In the latter part of the Civil War, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked Fort Pillow with 1,500 troops. At that time, the fort was defended by 550 Union soldiers, half of which were Black. After gaining the advantage, Forrest demanded total surrender. The Unionists refused and the ensuing Confederate assault resulted in very heavy Federal casualties, especially among the brave, yet fated, African-American soldiers. The explosive controversy whether it was a massacre continues to this day. Director Stan Armstrong effectively uses footage of the historic fort, battle scenes with Civil War re-enactors and mixes in a number of expert interviews to make an very informative documentary of this little known, yet significant event in American history.