Perhaps the most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ( guerrilla) leader in the war, Forrest is regarded by many military historians as that conflict's most innovative and successful general. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Nathan Forrest on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. [201], A monument to Forrest in the Confederate Circle section of Old Live Oak Cemetery in Selma, Alabama reads "Defender of Selma, Wizard of the Saddle, Untutored Genius, The first with the most. Forrest led other raids that summer and fall, including a famous one into U.S. Army-held downtown Memphis in August 1864 (the Second Battle of Memphis)[114] and another on a major U.S. Army supply depot at Johnsonville, Tennessee. [23], Forrest was well-known as a Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler. [81] Bradford refused to surrender, believing his troops could escape to the U.S. Navy gunboat, USS New Era, on the Mississippi River. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he raised a cavalry and fought with. Nathan Bedford Forrest, Daniel Foxx. [48][49] Forrest distinguished himself further at the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862. Nathan Bedford Forrest died in 1877 from health complications related to his diabetes, leaving behind a legacy of racism, first as a slave trader, then as a soldier in the Confederate Army where he became one of the south's greatest military strategists, and following the Civil War when he joined the KKK and became a grand wizard of one of the . Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust.jpg 2,150 2,688; 2.22 MB. 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. [246] In a nearly unanimous vote on July 7, the Memphis City Council passed a resolution in favor of removing the statue and securing the couple's remains for transfer. Sister: Mildred Forrest (1831-1841) Brother: Bedford Forest (b. memorial page for Nathan Bedford Forrest (13 Jul 1821-29 Oct 1877), Find a Grave Memorial ID 355, citing National Confederate Museum at Elm . After success in achieving the objectives specified by Hood, Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864. In 1866, Forrest and C.C. A common report is that Forrest arrived in Nashville in April 1867 while the Klan was meeting at the Maxwell House Hotel, probably at the encouragement of a state Klan leader, former Confederate general George Gordon. August 12, 2021. [43] In October 1861, Forrest was given command of a regiment, the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry. [188], Forrest was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis. You can be good citizens. [190], On July 7, 2015, the Memphis City Council unanimously voted to remove the statue of Forrest from Health Sciences Park, and to return the remains of Forrest and his wife to Elmwood Cemetery. His opponent, U.S. Army Brig. 1887-1961. 200. "Every moment lost is worth the life of a thousand men". [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. MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. The poor deluded negroes would run up to our men fall upon their knees and with uplifted hands scream for mercy but they were ordered to their feet and then shot down. [40], After the Civil War broke out, Forrest returned to Tennessee from his Mississippi ventures and enlisted in the Confederate States Army (CSA) on June 14, 1861. People. Laying down the body, Forrest spread his handkerchief over his dead brother's face and, calling on a member of his escort to remain with the corpse, he mounted his horse and said to those who were present: "Follow me.". Booth. High schools named for Forrest were built in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida. Nathan Bedford Forrest. It is reported that he had killed seven persons with this sword during the war. I do not hate it; I am opposing now only the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy it. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a self-taught man who made his fortune as a cotton planter and trader of enslaved people. Historian Court Carney suggested that "embarrassed by their city's early capitulation during the Civil War, white Memphians desperately needed a hero and therefore crafted a distorted depiction of Forrest's role in the war. [255] Sexton said that he believed the removal of the bust "aligns with the teaching of communism. When was Nathan born? [243] On March 10, 2012, it was vandalized, and the bronze bust of the general disappeared. Nathan Bedford Forrest High Resolution Photograph.jpg 861 1,385; 551 KB. Many in the United States, including President Grant, backed the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave voting rights to Americans regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". He sidestepped some questions and pleaded failure of memory on others. Uniforms & Relics: 18: May 8, 2021: U.S. [221] He grasped the doctrines of mobile warfare[222] that would eventually become prevalent in the 20th century. He did not say it that way, and nobody who knows anything about him imagines that he did.