The daily gazette., 1877-11-12
3 ABOUT, si GENERAL
'7i !. ~ 't,l' FORREST. ...s9isqro ~ ~

I Forests funeral was an impressive
one, and strangely enough, there was
Ouly one Confederate uniform fn the
procession aud that-was worn by the
occupant Of the heatse!o .HWhile'
says a correspondent, 5ssthe old sold.
iers and Confederate officers OF Mem
phis fairly worshipped him, he was
quite unpopular with alarge portion
Of the community, who feared ana
dtsiiked him about evenly for bis fer
0city and reckless temper" The cor
respondent adds that he came OF tel
lrible family, his six brothers all being
lighting men, aud one of them, Bill,
a desperate the only man Of whom
the General ever was afraid. Forrest
was one Of the greatest slave dealers
of the South, and 1t is said that he
was kind to his negroes that be neYef
lseparated members of q family and
that he always told his slaves to go
loutiu the city and choose their own
masters. There is no instance of any
slave taking advantage Of the periAis'
sion to run away. There were some
planters in the vicinity of Memphis
i to whom he would not sell slaves q
all, because they had the repu tation
of being cruel laasters. o AS. . soldiel
his arbitrary ways annd impatience o.
control were al ways involving him IL
trouble with his superiors. He rulet
his men 80 that they feared him more
than the enemy aud yet conHded In
|. him as though he were incapable o
an error or fault. 'Hhe war -ruinet
him, and he set to work rebuilding hi
fortune. He bought an island plant
ftion on the Mississippi below Mem
tphis and contracted with the city TO
the labor of all her petty criminals a.
Q 10 cents per day per prisoner. He pu
: no buildings and made the island,
% illreformatory, and managing the plar
/, tation with his demoDiac energys ws
q on the way to make another fortun
i when the malaria Of the is and atmo
+ phere struck himl down. Age did A.
y make his temper any milder than
had been for the correspondent eel
n how he ordered suit of clothes frol
q a Memphis tailor, and after lettir
:; them lie In the shop till they We
moth eaten, cursed the tailor most VI
'r hemently for a swindler and pull,
" out d pistol roaring out his intentit
~ ~ he did not shoot and next day in Coz
or mood, went round to the tailor al
q. made him an apology so thorough al
p. humble that il was almost painful
as ilisten to. Forrest was in many d.
"a perate encounters, one of the M
le desperate being his fight with Gou
70 a lieutenant whom he had charg
with cowardice. AS the General "
r. sitting unarmed and twirling sm
es pens pife In his hand Gould approa'
g ed him with loaded pistol in
'e- pocket, and giving, him the lie, pull
ae the trigger. The hammer caught
NJ the lining of Gould's pocket, VIII
~ ~ Forrest grabbed him with one . ha
,m and, opening the knife with his tee
LITERALLY disembowelled his antagon
ere he could do more than sligh
wound the General with another d
charge of the pistol. Forrest ne
;. ,.Iacknowledged himself TO have be
1lt placed sin bad FIX" except on
General Chalmers and a merchs
Of in Memphis PANIED j. G. Davis, h
an some small disagreement, which
spired Chalmers with strong des
d. to 'sgo and see him." On the "
on CnalmorS met OSueIdl cVIIcSb u
asked the General to go there ale
in with him. Forrest went, ignorant
in the real state of affairs. Scarcely
" the two generals arrived at the he
:. of the stairs leading to Davis's b.
Ia "a ness Office, when the door was sud-
lay ly flung open and Davis knocl
Chalmers from the top nf the stairs
Ved the bottom. The next instant he /
for sented a heavy revolver at FORE
ons head, explaining, "And this is W
ca I've got for you-two Confedei
generals coming to whip one ma
ma "Hold Oni hold on, Mr.. Davisp cl
MT Forrest; "there's some mistake her
the didn't know there was any trouble
ny tween you," He was glad to get az
sre and besan to inquire what sort ol
10 man that J. G. Davis was. Folks
las' him Davis was one of the most qu
AIS peaceable men In town. swell
may be peaceable," returned For
I'D "but he put me IN the tlghtest plac
In was ever in my life" Yet he NJ
the showed any ill-will to Davis afterW
the evidently admiring his pluck.
ach