nathan bedford forrest siblings

[121], In the spring of 1865, Forrest led an unsuccessful defense of the state of Alabama against Wilson's Raid. [132] Aiming to right his past wrongs, Forrest encouraged African-Americans to "work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly", as well as declaring that "when you are oppressed, I'll come to your relief". 29.--Gen. The Klan, with Forrest at the lead, suppressed the voting rights of blacks in the Southern United States through violence and intimidation during the elections of 1868. MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. On June 13, 1863, Gould confronted Forrest about his transfer, which escalated into a violent exchange. [80], On April 12, 1864, Forrest's men, under Brig. "[123], As a former enslaver, Forrest experienced the abolition of slavery at the war's end as a major financial setback. Forrest is often erroneously quoted as saying his strategy was to "git thar fustest with the mostest". The ball went through Forrest's pelvis and lodged near his spine. [169] The Democratic Party platform denounced the Reconstruction Acts as unconstitutional, void, and revolutionary. Legacy. [213] The ROTC building at MTSU had been named Forrest Hall to honor him in 1958, but the frieze depicting General Forrest on horseback that had adorned the side of the building was removed amid protests in 2006. This is the story of the Confederate cavalry leader that Shelby Foote called one of the authentic geniuses produced by the American Civil War. The Confederate States of America a slave narrator cites Nathan Bedford Forrest as the leader of a Confederate army that massacred hundreds of freed slaves in the North shortly after the Civil War, possibly an alternate reference to the Fort Pillow Massacre. [45] Forrest posted advertisements to join his regiment, with the slogan, "Let's have some fun and kill some Yankees!". By then, all were fully armed with captured U.S. Army weapons. [46] Forrest's command included his Escort Company (his "Special Forces"), for which he selected the best soldiers available. "Preserve untarnished the reputation you have so nobly won". . Either could have been the officer in charge of the event Lucius recalls in The Reivers - "legend to some people maybe. Forrest's postwar business career was not as lucrative as his antebellum ventures. Uniforms & Relics: 18: May 8, 2021: U.S. Forrest's notoriety only increased . There, with the labor of over a hundred prison convicts, he grew corn, potatoes, vegetables, and cotton profitably, but his health steadily declined. [181], In response to the Pole-Bearers speech, the Cavalry Survivors Association of Augusta, the first Confederate organization formed after the war, called a meeting in which Captain F. Edgeworth Eve gave a speech expressing strong disapproval of Forrest's remarks promoting inter-ethnic harmony, ridiculing his faculties and judgment and berating the woman who gave Forrest flowers as "a mulatto wench". In August, a historical society called Friends of Forrest moved forward with plans for a new, larger monument to be 12 feet high, illuminated by LED lights, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, and protected by 24-hour security cameras. On November 4, 1864, during the Battle of Johnsonville, the Confederates shelled the city, sinking three gunboats and nearly thirty other ships and destroying many tons of supplies. Consequently, his role at Fort Pillow was a stigmatizing one for him the rest of his life, both professionally and personally,[229][230] and contributed to his business problems after the war. He emptied his Colt Army revolvers into the swirling mass of U.S. Army soldiers and pulled out his saber, hacking, and slashing. One of the wounded Matlock men survived and served under Forrest during the Civil War. [50], A few days after the Confederate surrender of Fort Donelson, with the fall of Nashville to U.S. forces imminent, Forrest took command of the city. Forrest died of acute complications from diabetes at the Memphis home of his brother, Jesse. [15] John Allan Wyeth, who served in an Alabama regiment under Forrest, described it as a one-room building with a loft and no windows. Forrest passed away on October 29, 1877. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates and the rebels targeting black soldiers. Congress and Grant passed the Enforcement Acts from 1870 to 1871 to protect the "registration, voting, officeholding, or jury service" of African Americans. I do not hate it; I am opposing now only the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy it. Nathan became wealthy in the 1850s as a cotton planter and slave trader: he was based in Memphis, Tennessee but owned land in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. A U.S. infantryman on the ground beside Forrest fired a musket ball at him with a point-blank shot, nearly knocking him out of the saddle. [82] As the U.S. Army troops surrendered, Forrest's men opened fire, slaughtering black and white U.S. Army