The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-07-12
THE DAILY REBEfEi.
sUNDAY M0aNINo. JuLY i. lssa.


S@Sh AhO"h w tuc pDOplo oL hleInpulb dul
North Mississippi as an energetic and sue
cessfnl business Hian of quiet habits, but o.
desperate courage, when reused to action o.
resentment. 9e encountered great difficulties
in the Quiet before achieving the organization
ii the admirable corps, which afterward be-
came fanons as forests Squadron But
oncein the field, there was no stopping the
progress 0. one, by nature soldier and OAR
Ing the dis hal period indicated, one Of the
few lights that passed across the dark lines Of
tue West, was his manly escape from the ca
ptulating garrison, long before dawn on Sun.
day tho 18th of February.
was eering, amid 80 much gloom TO be.
Lold one daring, resolute spirit. We had need
Of such man, and well was the need supplied
by Forrest Throughout the evacuation Of
N"slvi'le, nd the subeeeuent retreat upon
to new bite on the Tennessee river, he con.
Quoted his command with Discreet skill and
courage.
At Shiloh Forrest received severe wound,
whilst leading charge. lie did not leave the
field however, and attracted universal atten-
ton for the FIRE with which he inspired troop
Of ilnpetucus cavaliers, the splendor Of their
movements, and his own personal dash aud
prowess. lie is one Of the best horsemen and
sgordeman in the service, aud appears to no
such adval age as when seen in the din and
smoke of battle. A signal figure, swarthy
complexion, iron muscles Of face and arm, with
truly can eye like Mars to threaten and COM
flAnd" no one looks the soldier 80 completely
from the tip of his plume to his sabre.tash."
Thus, at the head Of column Of devoted fol-
lowers, what wonder that he strikes terror in
to the heat Of foemaR, and courage into the
soul of friend
After his recovery, Forrest returned to Ten
neqsoe. 1t was in July '62 that he organized
end planned an expedition, which set out from
Chattanooga and wrought its name upon the
ye.y battleAents Of Nashville. Middle Ten
nessee wes then occupied by the enemy.
Scarcely county, county town or crossroad,
b7G had fe't the presence Of the invader. Oaths
circulated Freely and prison doors stood open
wide. Citizens were reduced to The miserable
position OF nero hangers-on of Providence, aud
yankee clenency. Andrew Johnson, "with
the OI :; ranch in one hand, and the Const.
tuition in the other" stood, like the devil
stretching Jut Bible and fail amid the sui
len multitude, invoking sinners to repent Hope
seemed fer moment to have bid the land fare
we'll. There was nothing but depression in
the popular heart. Lies blacksning the very
light Of day; truth as dead as liberty old
leaders either absent, or recreant or silent, the
once proud, aspiring, free people of Middle
Tennessee, were slowly drifting along the
muddy current Of baleful stream that flowed
toward certain destruction, II was a monoton-
GUS, melancholy existence. 1t was perditiOn.
II was hell on earth.
But suddenly, as thought the sounds fell
from tho quiet skies, there were heard the roll
Of drums and the roar Of cannon. The sum
mer woods awoke, the heart stood still, and the
car bent close to the ground. From the very
centre Of the euemy's works, peal upon peal Of
artillery rose out Of the MONDAY, like thun-
der storm. Then II ceased aud al was as still
as before Tor while; and then the tidings shot
not by magnetic wires, bus along the electriCi-
ty Of excited lips from mouth to mouth, that
Forrest had captured Murfreesboro. 1t was
even So With compact little brigade he
had crossed the mountains and reached Nc.
Minnville, where he hastily rested his com.
mand and maured his details. Mounting
again late on tho evening Of Saturday the 18th
ofJuly, he pushed forward all night, drove in
the outpOsts at dawn, followed after on the
moment, overcame every obstacle, fought the
enemy into the public square, through every
barricade, and before the close Of day captur-
ed the whole garrison, nineteen hundred
strong, with immense arms, munitions and
stores. 1t is tho most splendid cavalry feat on
record; and, would Of itself, entitle the officer
who execSted It, to fame by the side Of the
chieftains Of the palmest days Of Chivalry.
But the campaigns Of Forrest--whc was now
General Of Brigade-did not stop here, as the
country well knows, His whole course since
from the operations around Nashville which
succeeded later in the summer and fall, to The
just closed retreat--never emitting the bril-
liaut exploit that resulted in the capture Of
Stroight's command, and tho protection Of III,
interior Of Georgia from devastatOn--show
that he was not indebted to accident for the
achievement, which first gave him nationa
reputation. A close survey Of his career will
safety any capable utudent Of ono thing, tina
the man il soldier Of genius and Of another
alno, thathe is aoldier Of fortune. The TIVE
combined account for the confidence and On
thusiasm OF his men.