Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-23
Lieut.. General N. B. Forrest and His
Campaigns.
An Address Delivered Before the
Southern Historical Society at
White Sulphur Springs,
Va, August 18th, 1879,
BY HON. JAS. II. CHALMERS.
BY HON. JAS. n. CHALMERS.

x
7 have selected as my subject on
this occasion the campaigns of Lieu
tenant-General N. B. Forrest, who
was my immediate commander dur.
ing the last year and half Of the
war, and who, if not the greatest
military genius, was certainly the
greatest revolutionary leader on our
side. He was restrained by no
knowledge of law or constitution.
He was embarrassed by no precon-
ceived ideas of military science.
His favorite maxim was, "war
means fighting, and fighting means
killing" Without the slightest
knowledge of them, he seemed by
instinct to adopt the tactics of the
great master of the military art, if
there be any such art.
Hamley says "nOthing is more
common than to find in writings on
military matters reference to the
rules of war; and assertions such as
some general lowed his success to
knowing when to dispense with the
rules of war; 1t would be difficult
to say what these rdles are or in
what code they are embodied"
Colonel T. w. White, clear-head-
ed officer of my command, express
ing the same idea more quantity,
said {; "It all consists in two words
luck and pluck" Forrest pos
sessed both of these in an eminent
degree and his successes, many of
which were achieved with men
who had never been drilled one
hour together, illustrated what
might have been accomplished by
Southern soldiers.
HIS LIFE BEFORE THE WAR.
In February, 1841, when / was
but ten years of age, / remember
well a small company of volunteers
who marched out of thetow of Hol-
ly Springs, Mississippi, for the re-
lief of Texas, then threatened by
invasion from Mexico. In that lit
tie band stood Bedford Forrest,
tall, black haired, gray eyed, ath-
Ietic youth, scarce twenty years of
age, who then gave the first evil
ience of the military ardor he pos
'eSsed, The company saw no fight
ing, for the danger was over before
It arrived, and the men received no
pay. Finding himself in a strange
country without friends or money,
Forrest, with the characteristic en-
ergy that distinguished him in after
ife, split rails at fifty cents per hun
lred and made the money neees-
'ary to bring him back to his fam
ly and home.
Without tracing him through the
steps by which he accumulated a
iOrtune, it is enough to say that at
sixteen years of age he was left faith
eriess, with a mother and large FAM
ly to support on a small leased
arm, and at forty years OF age he
vas the owner of a large cotton
and slaves, making about
me thousand bales OF cotton per an
lum, and engaged In prosperous
business in Memphis, the largest |
.ity of his native State. His per-
;onal courage had been severely
ested on several occasions nOta-
ply at fernando, Mississippi, where
ne was assaulted in the streets by
,hree Matlock brothers and their
,yerseer Bean. Pistols and bowie |
snivRs were freely used, and after q
errible fight, in which thirteen |
hOts were fred, tho three Matl0Gks |
md Forrest all wounded, his assail-
lnt5 aed and left him master of the |
ield.
IIEUTENANT-COLONEL OF A cav
AIRY BATTALION.
n, 4Lo 46L1 T,,,,o 1901
Bedford Forrest was enrolled as a |
private in a Confederate cavalry
and went into camp near
Tennessee. About the
9th of July, 1861, Hon. Isham G.
Harris, the great war governor of
knowing Forrest we'll |
md having a high regard for the |
nan, telegraphed him to come 10
and there, through the |
id OF General Polk, procured au-
hority for him to raise a regiment |
If cavalry for Confederate service.
This was somewhat difficult author |
ty to obtain at that time, for in the |
of the war neither side |
cavalry as of much value |
or fighting purposes and it is, per-
laps, more due to Forrest than to
my other man, that the cavalry |
vas subsequently so largely in
:reased and played such an impor
ant part on both sides, But For
ests men were not properly called |
aValry-they more nearly resem-
lied the, dragons Of the sixteenth |
century, who are described as |
mounted foot soldiers" Jackson's |
Orps were called "Web-footed cav |
-lry," and Forests troopers might |
veil be called "winged infantry"
On the Goth of July, Forrest mus
cred his first company into service,
md about the same time smuggled !
,ut of Louisville, Ky, though close
Y watched, pistols and saddles to
,quip them. During the second |
week of October, 1861, he organized |
battalion of eight companies, of
which he was elected Lieutenant- |
Colonel, and the day after its organ
zation moved for Fort DonelsOn, !
md commenced his active and bril- |
liant career, which knew no cessa-
ion until the armies of the South |
we're surrendered. / shall not in |
HIS duuECSS uHucTldhS ~ IOliOW Al
letail his successful and marvellous
'areer, nor shall i indulge in any !
lowers of rhetoric to adnrn my star |
y. / will attempt by plain and |
imple recital of his most promi- |
lent deeds, to raise up the mOnu- |
nent he hewed out for himself, and |
cave to other hands to polish its
surface and crown 1t with apprOpri- |
tie wreaths OF beauty.
HIS FIRST BATTLE.
After having seen some service in !
and scouting, but with |
little time or inclination for drill,
)n the 28th of December, 1861, For
-est, with three hundred men, met
he enemy for the first time, about
rour hundred and fifty strong, near
sacramento, Kentucky. This fight
deserves especial notice, not only
BECAUSE of It's success and the conf
ience inspired in the raw Confeder-
ate cavalry, but because it displayed
at once the characteristics and nat