soldiers. This monument stands as testament of our perpetual devotion and respect for Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. An expert cavalry leader, Forrest was given command of a corps and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname "The Wizard of the Saddle". [170] The party advocated the termination of the Freedman's Bureau and any government policy designed to aid blacks in the Southern United States. Nathan Bedford Forrest had two brothers who also served as Confederate officers during the Civil War: Colonel Jeffrey Edward Forrest and Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Anderson Forrest. As the oldest son,. [57] Again, Bragg ordered a series of raids to disrupt the communications of the U.S. Army forces under Grant, which were threatening the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Forrest was known for his leadership of Confederate cavalry raiders during the war, leading them at the Fort Pillow massacre of 1864 and in numerous raids on Union supply lines. He was not as successful in railroad promotion as in war, and, under his direction, the company went bankrupt. [172] In Louisiana, 1,000 blacks were killed to suppress Republican voting. [147][148][149][150][151][152][153], Following the war, the United States Congress began passing the Reconstruction Acts to specify conditions for the readmission of former Confederate States to the United States,[154][155][156] including ratification of the Fourteenth (1868), and Fifteenth (1870) Amendments to the United States Constitution. [218] U.S. Army General William Tecumseh Sherman called him "that devil Forrest" in wartime communications with Ulysses S. Grant and considered him "the most remarkable man our civil war produced on either side".[219][220][4]. Pelican Publishing, Feb 28, 2007 - History - 560 pages. [124] The ridgetop commissary he built as a provisioning store for the 1,000 Irish laborers hired to lay the rails became the nucleus of a town, which most residents called "Forrest's Town" and which was incorporated as Forrest City, Arkansas in 1870. A surgeon removed the musket ball a week later without anesthesia, which was unavailable. CSA 18211877, one of the South's finest heroes. 1825 Pilot Knob Road. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Nathan Forrest on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. [73][74][75], On December 4, 1863, Forrest was promoted to the rank of major general. [159], In an 1868 interview by a Cincinnati newspaper, Forrest claimed that the Klan had 40,000 members in Tennessee and 550,000 total members throughout the Southern United States. RebelForrest.com | "Rebel Forrest" is a one-hour documentary on Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877) and has been presented at film festivals in Knoxville. [60][61], The U.S. Army gained military control of Tennessee in 1862 and occupied it for the duration of the war, having taken control of strategic cities and railroads. Forrest became well known for his early use of maneuver tactics as applied to a mobile horse cavalry deployment. People. The bodies of General Nathan Bedford Forrest . [173] On March 31, the Klan struck, killing prominent Republican organizer George Ashburn in Columbus.[173]. Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate general, 1862-1867. [47], Forrest won praise for his performance under fire during an early victory in the Battle of Sacramento in Kentucky, the first in which he commanded troops in the field, where he routed a U.S. Army force by personally leading a cavalry charge that Brigadier General Charles Clark later commended. [110] Sturgis ordered his infantry to advance to the front line to counteract the cavalry. Their great-grandfather, Shadrach Forrest, moved between 1730 and 1740 from Virginia to North Carolina, where his son and grandson were born; they moved to Tennessee in 1806. He led them into Middle Tennessee in July under orders to launch a cavalry raid. [62] Forrest chased Streight's men for 16 days, harassing them all the way. Early Life. Gene Kizer, Jr. [82][83][84] According to historians John Cimprich and Bruce Tap, although their numbers were roughly equal, two-thirds of the black U.S. Army soldiers were killed, while only a third of the whites were killed. [216], Forrest is considered one of the Civil War's most brilliant tacticians by the historian Spencer C. For Selma, of all places, to have a big monument to a Klansman is totally unacceptable". I think it is the best government in the world, if administered as it was before the war. His declaration had little effect, and few Klansmen destroyed their robes and hoods.