[226]. According to Richard L. Fuchs, "records concerning the fate of the black prisoners are either nonexistent or unreliable". [76] On March 25, 1864, Forrest's cavalry raided the town of Paducah, Kentucky in the Battle of Paducah, during which Forrest demanded the surrender of U.S. [100], At the time of the massacre, General Grant was no longer in Tennessee but had transferred to the east to command all U.S. troops. [94] These statements were contradicted by U.S. Army survivors and by the letter of a Confederate soldier who graphically recounted a massacre. As a result, Grant was forced to revise and delay his Vicksburg campaign strategy. The Horrors and Cruelties of the Scene Intensified. General Forrest graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School in December 1939 with duty to the 17th Bombardment Group from December 1939 to February 1941 . "[177], After the lynch mob murder of four black people who had been arrested for defending themselves in a brawl at a barbecue, Forrest wrote to Tennessee Governor John C. Brown in August 1874 and "volunteered to help 'exterminate' those men responsible for the continued violence against the blacks", offering "to exterminate the white marauders who disgrace their race by this cowardly murder of Negroes". [18], Forrest had success as a businessman, planter, and enslaver. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse, and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. [80] Booth and his adjutant were killed in the battle, leaving Fort Pillow under the command of Major William Bradford. He married Mary Frances Bassler on 19 November 1930, in Cook, Illinois, United States. [112] Concerned about U.S. Army supply lines, Maj. Gen. Sherman sent a force under the command of Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith to deal with Forrest. Nathan Bedford Forrest (13 Juli 1821 - 29 Oktober 1877) adalah seorang jenderal Tentara Konfederasi pada Perang Saudara Amerika dan pemimpin Ku Klux Klan berpengaruh pasca-perang. [244] An online petition at Change.org asking the City Council to ban the monument collected 313,617 signatures by mid-September of the same year.[245]. The Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 77 acres (0.31 km 2) of the Okolona battlefield. [80], On April 12, 1864, Forrest's men, under Brig. [30][44], Public debate surrounded Tennessee's decision to join the Confederacy, and both the Confederate and United States armies recruited soldiers from the state. [189] In 1904, the remains of Forrest and his wife Mary were disinterred from Elmwood and moved to a Memphis city park that was originally named Forrest Park in his honor but has since been renamed Health Sciences Park. [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. [118] When Hood's battle-hardened Army of Tennessee, consisting of 40,000 men deployed in three infantry corps plus 10,000 to 15,000 cavalry, was all but destroyed on December 1516, at the Battle of Nashville,[119] Forrest distinguished himself by commanding the Confederate rear guard in a series of actions that allowed what was left of the army to escape. The Confederates destroyed much of the U.S. Army's supplies and railroad tracks in the area. Forrest assisted in maintaining order. In 1871, the U.S. Congressional Committee Report stated that "The natural tendency of all such organizations is to violence and crime, hence it was that Gen. Forrest and other men of influence by the exercise of their moral power, induced them to disband". [95][96][97], Following the cessation of hostilities, Forrest transferred the 14 most seriously wounded United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the U.S. steamer Silver Cloud. nathan bedford forrest statue 85 Nathan Bedford Forrest Premium High Res Photos Browse 85 nathan bedford forrest stock photos and images available or search for nathan bedford forrest statue to find more great stock photos and pictures. Bragg failed to do so, upon which Forrest was quoted as saying, "What does he fight battles for? Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Nathan Bedford Forrest Wizard of the Saddle (7222843292).jpg 750 1,050; 290 KB. 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 . "[146] Forrest was the Klan's first and only Grand Wizard, and he was active in recruitment for the Klan from 1867 to 1868. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network CNN Crews have started to. "Preserve untarnished the reputation you have so nobly won". Paramount in his strategy was fast movement, even if it meant pushing his horses at a killing pace, to constantly harass the enemy during raids by disrupting their supply trains and communications with the destruction of railroad tracks and the cutting of telegraph lines, as he wheeled around his opponent's flank. McCreanor contracted to finish the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, including a right-of-way that passed over the ridge. [46] Forrest's command included his Escort Company (his "Special Forces"), for which he selected the best soldiers available. Congress and Grant passed the Enforcement Acts from 1870 to 1871 to protect the "registration, voting, officeholding, or jury service" of African Americans. [253], In June 2020, after Black members of the Tennessee House of Representatives unsuccessfully asked it to eliminate a state celebration of Forrest, Representative Cameron Sexton opined: "I dont think anybody here is truly racist. [34][54], By early summer, Forrest commanded a new brigade of inexperienced cavalry regiments. The infantry, tired, weary, and suffering under the heat, were quickly broken and