Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-24
FORREST.
The Man That Joe Johnston Pro-
nounced the Brightest Military
Genius of the Wharf.-The Most
Dashing Cavalrynan the South
Hsd---The Genius Of Bluff.
BY l. w. AvERYgHan
Colonel Fourth Georgia Cavalry.

! OencTdlT 4 OFTCSbiS lnesDrl8nt'
est military genius that This wal
has produced on either side, if
we arc to Judge m9bgths
rule accomplishing the iarges,
results with the least material
Thus spoke General JOSEPH
E. Johnston, that royalLs0ldiel
and exquisite criticu soldier.
ing, to this writer on one occa-
sion during the late kwaf. q ii
was strong compliment from
a high source. lie sent ION to
demonstrate the statement from
Forests marvellous dafeel'. . 4Ie
showed that no officer had won
such victories with sueli dispro-
portioned and meager resources.
No General had been. able to
use his forces SO Successfully.
He constantly 7achieved-7tri-
umphs u:terl y 0ut-of all Geason
in view of his means Of achieve
ment. His success savored of
the miraculous. They - were
many Of them attempted aid
accomplished against odds that
would have par2Iyzed the ener-
gies of ordinary men. ''7N"'1
SOME WONDERFUL FEATs., 4
General Johnston illustrated
his criticism by instanting For
rests daring purshie ana capt
ure Of Streight's expedition of
seventeen hundred men y with IA
force of six hundred; his mas
terly defeat of the Grierson raid
OF seven thousand finely 9ali-
pointed soldiers with thirty-five
hundred inexperienced troops,
and his Mnihilation of Sturgiss'
superb army of nine Thousand
splendid forces with a command
of less than three thousand, most
of them recruits. An examina-
ton of Forests extraordinary
and brilliant and exceptionally
successful career attests tlie cor
rectness of Johnstcn's high es-
innate of Forests military GA
pacity. i'-Iae,
The writer docs not propose
to enter into the knowhs details
Of Forests record, but rather
TO give one or two personal re-
miniscences that illustrate the
character and methods of the
dashing cavalryman by gohg
odds the most valuable and To-
riginal leader of horsemen that
we had in the Southern armyFs
The writer first met Forrest
in Middle Tennessee campaign
when Rosecrans and Braggiop-
posed each otherin 1868. The
writer commanded a Georgia
regiment anderl GepkH
al Wheeler, and was stationed
on the left of, the failpoatl near
Chapel Hill, connecting the
line with Forests cavaIry.ug In
two days after taking position,
Forrest sent an order direeh to
the writer to do something with
his regiment. = The, writer fes-
pectfuIly dceliheH 20 receive Or
ders from Forrest unless they
came through General Wheeler.
The writer 5thoaght, a little
strange of this at, the time, but
learned 'afterwafdi that Forrest
was accustomed TO order every
thing in his range. He was b a
born leader of men, and he used
all the authority that hegcoGld.
His imperions nature asserted
itself in every thing, apa over
every one. General sWharton|
told the writer that In the fa-
nous little affairz.t McMimvilIe,
when Forrest first drew atten-
tisa te himself by one ofathc
most dashing affairs of the war,
he was really the ranking Col
onel in the,figllt, as eRftegward
found, but that Forrest deliber-
ately assumed to be the senior
officer entitled to the command.
Forrest was not fitted for SUBJ
ordinate. Conscious of ssdperII-
or capacity, y,Ithoroughly inform
ed, having clear conceptions of
what oughtato be done, uftrain-
cd to obedience, direct in chs
methods, and daring and decis-
i've in his,nnture, Forrest frettedI
under control, and came nearer
having his own way than any
man of that revolutionsa pHaN-.
ipg had no military education,
he lacked training in the habits
Of soldierly subordination. But
no man ever exacted stlictcrO-l
bedicnce or more thoroughly
maintained it. He broel1ed no
disobedience OF! his own orders,
and he resented their infraction
with characteristic fire.
Ills ARBITRARY METHODS.
Nor as can well be iu1agined
was Forrest a red-tape officer.
The cifcumlocutioH of office
routiiie iify Suited his direct
ways of, doing things, When
his commahd Needed supplies
lie stopped on no technicalities
of obstruction to obtain them.
The writer we'll remembers once