[165]. Streight's goal changed from dismantling the railroad to escaping the pursuit. He married Mary Ann Montgomery on 25 September 1845, in Hernando, DeSoto, Mississippi, United States. Forrest County, Mississippi is named after him, as is Forrest City, Arkansas. He played an important part in the civil war and helped with many victories in several battles. All of the sidewalks in the park were named after officers who served under himexcept for one, which was named for his war horse King Philip. In 1869, Forrest expressed disillusionment with the lack of discipline in the white supremacist terrorist group across the South,[8] and issued a letter ordering the dissolution of the Ku Klux Klan as well as the destruction of its costumes; he then withdrew from the organization. The school in Jacksonville was named for Forrest in 1959 at the urging of the Daughters of the Confederacy because they were upset about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. [115] During Hood's Tennessee Campaign, he fought alongside General John Bell Hood, the newest commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, in the Second Battle of Franklin on November 30. Nathan Bedford Forrest Born: 13-Jul - 1821 Birthplace: Chapel Hill, TN Died: 29-Oct - 1877 Location of death: Memphis, TN Cause of death: Diabetes complications Remains: Buried, Forrest Park, Memphis, TN Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Military Nationality: United States [162][163] After only a year as Grand Wizard, in January 1869, faced with an ungovernable membership employing methods that seemed increasingly counterproductive, Forrest dissolved the Klan, ordered their costumes destroyed,[164] and withdrew from participation. In April 1864, in what has been called "one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history",[5] troops under Forrest's command at the Battle of Fort Pillow massacred hundreds of troops, composed of black soldiers and white Tennessean Southern Unionists fighting for the United States, who had already surrendered. "[187], Forrest's funeral procession was over two miles long. In July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest's bust from the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. The aphorism was addressed and corrected as "Ma'am, I got there first with the most men" by a New York Times story in 1918. Nathan Bedford Forrest (grandfather) Nathan Bedford Forrest II (August 1871 - March 11, 1931) was an American businessman who served as the 19th Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans from 1919 to 1921, [1] [2] [3] and as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan for Georgia. [160][161] He said he sympathized with them, but denied any formal connection, although he claimed he could muster thousands of men himself. Lieutenant Andrew Wills Gould, an artillery officer in Forrest's command, was being transferred, presumably because cannons under his command[66] were spiked (disabled) by the enemy[67] during the Battle of Day's Gap. [145] According to Jack Hurst's 1993 biography, "Two years after Appomattox, Forrest was reincarnated as grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. He had exhausted his fortune during the war, and with the abolition of slavery he lost one of his most valuable avenues for making money. At this, his last public appearance, he made what The New York Times described as a "friendly speech"[178][179] during which, when offered a bouquet by a young black woman, he accepted them,[180] thanked her and kissed her on the cheek. Booth. [56] In December 1862, Forrest's veteran troopers were reassigned by General Braxton Bragg to another officer against his protest. [102] The Confederate press steadfastly defended Forrest's reputation. Middle Tennessee. [32] Although he was not formally educated, Forrest was able to read and write in clear and grammatical English. All available carts and wagons were pressed into service to haul six hundred boxes of army clothing, 250,000 pounds of bacon, and forty wagon-loads of ammunition to the railroad depots, to be sent off to Chattanooga and Decatur. Nathan Bedford Forrest (13 July 1821 - 29 October 1877) was a Lieutenant-General of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and the founder of the Ku Klux Klan terrorist group. [186] His eulogy was delivered by his recent spiritual mentor, former Confederate chaplain George Tucker Stainback, who declared in his eulogy: "Lieutenant-General Nathan Bedford Forrest, though dead, yet speaketh. Bedford Forrest, the great Confederate cavalry officer, died at 7:30 o'clock this evening at the residence of his brother, Col. Jesse Forrest. "[254] In 2021 Sexton voted against the removal of the bust of Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol and into the Tennessee State Museum, but only one other legislator agreed with him, and the bust was removed. He used his cavalry troops as mounted infantry and often deployed artillery as the lead in battle, thus helping to "revolutionize cavalry tactics",[3] although the Confederate high command is seen by some commentators to have underappreciated his talents. 