The river was blockaded a short distance below Fort Pillow in a novel, but not very efficient manner.  Flat-boats were anchored in the river about one hundred yards apart, and heavy chain-cables stretched across them.  This was intended to stop the boats which should attempt to run past the fort, until the land batteries could sink them.  This all did very well, until a rise in the river, when the boats lifted the anchors, broke the chains, floated away down the river, and stuck on a bar several miles below.  This blockade was facetiously called by the men, “Pillow’s trot-line.”

Here again the independent character of the men composing our regiment showed itself more strongly than at Fort Wright.  The regiment had now been without pay or bounty for nearly four months, and the men determined to find out why it was not forthcoming.  One morning, at drill-call, the men in my own company marched out and stacked their arms, refusing to drill.  I then proceeded to call the roll, but no one answered.  I then reported to the captain that no one had answered to roll-call, but that all the “absentees were present” in camp.  He ordered me to take a guard and arrest every one who refused to fall into ranks.  But the question now arose, where was the guard to come from—­no one would answer to the guard detail?

The captain went to the colonel, and reported his company in a state of mutiny.  Colonel Walker immediately mounted his horse, and galloping to our quarters, ordered the men to take their arms and proceed to the drill-ground.  Not a man moved to obey this order, although a few would have done so had they not feared the vengeance of their comrades.  The colonel stormed and swore, and assured them that he would have them all shot next morning, if they did not return to duty; but finally, cooling down a little, he demanded of them the reason for refusing to do duty.  Some of them answered that they wanted their money.  He scornfully asked them, if they came out to fight for the paltry sum of eleven dollars a month; upbraiding them with their lack of patriotism.  One of the men remarked, that the officers could afford to be very patriotic, as they drew their pay regularly every month.  The colonel then got wrathful again, and ordered out the rest of the regiment to quell the mutiny; but in the mean time they had come to the same resolution, and refused to move.  He then placed all the commissioned officers of the regiment under arrest, for not quelling the mutiny.  As there was but one other regiment at Fort Pillow at that time, they could not put it down by force.  In two days we were paid, and all returned peaceably to duty.  Colonel Walker was then put under arrest by General Pillow, and tried by a court-martial, for allowing his regiment to be off duty for two days, but he was acquitted.

General Pillow, from whom this fort received its name, is a short, stoutly built man, about fifty years of age; has a mild, pleasant expression when not excited; firm, large mouth; gray eyes; hair and whiskers sprinkled with gray.  He is fond of the good opinion of his men, and does every thing consistent with military rigor to gain their good-will; nevertheless, he is a strict disciplinarian, and has punished several men with death for desertion and disobedience of orders.