# The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Forrest, Nathan Bedford

Edition of 1920. See also Nathan Bedford Forrest on Wikipedia, and the disclaimer.
FORREST, Nathan Bedford, American soldier: b. Bedford County, Tenn., 13 July 1821; d. Memphis, Tenn., 29 Oct. 1877. Moving with his father to Marshall County, Miss., he was in a short while, by the death of his father, left to support his mother and family with a small hill farm. He undertook this work with devotion and energy, and, getting into business in Memphis, became able to purchase a large plantation, and was at the outbreak of the Civil War one of the wealthiest planters in Tennessee. Circumstances had forced him to neglect his own education, though he provided liberally for that of his brothers and sisters. On 14 June 1861 he entered the Confederate service as a private in White’s Mounted Rifles, but soon obtained authority to raise a regiment, which he did, purchasing at his own private expense its equipment in Louisville, Ky. These supplies he carried to Memphis, displaying remarkable ingenuity and daring both in eluding the Federal authorities and in defeating a body of their troops with 75 Kentucky Confederates who had come to his assistance. Joining his regiment to the force defending Fort Donelson in February 1862, he was distinguished in the fighting at that point, and, when his superiors had determined upon surrender, led his men through a sheet of icy water past the Federal lines and escaped. Joining Albert Sidney Johnston (q.v.), he was distinguished at Shiloh, where he received a painful wound, which, however, did not long keep him from the field; and by a series of successful movements in Middle Tennessee, then occupied by the Federals, he rapidly rose to great distinction as a cavalry leader, and on 21 July 1862 was promoted brigadier-general. During Bragg’s Kentucky campaign he performed great services both on the advance and retreat. Among his most famous exploits in Middle Tennessee was the expedition in which, with less than 1,000 men, he captured McMinnville, and, surprising a garrison of 2,000 Federals at Murfreesboro, captured all the survivors of the fight, including General Crittenden. On 8 May 1863 he captured a raiding force of Federals under General Streight, near Rome, Ga., the Federal force being so much larger than his own that he pressed into service all the citizens in reach in order to form an adequate guard.
After highly distinguished service at the battle of Chickamauga, he was so dissatisfied with the failure to reap the full fruits of that great victory that he tendered his resignation. This was not accepted, but, instead, he was promoted major-general and assigned to the command of all the cavalry in West Tennessee and North Mississippi. Entering West Tennessee with a small force, he was reinforced by several thousand hardy volunteers, who, with his veteran troops, were soon welded into an invincible body known as “Forrest’s cavalry.” In February 1864 he routed Gen. S. Smith at Okatona, Miss.; then swept northward through Tennessee to the Ohio River, capturing Fort Pillow, Union City and other posts, with their garrisons. In June 1864, with a much smaller force than the enemy, he defeated General Sturgis at Brice’s Cross Roads (or Tishamingo Creek), near Guntown, in North Mississippi, capturing all his trains and a third of his men. Gen. A. J. Smith then advanced against him, but after fighting a desperate battle at Harrisburg, near Tupelo, in Mississippi, retreated. Receiving reinforcements from Memphis, Smith advanced again, but Forrest foiled him by making a 60-hour ride to Memphis with half of his force, and by his daring entry into that city compelled Smith’s rapid retreat. Then Forrest made havoc with Federal transportation, capturing garrisons and depots in Tennessee, and crowning his exploits by the capture and destruction of $6,000,000 worth of Federal supplies and a gunboat fleet at Johnsonville. Sherman wrote of this as a feat of arms which excited his admiration. Upon Hood’s advance into Tennessee, Forrest joined him at Florence and performed important services. As commander of the rear guard of the Confederate army during the retreat from Nashville, his display of heroic qualities and brilliant leadership increased his already great fame. In February 1865 he was promoted lieutenant-general, and to him was assigned the duty of guarding the Confederate frontier from Decatur, Ala., to the Mississippi River. The surrender of the remnant of his command took place on 9 May 1865. During his career he had captured 31,000 prisoners. After the war he returned to civil life.
Joseph T. Derry,
Author of ‘The Story of the Confederate States.’