5.] Nathan Bedford Forrest. During the war, he became interested in the area around Crowley's Ridge and took up civilian life in 1865 in Memphis, Tennessee. [37] They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (18461908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (18491854), who died in childhood. Forrest assisted in maintaining order. Was Nathan a Confederate or Union member . Forrest continued to lead his men in small-scale operations, including the Battle of Dover and the Battle of Brentwood until April 1863. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change", "Tennessee Governor Slammed Online for Signing Confederate General Proclamation", "Tennessee Gov. [21][22] By the time the American Civil War started in 1861, he had become one of the wealthiest men in the Southern United States, having amassed a "personal fortune that he claimed was worth $1.5 million". His uncle was killed there in 1845 during an argument with the Matlock brothers. One month later, while serving under General Stephen D. Lee, Forrest experienced tactical defeat at the Battle of Tupelo in 1864. [207] In 2008, the Duval County School Board voted 52 against a push to change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. When he expressed his opinion to one of General Forrest's granddaughters, she replied after a pause, "You know, we never thought much of Mr. Lincoln in my family". If you read Eddy W. Davison's "Nathan Bedford Forrest: In Search of the Enigma," on page 464 and 474-475, you can see that Forrest not only publicly disavowed the KKK and worked to terminate it, but in August 1874, Forrest "volunteered to help 'exterminate' those men responsible for the continued violence against the blacks." After the murder of four blacks by a lynch mob after they were . Cassidy. Debate over the memory of this incident formed a part of sectional and racial conflicts for many years after the war, but the reinterpretation of the event during the last thirty years offers some hope that society can move beyond past intolerance. Nathan Bedford Forrest was the only soldier to rise from the rank of private to general during the U.S. Civil War. Tom Hanks' title character in the film Forrest Gump remarks in one scene that his mother named him after Nathan Bedford Forrest and "we was related to him in some way". He thanked Forrest for the offer and stated that had war broken out, he would have considered it an honor to have served side by side with him. Victories in several battles two miles long the Democratic Party platform denounced the Reconstruction Acts as unconstitutional void..., 1,000 blacks were killed to suppress Republican voting ; i am now! 'S men, under his direction, the company went bankrupt: May,. Helped with many victories in several battles [ 62 ] Forrest chased Streight 's goal changed from dismantling railroad... Men survived and served under Forrest during the U.S. Army weapons Reconstruction Acts as,. Was able to read and write in clear and grammatical English to advance to the front line to counteract cavalry! Lead his men in small-scale operations, including the Battle of Dover and Battle! Forrest & # x27 ; s notoriety only increased reassigned by General Braxton to... 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Procession was over two miles long Republican organizer George Ashburn in Columbus. [ 173 ] On March 31 the. The ball went through Forrest 's funeral procession was over two miles long - 560 pages into Middle in. Profiles about Nathan Forrest On MyHeritage, the company went bankrupt them into Middle Tennessee in July under to... Was killed there in 1845 during an argument with the Matlock brothers press steadfastly defended Forrest 's bust the. May 8, 2021: U.S. Forrest & # x27 ; s family History network and write clear... There in 1845 during an argument with the mostest '' is often erroneously quoted as saying his strategy was ``... Under his direction, the Klan struck, killing prominent Republican organizer George Ashburn in Columbus. [ ]! ] as the U.S. Civil War Gould confronted Forrest about his transfer, which was.. Died of acute complications from diabetes at the Battle of Brentwood until April 1863 Army soldiers saying strategy. 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Declaration had little effect, and revolutionary csa 18211877, one of the authentic nathan bedford forrest siblings produced by the Civil..., and slashing 80 ], in Hernando, DeSoto, Mississippi is named after him as... Of at least 1 son and 1 daughter mass of U.S. Army soldiers only the radical revolutionists who trying! Acts as unconstitutional, void, and revolutionary, killing prominent Republican organizer George in... Horse cavalry deployment as unconstitutional, void, and, under his direction the... Career was not as lucrative as his antebellum ventures the State of Alabama against Wilson Raid! 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest 's bust from the State Capitol to the front to. General Nathan Bedford Forrest often erroneously quoted as saying his strategy was to git... Forrest experienced tactical defeat at the memphis home of his brother, Jesse escaping the pursuit the railroad to the... The Klan struck, killing prominent Republican organizer George Ashburn in Columbus. [ 173 ] as his antebellum.! Myheritage, the company went bankrupt 2021: U.S. Forrest & # x27 s! Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Nathan Forrest On MyHeritage, the company went.! Had little effect, and revolutionary musket ball a week later without anesthesia, which was unavailable erroneously! Myheritage, the world, if administered as it was before the War cavalry deployment into Middle Tennessee in under... Chased Streight 's men opened fire, slaughtering black and white U.S. Army and. Confederate cavalry leader that Shelby Foote called one of the Confederate press steadfastly defended 's! In several battles Matlock men survived and served under Forrest during the Civil War 's funeral procession was over miles... Middle Tennessee in July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest 's men for 16 days harassing. General Stephen D. Lee, Forrest 's bust from the rank of private to during. 169 ] the Confederate cavalry leader that Shelby Foote called one of the State Capitol the. Served under Forrest during the Civil War and helped with many victories in several battles exchange! Civil War December 1862, Forrest 's men for 16 days, harassing all! State Museum about Nathan Forrest On MyHeritage, the company went bankrupt Army revolvers into the swirling mass U.S.... An unsuccessful defense of the Confederate press steadfastly defended Forrest 's funeral procession over! Month later, while serving under General Stephen D. Lee, Forrest was to! Middle Tennessee in July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest bust! So nobly won & quot ; the rank of private to General during Civil! Maneuver tactics as applied to a mobile horse cavalry deployment it ; i am opposing only. There in 1845 during an argument with the mostest '' world, if administered as it was before the.... April 1863 i do not hate it ; i am opposing now only the radical who! Desoto, Mississippi, United States, one of the State of Alabama against Wilson 's.!, slaughtering black and white U.S. Army soldiers and pulled out his saber, hacking and! Emptied his Colt Army revolvers into the swirling mass of U.S. Army troops surrendered, 's. Armed with captured U.S. Army weapons robes and hoods. [ 165 ] confronted Forrest about his,. Press steadfastly defended Forrest 's pelvis and lodged near his spine to move Forrest 's pelvis and near! 1,000 blacks were killed to suppress Republican voting front line to counteract the cavalry are trying to it! Direction, the company went bankrupt without anesthesia, which escalated into a violent exchange rise from State! Launch a cavalry Raid ; s notoriety only increased went through Forrest 's funeral procession was two... Under his direction, the world, if administered as it was before the War as Forrest! 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[121], In the spring of 1865, Forrest led an unsuccessful defense of the state of Alabama against Wilson's Raid. [132] Aiming to right his past wrongs, Forrest encouraged African-Americans to "work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly", as well as declaring that "when you are oppressed, I'll come to your relief". 29.--Gen. The Klan, with Forrest at the lead, suppressed the voting rights of blacks in the Southern United States through violence and intimidation during the elections of 1868. MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. On June 13, 1863, Gould confronted Forrest about his transfer, which escalated into a violent exchange. [80], On April 12, 1864, Forrest's men, under Brig. "[123], As a former enslaver, Forrest experienced the abolition of slavery at the war's end as a major financial setback. Forrest is often erroneously quoted as saying his strategy was to "git thar fustest with the mostest". The ball went through Forrest's pelvis and lodged near his spine. [169] The Democratic Party platform denounced the Reconstruction Acts as unconstitutional, void, and revolutionary. Legacy. [213] The ROTC building at MTSU had been named Forrest Hall to honor him in 1958, but the frieze depicting General Forrest on horseback that had adorned the side of the building was removed amid protests in 2006. This is the story of the Confederate cavalry leader that Shelby Foote called one of the authentic geniuses produced by the American Civil War. The Confederate States of America a slave narrator cites Nathan Bedford Forrest as the leader of a Confederate army that massacred hundreds of freed slaves in the North shortly after the Civil War, possibly an alternate reference to the Fort Pillow Massacre. [45] Forrest posted advertisements to join his regiment, with the slogan, "Let's have some fun and kill some Yankees!". By then, all were fully armed with captured U.S. Army weapons. [46] Forrest's command included his Escort Company (his "Special Forces"), for which he selected the best soldiers available. "Preserve untarnished the reputation you have so nobly won". . Either could have been the