Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-09-27

. confidence IN ultimate success
it cheered the army at Tupelo i
their laborious drills and prepare
ton for the coming campaign.
was feat unparalleled and una1
tempted before in cavalry tactics
| Other leaders had contented them
selves with burning bridges, ant
with cutting telegraphic communi
cations, but no one before had ven
tured to attack a brigade of tw'
thousand infantry, with one-half
that number of poorly armed
horsemen; and more, to kill, wound
and capture the entire force, witt
its artillery and supplies. L
proves how necessary to success il
the head, bold and quick to plan
and the hand prompt to execute
Although this movement had
been conducted with remarkable
celerity and energy, and with eve.
ry precaution, yet its brilliant re-
suit created the impression that
it was the work of luck and fool
hardy desperation rather than of
admirable strategy, and sound
Judgment; and 1 have heard the
prediction fifty times, "that For
rest would get his command cut to
pieces some day on account of his
fool-hardiness." Little did these
soothsayers know the man; the
getting cut to pieces was invarla-
bly, the fate of his enemy.
When Bragg's columns advan-
ced from Chattanooga toward Ken
lucky, Forrest, who had received
his appointment as brigadier-gene-
raj, was sent again to Middle Ten
nessee, to hang upon Buell's f1anks,
and gain information concerning
his movements. He formed Nc
Cooks rear guard from Murfrees-
boro to Nashville, and kept his
stragglers well closed up, too.-
He screened Bragg's operations
from the Federal cavalry SO effect
ually, that his intentions were not
known to the enemy until he had
got well into Kentucky. AT tBards-
town, from some reason or other,
Forrest was relieved of his COM
mand, and sent to Tennessee to
organize new force. This pur-
pose he accomplished in the face
of the corps which Buell. had left
at Nashville; and though this raw
organization lacked arms and dis
cipline most wofully, his vigilance
and activity kept the enemy's
pickets close to their works at the
city and permitted no opportunity |
of harrassing him to escape. Ev-
cry foraging party had to be con-
veyed by a brigade, who paid for
their own corn with their blood.
1t was the desire of Forrest to at
tack Nashville, and had his plans
been adopted and seconded by the
authorities about him, they might
have been successful, as after de-
velopments proved; as it was, his
bold demonstrations caused the
federal troops in the city no little
The Kentucky campaign was
finished, and the army went into
winter quarters at Murfreesboro,
while the federals encamped qui-
city around Nashville. Military
operations were confined to occa-
sional skirmishes ON the cavalry
line, until the battle of Murfrees-
boro. Previous to that event,
however, Gen. Forrest had been
sent to West Tennessee. He met
and engaged a large force of the
enemy at Parker's Cross Roads,
who, after an obstinate action,
raised the white flag and were
stacking their. arms, when unex-
pected reinforcements arrived, and
they renewed the fight. Forrest
was taken unawares, and complete
Iy surrounded by this superior
force, yet his good fortune did not
desert him, and he succeeded in
extricating his command from
their precarisus situation.
In the expedition which Gen.
Wheeler conducted against Fort
Donelson in February, 1868, and
which proved a failure, Forests
energy and courage raised him
till higher in the estimation of !
5he troops, and gave unboundedl |
confidence in his ability. Later
N the winter, he was put at the
head of the cavalry comprising the
eft wing Of the army, whose bulk {