Expert opinion can give weight to your argument. But don’t rely on experts to make your argument for you. Construct your argument in your own words and, when appropriate, cite the judgment of an authority in the field to support your position.
Fort Pillow is not the only instance of a massacre or threatened massacre of black soldiers by troops under Forrest’s command. Biographer Brian Steel Wills points out that at Brice’s Cross Roads in June 1864, “black soldiers suffered inordinately” as Forrest looked the other way and Confederate soldiers deliberately sought out those they termed “the damned negroes.”21
Exercise: Thesis statements in Chicago (CMS) papers 1
Exercise: Thesis statements in Chicago (CMS) papers 2
expert opinion A source of evidence in an argument that relies on someone who is highly qualified and whose respected opinion is therefore valued.