Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-03

ritory, was unable to arrest its pro
gress, or even to have it followed sue
cessfully. 1t was a cavalry raid in fore,
and accomplished its object, which
was not to fight decisive battles, bu.
to destroy grain depots, arsenals ant
military supplies generally; tear vi
railroads, break lines Of communication
and give the Southern Confederacy
grand coup de grace. "A more com
pletely equipped expedition for such
purpose could not have been organ,
lied. The unlimited power and re.
sources Of the government at Wash
ington gave it vitality. Gen. Wilson's
success was all that could have been
expected. Yet it was a mere incident
in the great tragedy and did moi
hasten the surrender a'day. The end Of
the gigantic war wasat hand and would
have come just as it did. We would
not il we could rob him Of a single
honor to which he is entitled. 1t was
his fortune when the great battles had
been fought; when the resources OF
the south had been exhausted; when
want of food thinned the ranks of the
men in the field and struck terror to
the souls of women and children at
home, to ride down through a fair
portion Of the country at the head Of
the most superbly mounted and armed
command that was seen during the
war.
General Wilson doubtless merited
the confidence repOsed in him, and
was as successful in destroying prop
erty, public and private, as any one
who undertook such a mission, but
with all that it cannot be claimed that
he was a great cavalry leader, a tacti-
clan, or that he ever took the sword Of
General Forrest. When the matter
is called to his attention he will,
no doubt, as a brave soldier
and chivalrous gentleman, dis
claim the credit which his admirers
would bestow. While many of the
active participants on both sides are
still alive and in the prime of intel
lectual and physical manhood We de-
sire to correct the misstatement made
in regard to this matter. Should this
not be done it would be quite natural
to expect in a few years to see in
school histories a picture Of General
Forrest handing over a sabre about
FIVE feet long to General Wilson within
the works just scaled at Selma, while
a brass band on the parade ground of
a negro pen plays Yankee Doodle"
Much Of the new cheap history of the
day is just as accurate as this would
be.
Many Of General Forests old com.
mand, including members Of his staff
and escort, live in and around Mem.
phis. Forrest would tolerate no
drones and pets around him. The
man who was effeminate or chicken
hearted had to get over tor get out of
the way. He would carry his whole
staff into a fight the same as his es-
cort, and his escort was on about the
same war footing as the same number
of %privates in any regiment; they
stood a good chance to get into a fight
any moment. Colonel NJ. G. Galloway,
now Of the Appeal, and Major G.. V.
Rambaut, a Front row merchant,
were members Of his staff aud were
with him on nearly all his great rough
rides. They are living to testify that
he never surrendered to living man.
held his command intact and well
modified for some time after General
surrendered at Mobile, and
visited that city three times under flag
of truce before the terms of the sur
of his command we're finally
upon. He and his men never
became prisoners, but were finally
paroled by a few officers and men who
sent up by General Candy
from Mobile to Gainesville, under
General Dennis, of Kansas, for the pur-
pose, and were allowed to go home
with their horses, s~ide-arms and other
equipments.
1t was feared that they would take
to the bush and 60 across the Missis-
sippi and raise the flag on the other
side. The government knowing that
war was really over as be-
tween the armies in the field, was
glad to have them go home and become
good law-abiding citizens as they did,
aud no one contributed more to this
than General Forrest and the va
riOus members Of his staff. His adj
dress to his soldiers, delivered on the
eve of surrender and d~isbandment,
was one Of the most chaste aud well
tempered papers eyer issued by any
chieftain, and it had a magical effect
and south, commanding even the
admiration of his bitterest enemies.
Thinking this an opportune time to
publish a war remiHiscence, a repre-
1n-a.s-- - IL - ~