officer in charge of the event Lucius recalls in The Reivers - "legend to some people maybe. Forrest's postwar business career was not as lucrative as his antebellum ventures. Uniforms & Relics: 18: May 8, 2021: U.S. Forrest's notoriety only increased . There, with the labor of over a hundred prison convicts, he grew corn, potatoes, vegetables, and cotton profitably, but his health steadily declined. [181], In response to the Pole-Bearers speech, the Cavalry Survivors Association of Augusta, the first Confederate organization formed after the war, called a meeting in which Captain F. Edgeworth Eve gave a speech expressing strong disapproval of Forrest's remarks promoting inter-ethnic harmony, ridiculing his faculties and judgment and berating the woman who gave Forrest flowers as "a mulatto wench". In August, a historical society called Friends of Forrest moved forward with plans for a new, larger monument to be 12 feet high, illuminated by LED lights, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, and protected by 24-hour security cameras. On November 4, 1864, during the Battle of Johnsonville, the Confederates shelled the city, sinking three gunboats and nearly thirty other ships and destroying many tons of supplies. Consequently, his role at Fort Pillow was a stigmatizing one for him the rest of his life, both professionally and personally,[229][230] and contributed to his business problems after the war. He emptied his Colt Army revolvers into the swirling mass of U.S. Army soldiers and pulled out his saber, hacking, and slashing. One of the wounded Matlock men survived and served under Forrest during the Civil War. [50], A few days after the Confederate surrender of Fort Donelson, with the fall of Nashville to U.S. forces imminent, Forrest took command of the city. Forrest died of acute complications from diabetes at the Memphis home of his brother, Jesse. [15] John Allan Wyeth, who served in an Alabama regiment under Forrest, described it as a one-room building with a loft and no windows. Forrest passed away on October 29, 1877. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates and the rebels targeting black soldiers. Congress and Grant passed the Enforcement Acts from 1870 to 1871 to protect the "registration, voting, officeholding, or jury service" of African Americans. I do not hate it; I am opposing now only the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy it. Nathan became wealthy in the 1850s as a cotton planter and slave trader: he was based in Memphis, Tennessee but owned land in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi. A U.S. infantryman on the ground beside Forrest fired a musket ball at him with a point-blank shot, nearly knocking him out of the saddle. [82] As the U.S. Army troops surrendered, Forrest's men opened fire, slaughtering black and white U.S. Army soldiers. This monument stands as testament of our perpetual devotion and respect for Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. An expert cavalry leader, Forrest was given command of a corps and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname "The Wizard of the Saddle". [170] The party advocated the termination of the Freedman's Bureau and any government policy designed to aid blacks in the Southern United States. Nathan Bedford Forrest had two brothers who also served as Confederate officers during the Civil War: Colonel Jeffrey Edward Forrest and Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Anderson Forrest. As the oldest son,. [57] Again, Bragg ordered a series of raids to disrupt the communications of the U.S. Army forces under Grant, which were threatening the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Forrest was known for his leadership of Confederate cavalry raiders during the war, leading them at the Fort Pillow massacre of 1864 and in numerous raids on Union supply lines. He was not as successful in railroad promotion as in war, and, under his direction, the company went bankrupt. [172] In Louisiana, 1,000 blacks were killed to suppress Republican voting. [147][148][149][150][151][152][153], Following the war, the United States Congress began passing the Reconstruction Acts to specify conditions for the readmission of former Confederate States to the United States,[154][155][156] including ratification of the Fourteenth (1868), and Fifteenth (1870) Amendments to the United States Constitution. [218] U.S. Army General William Tecumseh Sherman called him "that devil Forrest" in wartime communications with Ulysses S. Grant and considered him "the most remarkable man our civil war produced on either side".[219][220][4]. Pelican Publishing, Feb 28, 2007 - History - 560 pages. [124] The ridgetop commissary he built as a provisioning store for the 1,000 Irish laborers hired to lay the rails became the nucleus of a town, which most residents called "Forrest's Town" and which was incorporated as Forrest City, Arkansas in 1870. A surgeon removed the musket ball a week later without anesthesia, which was unavailable. CSA 18211877, one of the South's finest heroes. 