The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-21
FORESTS CAMPAIGNS.
G,en. ChaImcrs's Address Before the
Southern Historical Society
Of Virginia.
An Interesting Description or the
Great Confederate Cnvalryman
The Principal Battles IN Which
He Was Engaged Ills In
tuitive knowledge of
WarfAre.
Tho Farewell Address to His Command.

Tho Farewell Address to His Command.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. w. Va, Aug
III. The Southern Historical Society met here
to-day. Gen. Maury, who presided. rccited a
history Of the society and said that IL had In
liz possession material for d faithful history
OF the war The attendance was very large
and when the chairman introduced Gen ChaI-
mers as Forests gallant cornrade In the old
war days there was cordial applause. Mr. Chal-
mers's speech upon Forrest and His Cam
paigns'' was listened 60 with much interest
In the audience were Generals Topmba, Law
ton, Alexander and Gilmer. of Georgia, Con
erals Maury Lee. Lilly, Field and Grainer, Of
Virginia, ES-Gov. Brown Of Georgia, Gov
Matthews Of West Virginia. Bishop Atkins Of
North Carolina. and many other wel-known
persons were also present. The following ID
IN extract from Gen. Chalmerss speech.
] have selected aa my subject tho cam
pafgns Of Iiet. Gen. N. IL. Forrest who WAS
any Immediate commander during the last
year and half Of the war. and who, II not the
greatest military genius, was certainly the
greatest revolutionary leader on our side. Ho
was restrained by NO knowledge of law on
constitution. llo was embarrassed by no
preconceived ideas Of military science. Ills
fighting means killing The speaker then
continued that aa early as 1871. when scare
twenty years old, Forrest went with band
of volunteers into Texas Mt the time ct a
threatened Mexican invasion. Here he first
gave evidence Of hls military ardor. AT elk
teen he was left fatherless. with his mother
and q largo family to support on n small
farm. At forty he owned d large plantation
and was prosperous. in June. 1861. he
ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE
In a Confederate cavalry company In Tonnes
eee In July, through the influence of Gov.
jshnm q. Harris. he procured the authority
to raise cavalry regiment, and smuRKied
out OF Louisville pistols and saddles to equip
the first company. In October he was elected
lieutenant Colonel, and in December he
fought bis first fight, displaying the character
istics aud natural'tartcs which made Forrest
famous as o cavalry leader. Ill had marched
his command twenty miles that day, when
he found a fresh trail Of the enemy. His own
with him. but without hating he rushed
headlong at the Federal troops, leading tho
charge himself When they turned on him
with superior force he quickly dismounted
his command came up to attack In flank and
rear. The retreat Of the Federals soon DO
gan. Mounting his men he began o terrible
pursuit, lighting hand TO hand with pistol
miles and leaving tie road dotted with
wounded and dead
His major, subsequently colonel, p. G.
Kelly, saw him then under fire. and thus do
Reribes the change that always took place ii
his appearance In n fight Ills face flushed
I'LL u bore q striking resemblance to q painted
Indian warriors. and his eyes, usually SO
mild In their expression, blaSed with the In
tense glare Of q panthers about TO spring on
M nsaCya a, Bur fiess-table as Che STORM Of De-
cember resembles the quiet Of June
Those who saw him when his brother JEFF
frey fell say that the blaze Of his face and the
glare Of hts eyes were fearful to behold ana
that he rushed like a mailman on the foe,
dealing out death with pistol and sword to ali |
around him. like Hector fighting over the
body Of PatrocIus.
THIS FIRST FIGHT,
MS have said, illustrated the military char
acterstics Of the man, and justified the re-
mark Of Gen. Dick Taylor that che employed
the tactics of Frederick at Leuthen and Iorn-
dorf without even having heard these
On December TO- 1862, Forrest was ordered
with his brigade Of raw cavalry, armed only
with shotguns and such weapons al they
picked up In the country to destroy tho rail
road communication between Louisville and
Memphis. Sending an agent forward to
percussion caps out of Memphis, he
started. He crossed the Tennessee river,
swimming his horses and ferrying over his
men, artillery and train with ea1y Old
ferry-hoat, In cold. polling rain that de-
Stroyed most OF his percussion caps In two
weeks. with about 5000 raw and almost un-
armed cavalry, marching twenty miles day,
he fought three heavy battles, had almost
daily skirmishing, burned fifty railroad
work as to render the Mobile and Ohio Rail-
road useless there the rest of the war; cap
tured eighteen stockadcs, with $500 prisoners.
took and disabled ten pieces Of field artillery,
carried OF fifty wagons and ambuanccs with
their teams, captured 10000 stands Of arms
and 600 900 rounds of ammunition, and cross
Ing the Tennessee river In Il few skiirs and
one ferry-boat navigated BY poles, his horses
attempting to cut off his retreat, lie returned
10 his camp with command stronger in
than when he started, thoroughly
equipped with blankets and oilcloths, their
shotguns replaced with Enfield rifles and
with a surplus Of 800 rifles and 1900 blankets
and knapsacks. While the army of Virginia
san justly boast Of It's unsurpassed infantry
under Jackson the West Is equally proud OF
The achievements OF
FORREST AND HIS CAVALRY.
The story Of the celebrated pursuit of Col
streight, which lasted four days and nights
without cessation, the banking Of the bridge
over Black creek, through the aid Of Miss !
Emma Samson, who mounting behind him
on his horse, piloted him to an Old ford; the ,
courage and simplicity of that same country !
g
% get behind her when thew tiismounted at I
me lord under fire Of the enemy; the fierce t
agnsng "a, at Sand mountain At dusk where
toIfest had one horse killed and two wounded |
Under him; the weird midnight attack, when t
ae rolled his guns silently by hand to within y
~ yaras q h q, unconscious fee; the sharp {
.raek OF Inc rifle and the rebel yell, before &
when the enemy He'd. and the final stratagem q
~ which 100 Federals We're captured IN COO II
jonfederates, has been SO often told that II n
leeds no repetition. e'o - 2
When Gen. Bragg promoted Gen, Wheeler s
hove Forrest in 1863 the latter resigned III 3
but Mr. Davis refusing Ills resp
lation,, promoted him to the rank Of major
Command in Western Tennessee and Northern
Mississippi At the battle with Gen Soov :,
'mith Forrest came up where l was stand Il
ngs on the causeWay. and as it was the first Z Z
I'm closeley. His manner was Q
NERVOUS, IMPATIENT AND IMPERTous. u
L. asked me what the enemy were DOING Il