“ordered the massacre of all the Black prisoners at Fort Pillow”
BS.
It appears that a Yankee officer at the battle disagreed with the claim that there was a massacre:
“The report of Lieutenant Daniel Van Horn, Sixth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery confirmed this in which he reported: “There never was a surrender of the fort, both officers and men declaring they never would surrender or ask for quarter.”
http://37thtexas.org/html/grandfab.html
He was in command. Period. His own subordinates wrote home about it, their letters are preserved. No BS.