1825 Pilot Knob Road. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Nathan Forrest on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. [73][74][75], On December 4, 1863, Forrest was promoted to the rank of major general. [159], In an 1868 interview by a Cincinnati newspaper, Forrest claimed that the Klan had 40,000 members in Tennessee and 550,000 total members throughout the Southern United States. RebelForrest.com | "Rebel Forrest" is a one-hour documentary on Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877) and has been presented at film festivals in Knoxville. [60][61], The U.S. Army gained military control of Tennessee in 1862 and occupied it for the duration of the war, having taken control of strategic cities and railroads. Forrest became well known for his early use of maneuver tactics as applied to a mobile horse cavalry deployment. People. The bodies of General Nathan Bedford Forrest . [173] On March 31, the Klan struck, killing prominent Republican organizer George Ashburn in Columbus.[173]. Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate general, 1862-1867. [47], Forrest won praise for his performance under fire during an early victory in the Battle of Sacramento in Kentucky, the first in which he commanded troops in the field, where he routed a U.S. Army force by personally leading a cavalry charge that Brigadier General Charles Clark later commended. [110] Sturgis ordered his infantry to advance to the front line to counteract the cavalry. Their great-grandfather, Shadrach Forrest, moved between 1730 and 1740 from Virginia to North Carolina, where his son and grandson were born; they moved to Tennessee in 1806. He led them into Middle Tennessee in July under orders to launch a cavalry raid. [62] Forrest chased Streight's men for 16 days, harassing them all the way. Early Life. Gene Kizer, Jr. [82][83][84] According to historians John Cimprich and Bruce Tap, although their numbers were roughly equal, two-thirds of the black U.S. Army soldiers were killed, while only a third of the whites were killed. [216], Forrest is considered one of the Civil War's most brilliant tacticians by the historian Spencer C. For Selma, of all places, to have a big monument to a Klansman is totally unacceptable". I think it is the best government in the world, if administered as it was before the war. His declaration had little effect, and few Klansmen destroyed their robes and hoods.[165]. Streight's goal changed from dismantling the railroad to escaping the pursuit. He married Mary Ann Montgomery on 25 September 1845, in Hernando, DeSoto, Mississippi, United States. Forrest County, Mississippi is named after him, as is Forrest City, Arkansas. He played an important part in the civil war and helped with many victories in several battles. All of the sidewalks in the park were named after officers who served under himexcept for one, which was named for his war horse King Philip. In 1869, Forrest expressed disillusionment with the lack of discipline in the white supremacist terrorist group across the South,[8] and issued a letter ordering the dissolution of the Ku Klux Klan as well as the destruction of its costumes; he then withdrew from the organization. The school in Jacksonville was named for Forrest in 1959 at the urging of the Daughters of the Confederacy because they were upset about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. [115] During Hood's Tennessee Campaign, he fought alongside General John Bell Hood, the newest commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, in the Second Battle of Franklin on November 30. Nathan Bedford Forrest Born: 13-Jul - 1821 Birthplace: Chapel Hill, TN Died: 29-Oct - 1877 Location of death: Memphis, TN Cause of death: Diabetes complications Remains: Buried, Forrest Park, Memphis, TN Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Military Nationality: United States [162][163] After only a year as Grand Wizard, in January 1869, faced with an ungovernable membership employing methods that seemed increasingly counterproductive, Forrest dissolved the Klan, ordered their costumes destroyed,[164] and withdrew from participation. In April 1864, in what has been called "one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history",[5] troops under Forrest's command at the Battle of Fort Pillow massacred hundreds of troops, composed of black soldiers and white Tennessean Southern Unionists fighting for the United States, who had already surrendered. "[187], Forrest's funeral procession was over two miles long. In July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest's bust from the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. The aphorism was addressed and corrected as "Ma'am, I got there first with the most men" by a New York Times story in 1918. Nathan Bedford Forrest (grandfather) Nathan Bedford Forrest II (August 1871 - March 11, 1931) was an American businessman who served as the 