Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-29
GENERAL FoRREsT,s PECULlARITIEs.

Forests funeral was an impressive one,
and, strangely enough, there was only one
Confederate uniform in the procession, and
that was worn by the occupant of the hearse.
"'While," says correspondent. "the old SOL
diers and Confederate officers of Memphis
fairly worshipped him, he was unpopular
with q large portion of the community,
who feared and disliked him about evenly
for his ferocity and reckless temper" The cor
respondent adds that he came of terrible
family, his six brothers all being fighting
men, and one of them, Bill, desperado; the
only man of whom the General ever was
afraid. Forrest was one of the greatest slave
dealers of the South, and it is said that he
was kind to his negroes, that he never sepa-
rated members of a family, and that he al
ways told his slaves to 60 out in the city and
choose their own masters. There is no k"
stance Of any slave taking advantage of the
permission to run away. There were some
planters in the vicinity of Memphis to whom
he would not sell slaves at all, because they
had the reputation of being cruel masters.
As soldier, his arbitrary ways and impa.
tience of control were always involving him
in trouble with his superiors. He ruled his
men so that they feared him more than they
did the enemy, and yet confided in him as
though he were incapable of an error or
fault. The war ruined him, and he set to
work rebuilding bis fortunes. He bought
an island plantation on the Mississippi, be-
low Memphis, and contracted with the city
for the labor of all her petty criminals at ten
cents per day per prisoner. put up build.
ings and made the island reformatory, and
managing the plantation with his demoniac
energy, was on the way to another fortune
when the malaria of the island atmosphere
struck him down.
Age did not make bis temper any milder
than it had been, for the correspondent tells
how he ordered suit of clothes from Mem
phis tailor, and after letting them lie in the
shop till they were moth. eaten, cursed the
tailor most yehemently for swindler, and
pulled out pistol, roaring out his intention
of shooting the dealer like rat. But he
did not shoot and next day, in cooler mood,
went round to the tailor and made him an
apology so thorough and humble, that it was
almost painful to listen to. Forrest was in
many desperate encounters, one Of the most
desperate being his fight with Gould, lieu
tenant whom be had charged with cowardice
As the General was sitting, unarmed and
twirling small penknife in his hand, Gould
approached him with loaded pistol in bis
pocket, and giving him the lie, pulled the
trigger. The hammer caught in the lining
of Gould's pocket, when Forrest grabbed him
with one hand and, opening his knife with
his teeth, literally disemboweled his antagon-
i,t ere he could do more than slightly wound
the General with another discharge of the
pistol.
Forrest never acknowledged himself to
have been placed lin bad fix" except once.
General Chalmers and merchant in Mem
phis, named j. G. Davis, had some small dis
agreement, which inspired Chalmers with
strong desire to "go and see him." On the
way, Chalmers met Gen. Forrest and asked
the General to 90 there along with him.
Forrest went, ignorant of the real state of af-
fairs. Scarcely had the two Generals ar
rived at the head of the stairs leading to Da-
Wis business office, when the door was sud.
denly flung open and Davis knocked Chal.
mers from the top of the stairs to the bottom.
The next instant he presented heavy revol-
yer at Forests head, exclaiming, "And
this is what I've got for you-two Confeder-
ate Generals coming to whip one man !"
"Hold on hold on, Mr.. Davis!" cried For
rest, "there's some mistake here! I didn't
know there was any trouble between you"
He was glad to get away, and began to in
quire what sort of man that j. G. Davis
was Folks told him that Davis was one of
the most quiet and peaceable men in town.
"Well, be may be peaceable," returned For
rest, "but he put me in the tightest place l
was ever in in my life" Yet he never show
ed any ill.will to Davis afterward, and evi.
IDENTIFY admired his pluck.