By Harvey Bottoms - Aug 9, 1999

We probably have more "history" of JK in the War of Northern Aggression than any of his other brothers.

He was the youngest of the Bottoms who served their country during this time of crisis. He, along with his brother, Granville (GM) joined Forrest Cavalry in 1863. JK brought a mule to ride while older brother GM rode a sorrell when they enlisted. You see, each soldier was expected to provide his own transportation, especially if you wanted to join the cavalry.

After JK and Granville had fought several skirmishes across western Tennessee and into Kentucky, they finally fight the battle that has created a lot of controversy: Fort Pillow.

Fort Pillow is located near the Mississippi River about thirty miles from the Bottoms home place. It was originally built by a Southern General Gideon Pillow, who was an early resident of Tennessee. The fort had been taken over by the Federals in 1862 when the Confederates had left it to support their men at Shiloh.

The Federals who manned the fort were primarily black and news of attrocities to Southern sympathizers were widely prevalent. So in 1864, General Forrest decided to attack the fort for a two-fold purpose. One of them was to collect badly needed supplies (This was the primary purpose of most of his scrimishes) and the second is to make retribution for the attrocities that the Federals had done.

The Federal commander was given an ultimatum (a normal procedure of Forrest and one that many Federal commanders could attest that he was honorable in accepting surrender). However, the Federal officer, knowing that reinforcement was not far away, attempted to waste some time. General Forrest allowed him some time but not near the large amount of time that the Federal officer had requested. When the final ultimatum came, the Federal officer refused to surrender.

During this time, the Federals were yelling out to the Confederates what they were going to do to them when they got their hands on them. The Confederates were yelling back their version of what was going to happen. The tension grew and grew with fierce words being exchanged by both sides.

Finally when the word to attack was given, there was no love lost between the two sides. The Confederates had already gained the higher ground and could easily see into the fort. Sharpshooters were strategically placed and one by one the inhabitants of the fort fell. The commanding officer was one of the first to fall. His adjutant seeing the hopelessness of the fort knew that an ironclad was downstream of the fort within just a few miles. He ordered his men to retreat to the boat. The Confederates followed them still with blood in their eyes.

Fortunately for John Ray, Amanda Goza's first husband (Paschal A. was her second), and other Federals, General Forrest rode between the two armies and caused the shootings to cease.

John Ray after being paroled was sent to a hospital in Paducah, Kentucky with a leg wound. He was deemed not capable to continue to fight. He was given a discharge and was sent home. In a couple or three years later, this wound caused his death. It was at this time that she married Paschal A.

The Northern newspapers needing to create some news that would cause an uproar against the South began calling this a massacre. Remember that the Federals never did ask to surrender but this was not important so that a new fervor could be created.

After the cessation of the hostility in 1865, the Confederate soldiers who were part of the battle were captured and thrown into prison. JK heard of this and escaped to go to Paducah, Kentucky where he had heard that Paschal A. and Devan were getting ready to be paroled. It was during this time, that he was injured when his rifle fell over and shot himself in the leg. During this time, he also talked about taking safety under a house and Federal Soldiers were inside talking. He finally made it and was paroled with his brothers.

Years later when he was applying for his Confederate Pension, his records showed that he was AWOL. However, his brother Presley Lester came to his rescue and made a statement to the effect of what happened in those final days and why. He was granted the pension as well as his wife Fannie Parilee upon his death.

JK had gone from being a boy to a man with a large storage of stories, both those to be hidden and those to be told, during this short two-year duration.

It is hard to imagine what he saw when he closed his eyes each night. One thing that we do know is that he was always a family man and he instilled in each of his children to be the best person that they could be.

This is James K Polk Bottoms