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

Ieit now great nau been the emel
gency, and how fully equal to
he had proved himself.
; From that time he had no riva
in the admiration and confdenc,
of the people of the west; iron
that time, when Forrest took tn,
saddle, his troops looked upon vic
tory as a thing of certainty
/ What had been pronounced blinc
desperation, attended by wonderful
luck, proved to be unflinchins
courage executing the unerrin9
plans of a masterly intellect.
Van Dorn's death had placed
Forrest again in command of his
corps; and in the retreat from Ten
nessee, in the summer of 1864, he
displayed the same vigilance and
skill in protecting Bragg's rear,
that characterized everything
which he had previously done.
In the picketing and skirmish-
ing which preceded the great bat
tie Of Chicamauga, his services
were invaluable. His division oc-
cupied the extreme rightof Bragg's S
line of battle, and bis guns fired
the first and last shot in the ac-
ton. His command dismounted,
fought with the stubborness of in
fantry, and drove the enemy stead
lily. D. III. Hill pronounced For
rest the most remarkable man the
war had produced, and the action
of his command unequalled before
in the annals of cavalry.
On Monday, while the army,
which should have been marching,
were lying inactive ON the field of
blood, Forests guns were heard
laundering in the distance; in
fact, he was throwing she'll into
the streets of Chattanooga, throng-
ed with the "debris" of Rosecrans'
army. In vain he sent, time af-
ter time, to the commanding Gen
eral, and implored but one divis-
ion of infantry, with which he
promised to capture everything on
the south bank of the Tennessee.
Not a single regiment came, and
the great-hearted chieftain saw the
harvest-time pass, hour after hour,
while the reapers were sleeping.
After two days had passed by,
md the federal generals found
hey were not pursued, they raj
led and organized their routed
oattalions, and covered their posi-
ion with a strong line of field
works, and Bragg lost the fruits Of
he great victory that his heroic
lrmy had won.
While the infantry were resting
n their works around Chattanoo-
IA; Forrest was not idle, but swept
Up the East Tennessee valley, |
lrove the federal cavalry at a
,allop towards Knoxville, and |
orced them to take shelter within |
he lines of their corps Of infant
y stationed around the city.
But Forests career with the
rmy of Tennessee was ended. On
ccount of the gross injustice
which the eommander-in-chief at
empted tosdo him, yielding to the
pirit of hate and envy which he
Northumberland his glorious SUBJ
rdinate whose renown alreadytow-
red far above his own, Forrest felt
to tender hisresignation.
he war department, however,
ould not dispense with the servi-
es of so valuable a soldier as For
est; therefore, his resignation
7as not accepted, and he was trans
erred to North Mississippi at his
wn request. Two or three weeks
efore the battle of Missionary
Ridge, he turned his back upon the
rmy with which he had fought SO
ong, and with a single battery of
and one regiment of cav
Try, started for Mississippi.
1t was not destined that this
ian should remain in the obscuri-
Y in which his enemies sought to
lace him. Without men or mon
y, arms or assistance, and at
EAST twenty thousand well-equip-
ed federal troops stationed at !
Iemphis and along the line of
ne Tennessee river, he was OBJ
ged, in order to oppose any re.
stance, even to foraging parties,
rst to raise, organize, and arm a
,rce. It seemed a hopeless task;
ut nothing was impossible to this /
IAN of unbounded energy and
!