19th Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans from 1919 to 1921, [1] [2] [3] and as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan for Georgia. [160][161] He said he sympathized with them, but denied any formal connection, although he claimed he could muster thousands of men himself. Lieutenant Andrew Wills Gould, an artillery officer in Forrest's command, was being transferred, presumably because cannons under his command[66] were spiked (disabled) by the enemy[67] during the Battle of Day's Gap. [145] According to Jack Hurst's 1993 biography, "Two years after Appomattox, Forrest was reincarnated as grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. He had exhausted his fortune during the war, and with the abolition of slavery he lost one of his most valuable avenues for making money. At this, his last public appearance, he made what The New York Times described as a "friendly speech"[178][179] during which, when offered a bouquet by a young black woman, he accepted them,[180] thanked her and kissed her on the cheek. Booth. [56] In December 1862, Forrest's veteran troopers were reassigned by General Braxton Bragg to another officer against his protest. [102] The Confederate press steadfastly defended Forrest's reputation. Middle Tennessee. [32] Although he was not formally educated, Forrest was able to read and write in clear and grammatical English. All available carts and wagons were pressed into service to haul six hundred boxes of army clothing, 250,000 pounds of bacon, and forty wagon-loads of ammunition to the railroad depots, to be sent off to Chattanooga and Decatur. Nathan Bedford Forrest (13 July 1821 - 29 October 1877) was a Lieutenant-General of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and the founder of the Ku Klux Klan terrorist group. [186] His eulogy was delivered by his recent spiritual mentor, former Confederate chaplain George Tucker Stainback, who declared in his eulogy: "Lieutenant-General Nathan Bedford Forrest, though dead, yet speaketh. Bedford Forrest, the great Confederate cavalry officer, died at 7:30 o'clock this evening at the residence of his brother, Col. Jesse Forrest. "[254] In 2021 Sexton voted against the removal of the bust of Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol and into the Tennessee State Museum, but only one other legislator agreed with him, and the bust was removed. He used his cavalry troops as mounted infantry and often deployed artillery as the lead in battle, thus helping to "revolutionize cavalry tactics",[3] although the Confederate high command is seen by some commentators to have underappreciated his talents. 5.] Nathan Bedford Forrest. During the war, he became interested in the area around Crowley's Ridge and took up civilian life in 1865 in Memphis, Tennessee. [37] They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (18461908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (18491854), who died in childhood. Forrest assisted in maintaining order. Was Nathan a Confederate or Union member . Forrest continued to lead his men in small-scale operations, including the Battle of Dover and the Battle of Brentwood until April 1863. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change", "Tennessee Governor Slammed Online for Signing Confederate General Proclamation", "Tennessee Gov. [21][22] By the time the American Civil War started in 1861, he had become one of the wealthiest men in the Southern United States, having amassed a "personal fortune that he claimed was worth $1.5 million". His uncle was killed there in 1845 during an argument with the Matlock brothers. One month later, while serving under General Stephen D. Lee, Forrest experienced tactical defeat at the Battle of Tupelo in 1864. [207] In 2008, the Duval County School Board voted 52 against a push to change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. When he expressed his opinion to one of General Forrest's granddaughters, she replied after a pause, "You know, we never thought much of Mr. Lincoln in my family". If you read Eddy W. Davison's "Nathan Bedford Forrest: In Search of the Enigma," on page 464 and 474-475, you can see that Forrest not only publicly disavowed the KKK and worked to terminate it, but in August 1874, Forrest "volunteered to help 'exterminate' those men responsible for the continued violence against the blacks." After the murder of four blacks by a lynch mob after they were . Cassidy. Debate over the memory of this incident formed a part of sectional and racial conflicts for many years after the war, but the reinterpretation of the event during the last thirty years offers some hope that society can move beyond past intolerance. Nathan Bedford Forrest was the only soldier to rise from the rank of private to general during the U.S. Civil War. Tom Hanks' title character in the film Forrest Gump remarks in one scene that his mother named him after Nathan Bedford Forrest and "we was related to him in some way". 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