Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-05-19

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as a soldier; for, later in the au.
tumn, he was superseded bya very
inferior man as a cavalry leader
He forthwith resigned his com
!. mission; but, instead of accepting
his resignation, the central govern
ment promoted him to the rank OF
major general, and assigned him to
the command of north Mississippi
and west Tennessee.
There he had to raise, organize,
arm and equip an entirely new
force. With it he did great things
in 1854, against large numbers of
well-arlned and splendidly equip
ped federal cavalry. The cavalry
force OF about seven thousand
men under General Sooy Smith,
and belonging to sherman's army,
he completely defeated in a fairly
open and prairie country suited
for the action of regular cavalry,
had either side z possessed any.
General Sherman officially des-
cribed Smiths division ase COM
posed of "ths, best and most
experienced troops in the SERVICE" !"
This part Of tie campaign had
been expressly designed by that
general with view to the capture
or destruction of Forests force.
But Smith was no match for his
opponent, who outgsneraled him,
and the result was the reverse of
what Sherman had intended and
anticipated. Forests force dur
ing these operations numbered
about three thousand men, one:
half of whom were raw and badly
armed recruits; Gen Grant says:
"Smithss command was nearly
double that of Forrest, but not
equal man to man, for lack of a
successful experience such as
Forests men had" And yet
they were soldiers went in this
war, well drilled, and commanded
by a regular officer, whereas
Forests men knew little more of
drill than their general, who, his
friends alleged, could not at any
time have drilled company.
A small brigade of about seven
hundred Kentucky infantry was
now handed over to him, but hav-
:hsg Found sharssa lsshese Sfoet
soldiers they were thenceforward
reckoned as Cavalry" His little
army now consisted of two weak
divisions, with which in 1864, he
took Union city, attacked Pa
ducah, had most successful en-
gagement at Bolivar, and finally
captured, Fort Pillow. In these
operations he inflicted great loss
in men, arms, horses and stores
upon his enemy, largely rein
forced his command, and retitted
1t with captured equipments. Re-
peated efforts were subsequently
made by General Sherman to cap
ture or destroy Forests apparent
ly ubiquitous force. He several
times drew great Gordon of bri-
gades and divisions round him,
but all to no purpose; he defeated
some and escaped from others.
His hairbreadth escapes from cap
ture when thus closely surrounded
by numerous bodies of troops, each
larger in itself than his whole
command, read more like the
pages of romance than the history
of military events. All through
his operations one great secret of
his success was his intimate
knowledge of the enemy's move
ments aud intentions. His cam
paigns were made in districts
where the inhabitants were heart
and soul with him, and 1T was
therefore much easier for him than
for the federal generals to obtain
useful information. His system
of reconnaissance was admirable,
and, for the reason just given, he
could venture to push his scouts
out in twos and threes to verv
great distances from headquarters.
One federal general was removed
from his command at Memphis
for having failed to do anything
against this now redoubtable COM
mander. Shortly afterward For
rest himself marched into Mem
phis, and took possession Of the