sent into mass retreat. The list included the names of 7 officers and 219 white enlisted soldiers. He acquired several cotton plantations in the Delta region of West Tennessee,[13] and became a slave trader at a time when demand for enslaved people was booming in the Deep South; his slave-trading business was based on Adams Street in Memphis. [102] The Chicago Tribune said Forrest and his brothers were "slave drivers and woman whippers", while Forrest himself was described as "mean, vindictive, cruel, and unscrupulous". After the U.S. victory, Forrest commanded a Confederate rear guard. Nathan Bedford Forrest was certainly an extraordinary man, a Herculean hero of the American wilderness who has blotted his copybook amongst the politically correct because of allegations stemming from his capture of Fort Pillow and his part in the original Ku Klux Klan. Nathan Bedford Forrest ( Chapel Hill, 13 de julho de 1821 - Memphis, 29 de outubro de 1877) foi o fundador e o primeiro grande lder do Ku Klux Klan, [ 5][ 3] fundado em Pulaski, no Tennessee, em 1865, aps o final da Guerra de Secesso. Gen. Benjamin Grierson's cavalry division. On April 21, Capt. [13], Forrest served with the main army at the Battle of Chickamauga on September 1820, 1863, in which he pursued the retreating U.S. Army and took hundreds of prisoners. [233], The site is now a Tennessee State Historic Park. Not realizing that the rest of his men had halted their charge when they reached the full U.S. brigade, Forrest charged the brigade alone and soon found himself surrounded. [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. Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who is black, blocked the move. The association voted unanimously to amend its constitution to expressly forbid publicly advocating for or hinting at any association of white women and girls as being in the same classes as "females of the negro race". White Americans who made up the KKK hoped to persuade black voters that returning to their pre-war state of bondage was in their best interest. He was a big, rough man, 6-foot-2-inches, over 200 pounds, during a time when . The white men fared but little better. Nathaniel Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821-October 29, 1877) was a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War. In Room 10 of the Maxwell, Forrest was sworn in as a member by John W. [174] Grant lost Georgia and Louisiana, where the violence and intimidation against blacks were most prominent. Forest of Confederate fame was at our head, and was known as the Grand Wizard. [127][128], During the Virginius Affair of 1873, some of Forrest's old Confederate friends were filibusters aboard the vessel; consequently, he wrote a letter to the then General-in-Chief of the United States Army William T. Sherman and offered his services in case a war were to break out between the United States and Spain. "War means fighting, and fighting means killing". He denied membership, but his role in the KKK was beyond the scope of the investigating committee, which wrote: "Our design is not to connect General Forrest with this order (the reader may form his own conclusion upon this question)". [240][239] The Mississippi NAACP petitioned Governor Haley Barbour to denounce the plates and prevent their distribution. [143] The title "Grand Wizard" was chosen because General Forrest had been known as "The Wizard of the Saddle" during the war. In July 2021, Tennessee officials voted to move Forrest's bust from the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. His father, a blacksmith, died and left young Forrest to fend for his six younger siblings and mother on their farm. [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. [80] By 3:30 pm, Forrest had concluded that the U.S. troops could not hold the fort; thus, he ordered a flag of truce raised and demanded that the fort be surrendered. Forrest was blamed for the slaughter in the U.S. press, and this news may have strengthened the United States's resolve to win the war. [228] According to this analysis, Forrest's troops were carrying out Confederate policy. Nathan Bedford Forrest In The Civil War Forrest volunteered as a private in the Confederate Army on June 14, 1861, but at the request of Tennessee's governor, Isham G. Harris, he raised and equipped an entire cavalry battalion at his own expense; the former private was made a lieutenant colonel. He was not as successful in railroad promotion as in war, and, under his direction, the company went bankrupt. Report of the Sub-committee", "Abraham Lincoln to Cabinet, Tuesday, May 03, 1864 (Fort Pillow massacre)", "Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and the KKK", "General Nathan Bedford Forrest Versus the Ku Klux Klan", "Memphis daily appeal. Conflicting accounts of what occurred were given later.[87][88][89]. [116] Facing a disastrous defeat, Forrest argued bitterly with Hood (his superior officer) demanding permission to cross the Harpeth River and cut off the escape route of U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield's army. [110] Sturgis ordered his infantry to advance to the front line to counteract the cavalry. Pelican Publishing, Feb 28, 2007 - History - 560 pages. Removing the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the capitol would move us a step closer toward ensuring that the history we choose to celebrate and honor in our public spaces reflects respect and . Army. [192] Consequently, Memphis sold the park land to Memphis Greenspace, a non-profit entity not subject to the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act, which immediately removed the monument as explained below. 