Captain Carron commanded one of the 12-pound cannon that defended Fort Pillow during the Confederate attack in April 1864. Sgt. Benjamin Robinson was among those under his command.[1] After Confederate forces attacked, Carron suggested setting fire to the barracks outside the fort to deny the Confederates shelter.[2] Major William Bradford, who had taken command of the fort, liked the idea, and tasked Lt. Mack Leaming with the burn. Carron stayed with the gun crew right until the Confederates breached the fort.[3]
Literary Comment[]
Carron's name appears in the investigation performed by the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. However, aside from these one or two references, nothing is known about Carron, including his age, his place of birth, the circumstances of his death, or even his first name.
One possible explanation is that the "Carron" of the report is a misspelling of Captain Delos Carson who was killed at Fort Pillow and is one of the few Fort Pillow Casualties that have been reinterred in the Memphis National Cemetery with the name intact.
