The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1877-12-15

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late war, at the aye OF lOftN, nau at
tanned such "A position among his fell
low citizens OF Tennessee that. hay
ing enlisted rs private. nc was an
thorized by Governor Harris to or
gauize regiment of cavalry. AT
that time, by native intellect aud en-
ergy, he had become the cultivatOr
of plantations which produced one
thousand bales of cotton. His bril-
liant career is part of the history of
the United States.
At Fort DoHels8n he first exhibit
ed his genius and intrepidfty. At
the council of war which determined
upon surrender, Colonel Forrest urg-
ed the possibility OF escape, and, re-
ceiving permission to attempt it, led
his command safely beyond the lines
of the enemy. From this day to the
close of the war he was conspicuous
Us ii cavalry leader. At Shiloh he
h.trraSsed the enemy's hank aud held
him i'll check after the Confederate
retreat. His dash upon the pickets
around Nashville; his burning of
bridges, destruction of property and
capture of outpOsts; his reduction of
biockhouses and garrisons; the cap
ture of Union City; the disastrous as
sanlt of Wheeler and Forrest upon
Dover; the pursuit and capture of
General Streight; the pursuit of the
enemy after Chickamauga; the rOut
OF General Smith ut Okolona: the de-
scent upon Paducali; the storming of
Fort Pillow; the splendid battles of
TupelO, Brice's Cross Roads and
Harrisonburg; the movement upon
Memphis; the dash into West Ten
nessee and burning of gunboats,
warehouses and supplies at Johnson
vile; the operations with Hood in
front OF Nashville; the heroic and
successful efforts to protect the re-
treat of the routed army; the over
throw at Selma, and the surrender ut
Gainesville, Ala, are events which
shed halo of military glory around
the head of the greatest OF modern
cavalry leaders. From private in
the ranks, unrefined, uneducated,
houtpolitical influence, and bear
ing the stigma of a disrepntable bu-
siness which he had pursued in early
iife,th remarkable man rose rapidly
to the position of Lieutenant Gener-
al. His genius could not be sup
pressed or ignored. 1t bIazed out in
the darkest hours of Southern history
and cheered the hearts OF our people
when hope had almost fled.
When the war was over, Gen. For
rest honestly accepted the situation,
and labored to rebuild the shattered
fortunes of his people. He counsclcd
acquiescence in the results OF the
war-friendship for the colored peo-
pie, and IA restoration of national
good feeling. There came no word
from him OF iwpatienco or vitupcra-
ton.
Like Lee, Hardee and Johnston,
he accepted defeat with dignity AMI
silence-leaving to time and To hiss
tory the vindication of the people
and the cause for which he had shed
his blood and lost the fruits of life
of ,rduOus toll. There was a stern
side To the character of Forrest-but
1t was the result of an iron will which
marks the born commander. He was
cruel to the deserter, the coward and
the sluggard. When the criminal
was TO be punished, and when the
punishment served to save an army
from defeat or treason, Forrest was
implacabie and unmerciini. But, to
those who did their dnty as good
soldiers, no man was more Just and
tolerant. The gentler side of his ma
ture showed itself to the captive and
the distressed. At the battle of Oko-
Iona, when his brother, the gallant |
Col. Jefferson Forrest, fell MORALLY !
in the charge, Gen. Forrest |
rushed to the spot, took him in his |
arms, and wept like a child, while |
'he bullets of the enemy swept around
him. This brother had been reared |
Dy the General, and had been given
! liberal education mt his expense. |
lie died in the arms of the great lea
Ter, while the soldiers around uncov-
red their heads us the gallant soul
00k its departure, accompanied by
he tears and prayers of the IRON
landed ehieftain; M MIA who saw
hat scene, aad who saw a moment
lfter the tearful-eyed Forrest leap
nto his saddle and dash upon the en-
my until the lines were broken to
sand driven in tumultuous
out, can refuse to recognize the great
Nobility OF our dead hero; Had he
eceived the benefit of early culture,
nd of even an ordinary common
chool education, the harsher tea
ures of his character would barely
ave attracted attention.; but such as
e was, no truer knight ever led a
quadron, aud no puIer patriot ever
ought or bied for his native land.
Have the courage to give occa-