Fort Pillow
by Harry Turtledove
Published by St. Martin's Griffin
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Diane A. Brown
A vivid and intense look into the horror and brutality of the civil war--written in the language that was used then to describe people.
Nathan Bedford Forrest, a ruthless commander for the Confederate army, and his troops, approached Fort Pillow as if on wings. His men were driven by hatred for the escaped slaves and the Union army that trained them. Spurred on through the swamps and bogs, rain and cold by the demanding Nathan Forrest they reached Fort Pillow exhausted. However, fatigue quickly gave away to their desire to punish those slaves and the other soldiers.
Major William Bradford and his Union troops at Fort Pillow were comfortable knowing the Confederate soldiers were far away. Though he was a major, his experience in actual combat was minimal. A lawyer by trade, he fought best with words. Major Booth had added his forces to the fort about two weeks earlier. Experienced in the heat of battle, he was the senior officer and Bradford resented him, but was grateful for his knowledge.
The soldiers Major Booth brought with him were another story. Many were those escaped slaves--and people thought that they couldn't fight--and just weren't worth considering because they would likely turn tale in the heat of battle. Major Bradford knew all the training in the world couldn't change the color of a man's skin. Yet Major Booth seemed to have confidence in them.
The truth would soon be uncovered. The first morning light brought the crack of Confederate rifles. The battle was one that went down in history for many reasons. The bravery and determination on both sides left many would-be heroes silenced for eternity. Their stories would be buried with their bodies, in mass graves, unremembered and forgotten over time.
We take for granted our freedoms of today, yet we understand very little of the sacrifices that won those rights. Fort Pillow is more than a novel. It will let you feel and experience history as if you were there. It is graphic and candid, leaving nothing to the imagination. Read it if you dare, you'll never be the same.
Armchair Interviews says: Powerful story well told.
Author's Web site: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/turtledove.html