"Forrest is the devil and I think he has got some of our troops under cover... I will order them to make up a force and go out to follow Forrest to the death, if it costs ten thousand lives and breaks the Treasury. There will never be peace in Tennessee until Forrest is dead!" - Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman
The Wizard of the Saddle. When his troopers asked where he was going in May '65, he said "To Hell or Mexico".*
ReplyDeleteActually, it was to surrender.
And to found a resistance group to the occupying invaders and carpet baggers. Too bad the raid on the Northfield, MN bank where Adelbert Ames kept his Carpetbagger loot failed
DeleteForrest was all of those things and I have no problem calling him a genius. However, his shortcomings and failures are rarely documented by historians.
ReplyDelete“Failure in the saddle”- by David A. Powell exposes Forrest’s weaknesses.
The book recounts the Chickamauga Campaign and how Forrest and Joe Wheeler failed Braxton Bragg and, even though the battle was won, lost the Campaign after the Army of the Tennessee was shredded by Thomas atop Horseshoe Ridge.
Forrest’s aggressive raids were a constant source of despair for Union lines of communication, supply and small garrisons.
Where Forrest failed was fitting in with military protocol. He did things HIS way. When tasked with covering and screening Bragg’s Army, he failed. He literally did not play well with others and ended up with the independent command in which he excelled.
I am currently reading "Silent Cavalry" by Howard Raines and he is pretty rough on Forrest at times. The book is about the 1st Ala. Cav. U.S. and the "Tories" of north Alabama. It is a very interesting history, but Raines should have omitted his political views and personal feelings pertaining to modern times.
ReplyDeleteThe south about to rise again.
ReplyDeleteIs that a question or a statement? : ^)
DeleteIirc, Nathan Bedford Forest, founded the KKK.
ReplyDeleteBear in Indy
The KKK was originally created to combat the Union Leagues which raided southern farms and businesses that didn't follow Union "philosophy ".
ReplyDeleteThe Union Leagues actually carried out more lynchings of both black and white who were deemed " traitors to the Union " throughout the South. Northern politicians moved into the South during Reconstruction and created the Union Leagues.
The fact that the KKK was co-opted by the Democrats later as their terror group is a sad but true fact. Remember , the victors write history.
You are correct Anon. I would like to add that the Ku Klux Klan of NBF's time was not the kkk of today. Not a lot of folks realize that Forrest made a large portion of his fortune trading slaves. Forrest also had a limited education, but was a millionaire by the age of 25. Neither do very many know that Forrest took over 54 (?) of his male slaves to war with him. He paid for their uniforms out of his own pocket. He also paid them the same wage that a white private in the CSA army earned. He had promised each of them freedom and free lands after the war. When the end drew nigh for the Confederacy (1864 Atlanta?), Forrest called these black soldiers together and told them the war was more than likely lost. He wanted them to return to their families. He offered to free them and still keep his promise of free land. Not one of those men left him.
Deletei know nothing about this particular officer but I have the greatest respect and admiration for General Lee. If I get a chance i might try to get better acquainted with the other Southern officers and the battles they fought.
ReplyDeleteShame they dismantled his monument in Richmond and melted down his statue . They didn't even allow any historical societies the chance to buy it.
DeleteThe point of that is to erase history, and thereby erase American Identity
DeleteI agree. Such removals were orchestrated by dark/evil people who have sinister intentions.
DeleteA decent overview of the Generals serving under Lee is "Lees' Lieutenants" by Douglas Freeman.
DeleteThe book looks primarily a command structure and communications in that time and place, but could serve as a way into the history of that War.
John in Indy
thanks for that recommendation. i will try to get to read about General Lee's lieutenants
ReplyDeleteNathan was a genius at deep strike. He was indeed a genius in that regard, even though he was a racist bastard. Everybody has warts, some larger than others. Still and all, quite the guy.
ReplyDelete