainfort assembled the Battle of Fort Pillow Materials while employed with the Division of Archaeology at the Tennessee Department of Conservation, which in 1980 published his findings under the title Archaeological Investigations at Fort Pillow State Historic Area: 1976-1978. Mainfort was a professor of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and is the author and/or editor of numerous archaeological texts, including Arkansas Archaeology: Essays in Honor of Dan and Phyllis Morse (2000) and Archaeological Data Recovery At The Skaggs Site, Madison County, Arkansas (1999).

Fort Pillow is located on the Mississippi River on the western edge of Tennessee, near Memphis. The Battle of Fort Pillow occurred on April 12, 1864, when the fort was captured by Confederate troops under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, in a brief but controversial action. Also called the “Fort Pillow Massacre,” Confederate soldiers allegedly massacred captured Union soldiers, including many African Americans.

Extent

2 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Additional Description

Arrangement of the Papers

Materials are arranged by topic.

Acquisition Information

The Battle of Fort Pillow Materials were donated to Special Collections, University of Arkansas, on July 12, 2006 by Robert C. Mainfort, of Fayetteville, Arkansas.