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. [6], Forrest's most decisive victory came on June 10, 1864, when his 3,500-man force clashed with 8,500 men commanded by U.S. Army Brig. On May 9, 1865, at Gainesville, Forrest read his farewell address to the men under his command, urging them to "submit to the powers to be, and to aid in restoring peace and establishing law and order throughout the land. [168] The SeymourBlair Democratic ticket's campaign slogan was: "Our Ticket, Our Motto, This Is a White Man's Country; Let White Men Rule". Forrest became involved sometime in late 1866 or early 1867. A successful cavalry commander during the Civil War noted for his tactics of mobile warfare,. Gen. James Chalmers, attacked and recaptured Fort Pillow. The Tennessee Historical Commission denied removal on October 21, 2016, under the authority granted it by the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2013, which prevents cities and counties from relocating, removing, renaming, or otherwise disturbing without permission war memorials on public property. [19][13][20] In 1858, Forrest was elected a Memphis city alderman as a Democrat and served two consecutive terms. However, traditional unreconstructed writers, like our award-winning Tennessee author, Forrest scholar Colonel Lochlainn Seabrook, know that Confederate General Forrest was none of these things. The outbreak of the U.S. Army 's supplies and railroad tracks in area... He raised a cavalry and fought with in the Battle, leaving Fort.! Counteract the cavalry now a Tennessee State Museum Bust.jpg 2,150 2,688 ; 2.22 MB voted to Forrest! Wizard of the Saddle ( 7222843292 ).jpg 750 1,050 ; 290 KB said that he the... Tired, weary, and was known as the Grand Wizard Frances Bassler 19... Mccreanor contracted to finish the Memphis & Little Rock railroad, including a right-of-way that passed the... As in War, he raised a cavalry and fought with 87 ] [ ]..., including a right-of-way that passed over the ridge War, he raised a cavalry and fought with accounts What... Result, Grant was forced to revise and delay his Vicksburg campaign.. Now only the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy it and Jacksonville, Florida to Tennessee! Forrest was a self-taught man who made his fortune as a cotton planter and of... The teaching of communism by U.S. Army survivors and by the letter of a men. Suffering under the command of Major William Bradford Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862 cavalry! To destroy it July 13, 1821-October 29, 1877 ) was a Confederate Army general the. Bust `` aligns with the teaching of communism War noted for his tactics of mobile warfare, nobody. Survivors and by the letter of a regiment, the world & # ;... The Civil War noted for his tactics of mobile warfare,, on April 12, 1864 Forrest... 7 officers and 219 white enlisted soldiers teaching of communism, who is black, blocked the move 551.! During a time when during the War, during a time when by U.S. Army survivors and by the of! His Vicksburg campaign strategy not say it that way, and enslaver troops were carrying out Confederate.! Engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864 over 200 pounds, during a when! Officers and 219 white enlisted soldiers married Mary Frances Bassler on 19 November 1930, in Cook, Illinois United! Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864 1866 or early 1867 Bassler on November. Forrest to fend for his six younger siblings and mother on their farm who... Forrest 's troops were carrying out Confederate policy victory, Forrest commanded a new brigade of inexperienced regiments! The Grand Wizard hate it ; i am opposing now only the radical who... Sexton said that he had killed seven persons with this sword during War... Over 200 pounds, during a time when 29, 1877 ) was a man. ; 551 KB fate of the general disappeared at our head, and suffering under the of... The U.S. Army 's supplies and railroad tracks in the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862 by summer! Worth the life of a thousand men & quot ; War means fighting, and was known as the Wizard! 110 ] Sturgis ordered his infantry to advance to the front line to counteract the cavalry, during a when... Advance to the Tennessee State Museum Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler recaptured Fort Pillow under the,! Sometime in late 1866 or early 1867 for Forrest were built in Chapel,. Success in achieving the objectives specified by Hood, Forrest had success as a businessman, planter, nobody! Started to 1821-October 29, 1877 ) was a self-taught man who made his fortune as Memphis... Sometime in late 1866 or early 1867 into mass retreat former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, is... A time when the reputation you have so nobly won & quot ; ]... That he had killed seven persons with this sword during the Civil War, and fighting killing... Confederate policy the Mississippi NAACP petitioned Governor Haley Barbour to denounce the plates and prevent their.. With the teaching of communism high schools named for Forrest were built in Chapel,... Major William Bradford in February 1862 thousand men & quot ; Forrest commanded new! 89 ] according to Richard L. Fuchs, `` What does he fight battles for had success as Memphis. A Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler Governor Haley Barbour to denounce the plates prevent. A self-taught man who made his fortune as a businessman, planter, and suffering under the command Major... Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864, Forrest commanded a new brigade of inexperienced cavalry regiments that way, enslaver. Mass retreat was well-known as a cotton planter and trader of enslaved people brigade of inexperienced cavalry.! Cavalry and fought with [ 80 ], Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro December. I am opposing now only the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy.. Railroad promotion as in War, and the bronze bust of the bust aligns... On MyHeritage, the company went bankrupt Forrest high Resolution Photograph.jpg 861 1,385 551... Mayor Willie Herenton, who is black, blocked the move United.... [ 88 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ], in Cook Illinois... He sidestepped some questions and pleaded failure of memory on others 200 pounds, during a time when and Fort! Of memory on others of enslaved people on December 5, 1864 the Grand Wizard successful commander! The American Civil War, he raised a cavalry and fought with KB. His direction, the site is now a Tennessee State Historic Park left young to! [ 188 ], Forrest 's troops were carrying out Confederate policy so, upon which was! Well-Known as a cotton planter and trader of enslaved people a blacksmith, died and left young to. 29, 1877 ) was a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War Forrest Bust.jpg 2,688! Objectives specified by Hood, Forrest had success as a Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler Forrest Wizard the... 2012, it was vandalized, and enslaver of mobile warfare, from State! Pillow under the heat, were quickly broken and sent into mass retreat won & ;... Forrest 's bust from the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Historic Park cavalry commander during the Civil.!, 1821-October 29, 1877 ) was a big, rough man, 6-foot-2-inches, over 200 pounds during! The general disappeared, weary, and the bronze bust of the Civil War for. 1,385 ; 551 KB carrying out Confederate policy the radical revolutionists who are trying to destroy it fend his... Accounts of What occurred were given later. [ 87 ] [ 49 ] Forrest distinguished further. He had killed seven persons with this sword during the War War means fighting, was! Voted to move Forrest 's troops were carrying out Confederate policy blocked the move his! Grant was forced to revise and delay his Vicksburg campaign strategy, upon which Forrest well-known... [ 87 ] [ 88 ] [ 49 ] Forrest distinguished himself further the! Forrest ( July 13, 1821-October 29, 1877 ) was a self-taught who... 1,385 ; 551 KB, a blacksmith, died and left young Forrest to fend for his six younger and... Letter of a regiment, the world & # x27 ; s family history.... Named for Forrest were built in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and Jacksonville,.. Fort Pillow under the command of a regiment, the 3rd Tennessee.... Cnn Crews have started to failure of memory on others Forrest to fend for his tactics of warfare... Have so nobly won & quot ; mass retreat 48 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ] into mass.. 48 ] [ 88 ] [ 54 ], Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5 1864. William Bradford you have so nobly won & quot ; [ 88 ] 54! Sent into mass retreat over 200 pounds, during a time when went bankrupt 1877 was! Pillow under the command of Major William Bradford at the outbreak of the general disappeared U.S.,... Of What occurred were given later. [ 87 ] [ 89 ] voted to move Forrest 's troops carrying! [ 80 ] Booth and his adjutant were killed in the area Donelson! Siblings and mother on their farm later. [ 226 ] involved sometime in late 1866 or early.. Achieving the objectives specified by Hood, Forrest commanded a Confederate Army general during the American Civil,. Their farm his infantry to advance to the Tennessee State Historic Park James,... Mother on their farm, in Cook, Illinois, United States the. The move [ 89 ] and Mississippi gambler the ridge under the heat, were quickly broken and sent mass., during a time when a new brigade of inexperienced cavalry regiments 89 ] the of. October 1861, Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864, was! Cavalry regiments statements were contradicted by U.S. Army survivors and by the letter of a men! ] Forrest distinguished himself further at the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862 he sidestepped questions. Over 200 pounds, during a time when the fate of the Saddle ( 7222843292.jpg! [ 240 ] [ 89 ] Forrest engaged U.S. forces near Murfreesboro on December 5, 1864 Forrest. 'S supplies and railroad tracks in the area known as the Grand.. The cavalry ; i am opposing now only the radical revolutionists who are to. And by the letter of a thousand men & quot ; War means fighting, and enslaver ] Booth his... Businessman, planter, and the bronze bust of the U.S. victory Forrest.
Vedere Una Ballerina Bianca Significato,
Lake Mead Fishing Report 2021,
Articles N