The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-11-08
Death Of General N. B. Forrest.

Death of General N. B. Forrest.
This distinguished Confederate cavalry
officer died at the residence of his broth
er, Colonel Jesse Forrest, in Memphis,
Tennessee, on the night of the 29th ult.
Little is known of his early history, ex-
cept that he was born in Tennessee, and
received only meagre education. He
came into notice on April 6 and z, 1862,
| as a Colonelof cavalry at Shiloh. Again
| on September Of the same year he par
Iticipated in an engagement near Sparta,
Tenn, in the advance of General Bragg.
He passed the grade Of Brigadier Gener-
al and was promoted to be a Major Cen
erai December; 4,1863. He captured
Paducah, KY, on!April 26, 1864, having
been placed in command of lhe Northern
cavalry department under General Polk
| in February. His raid through Kentucky
was magnificent dash. On February
20 he fought the battle of Pontotoc and
followed It up in March by the capture
of Union City and Hickman, after which,
as above stated, he started toward Padu-
cab, and having been severely repulsed,
finally captured the city Then followed
the Fort Pillow business, about which so
much has been written. Perhaps as fair
Ia way Of treating, this event in General
/ Forests history would be to give his ex
iparte statement to o correspondent OF
New Orleans journal, made on June 8,
1866; General Forrest was described by
the correspondent as a man of fine ap-
pearance, about six feet in height; dark,
|ipiercing hazel eyes, carefully trimmed
t:mustache and chin whiskers, dark as
might; finely cut features and iron gray
hair. His form was 1.-the, plainly indi-
cating-great physical power and activity.
The writer asked, after some preliminary
sNowsthat you have time, General, do
YOU think you will ever put upon paper
the true account of the Fort Pillow af-
fair?n =,
a s|Well, z said he, .sthe Yankees ought
Ito know; they sent down their best men
to investigate the affair"
ssaBut, are NE, to believe their report,
General 2"
.Yes, if we, are to believe anything a
nigger says. When I went into the war
meant to fight. Fighting means kill
ing / have lost twcnty-nine horses IN
the war, and have killed man each
time. The other day / was horse
ahead, but at Selma they surround lime
land I killed two jumped my horse over
q one-borse wagon and got away"
i began to think ] had some idea OF
the man at last. He continued SO
/ sssbIy Provost Marshal's book will show
THAT / have taken 81 900 prisoners during
the war. At Fort Pillow sent in a flag
of truce, and demanded an unconditional
surrender, or I. would not answer fos my
men. This they refused. sent them
another note, giving them one hour to
determine. This they refused. 1 could
see on the river boats loaded with troops.
They sent back asking for an hour more.
I gave them twenty minutes ] sat on
my horse during the whole time. The
Fort was filled with niggers and deserters
from our army men who lived, side by
lside with my men. sIwaited FIVE minutes
after the time, and then blew my bugle
for the charge. In twenty minutes my
| men were over the works, and the firing
had ceased. The citizens and Yankees
had broken in the heads of whiskey and
|lager beer. barrels and were all drunk.
lT6ey kept up. firing all the time as they
Invent down the hill. Hundreds of them
rushed to the fiver and tried to swim to
the gun-boats, and my men shot them
down. The Mississippi River was red
! with their blood for 300 yards. During
4 all this their flag was still flying, and [
rushed over, the works and cut the hal
yards and let it down and stopped the
fight. Many Of the Yankees were in
tents in front, and they were in their
| way, as they concealed my men, and
Some of them set. them on fire. If any,
were, burned to, death it was in these
tents. They have q living witness in
Captain Young, their quartermaster, who
is still alive, and will leave it to any
prisoner I have ever taken if T have not
treated them well."I
! During the remainder of 1864 he was
engaged il about fifteen battles and skir-
mishes. He was reported to the Rich
tmond government for promotion in June,
1 1864 and his appointmentwa confirmed
March 4, 1866. At the end of the war
Ehe accepted the situation and became. a
violent politician. He was a delegate
from Tennessee to the Democratic. Ma
tional Convention in New York July 4,
1867. During the campaign he made q
number of speeches in Tennessee on
politics. He challenged General Kilpat-
rick, deno1ncing him as q liar, scoundrel,
&C., for words used in q speech. He
/ Finally became a grocer in Memphis.