Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1891-12-03

tA9& etf8N~E anu NbthlrFh0i
character developed (if not pro-
dueed) by the late war. Gen. Bed
ford Forrest / wish to add few
IRON my own observation a.
strange as those given, and
stranger than any drawn by the
most vivid fancy. 1 h,spe these
and others Yea. authenticated ina
cid-uts will som. day appear in
q biography u this st.angest Of
strange men.
Some time about the year "a
1915. ! fell in company with Gen.
fol rest as be vas going from
Columbus Mississippi 90 Memphis
Tennessee. He Vas in a fine
humor. and. as | had served under
him several months in the latter
part of the war. l had bat little
trouble IN drawing him out on sew
eral subjects ON which | desired
10 have bis sentiments direct with
out the Intervention u historians
OF reporters
Gen. Forrest, I said, your sue
cess in nearly all % your military
movements was 80 marked. would
like 30 ask how you aeco1n, for
y yourself Had you any maxims
by which you were governed in
your military operations
mo. none werth repeating. I
always tried 10 get thar first with
the most men / generally did.
There was another by which I
was always guided not only in war.
but ia personal differculties, and
that - when | get the alvantag.
OF an euetny never 60 leave lie
enough In hun 10 burt me after.
wards
Looking back thru all the mill.
tary operations with which | was
familiar, as well IN all his peraon-
al encounters Il could see a close
adhesion "a this maxim.
How many wounds did you re-
eeive dnring the war General?
II was STRUCK thirteen times in
all, he said. How many horses
bal you struck under you, |
asked He replied. Il had thirty
one, all told.
Who was responsible for the de-
feat at Old Harrisburg ! asked ?
In the council Of officers lust
before that battle, said Gen. Forrest
my plan Vas to fall back into the
hills Of Itawanba County, or even
into Alabama IL necessary and take
every thing that could support
an army and, II possible to get the
enemy to pursue Us there then
sweep around their rear AMI cut
oil their supplies ans, starve them
into decentralization. and ~ they
rctreaied back toward Memphis Ia
fall on them with our cavalry aud
cat them 30 pieces Gen. \. II.
Iee thought best b. attack immeli-
ately aud | consented Gen. Ire
was Ia command II We had been
successful be would have bad the
honor for the victory, ~ we were
not suecrssful | am willing to
share the Flame"
As the tram nearei Okolnna.
Gen. Forrest hooking cut at the
window said, ''theFe l hal a hard
fight With StargiS 1 defeated
BIN ausl tnrnesi him back tgward
Memphis While the Rght was
goiLg on. ] saw one Of nv men
running oif the feLl. I told him
Ia go back. he refused. l jumped
from my horse. seized him by the
collar threw him down, put my
loot on bis neck took a hickory
limb aud gave him So" Here 4
omit few expletives the General
used Bot | must give the exact
language for the rest Of the Incl
dent When | took my foot OF
hss neck and let him mp be sooole.l
along the ground like an otter
he went back into the line and
eft" like atiger.
At Muldon, we were Joined by
the late Col John II. sale, a promi-
nent lawyer from Aberdeen
What did you do when the
yellow fever struck Memphis.
Gen. asked Col Sale
Gen. Forrest replied, Twas fixing
to get away as fast a. | could. but
several Of my friends we're stricken
down with the lever and bad 30
stay with them"
What said Col. Sale, Gen did
Won stay In the city, while the
yellow fever was raging 10 wait on
friends ? "Yes. sad Glen. Forrest.
what else could | doY I woald
rather have the fever dozen
times than leave my friends in
Distress
Here I will state that his wife
and only child he'd left the city
some days before
did You have the fever, asked
Col Sale Yes. said Gen. Forrest
II struck me in the back Of the
neck Is ! was going down the
street one morning. 4 hurried TO
my boarding house where they
dosed me with teas and wrapped
me in two heavy blankets. where 4
lsy unconscious. for three days.
When l awoke the blankets were
the color Of saffron. from my per-
SEPARATION. IL i hal been dead Tor
three days could not have been
more offensive 10 Others than | was
to nay self. | begged 10 he removed
from the blankets. They told ma
a was death fnr the air b strike
me- l told them II was worse
than death to keep me there.
But | was Ia the weak minority.