The times., 1899-09-17
al Grent Cnnfedernte

NolulAts anu HOSl COMPREHENSIVE IN It's
contents, dealing both with the public and
private life Of its subject The author.
while not at any time directly under For
rest. served during the last two years of
the civil war in a regiment of Alabama
cavalry, which had formerly been in Fer
rests division. Since the war he has been
engaged in collecting material from Off
GERS and soldiers who were personally ae-
quainted with the general and served under
him, and from the mass of manuscript thus
secured be has selected the material for
his present work.
Forrest has always been recognized as
one Of the most striking and picturesque
characters OF the civil war. Unlike Lee
and Wheeler. and some other great leaders
of the Confederacy, he had no advantages
of education or training. and his ability
to lead and control men, and plan cam
paigns. was entirely self-developed. He
might perhaps have remained quite un-
known tc the world had he not had the op-
portunities Of a great struggle, while some
of his comrades would have made them
selves famous even in the piping times Of
peace, because of their greater advantages
for seizing the chances Of public life. For
rest was an instance OF the way in which
war sits out OF a mass OF men, good, bad.
and mediocre, those who can best serve
the need OF the hour. raising them,
sometimes with marvellous swiftness. TO
positions of control and responsibility.
Dr. Wyeth is Of the opinion thar. with
education, Forrest would have been rec
ognized not only as one OF the ablest
generals of the Confederacy. but as one
OF the great strategists of the world As
II was. be planned and executed military
movements which, considering the circum-
stances under which they were carried out
were nothing less than marvellous. In this
biography viii be found a detailed history
of these operations, and a less elaborate
account Of his private life. while the aim
OF the author seems to be TO give with
all this as clear an impression Of the
generals remarkable personality as can
be put into words Dr. Wyeth's style
while it seems slightly affected at times.
owing TO the hackneyed phrases and trite
rhetoric employed. is clear and graphic.
and in reading this book one may get
very accurate idea OF the kind OF man
General Forrest really was and what he
did for the Confederacy.
He was born of the pioneer folk of
Tennessee, a population distinguished Cor
ali the hardy, self-reliant, and adventur-
Gus qualities which belong TO the Ameri-
can pioneer IN general He was the first
born son of William and Marian Forrest,
who lived in one-room log cabin in the
Duck River country Of middle Tennessee.
IN what was then Bedford county. Such
log cabins may be seen today in the Ten
nessee mountains. built without windows,
a big fireplace al each end. and plenty
of chinks in the logs for ventilation. while
the roof is constructed Of overlapping
boards held in place by saplings with
stones on the ends OF them. in place Of
nails. In 1921 such cabins were more COM
mon than they are now in the country dis
fricts Of Tennessee and Kentucky. VIII
liam Forrest was a blacksmith, and had
several acres CT freshly cleared land and
a young orchard, with which TO begin the
world. Nearly hundred years before. his
forbears had moved from Virginia TO
North Carolina and thence pushed west
ward into Tennessee. They were born
pioneers Full of independence. execu-
tive ability, and the fighting instinct, il
is not much to be wondered at that For
rest. despite all disadvantages, should
have risen 20 eminence as a leader of
cavalry Mrs Forrest was undoubtedly
a remarkable woman, as the mothers Of
great men are generally found 10 be There
is little sketch OF her in this connection
which il may be well to quote in Tart-
mothers Of the people:
In stature she was almost six feet. 81 large,
muscular frame, and weighed about $50 pounds
Her hair was DARK, her eyes bluish-gEey, her
expression gentle and kind. and yet no one who
saw the prominent check bones the broad fore
head and the deep lines Of her face could doubt
that she possessed great force 81 character,
determination Of win. and an unusual courage
On one occasion Ars Forrest and her SIS
ter, Fannie Beck, who lived with her, started out
horseback 10 pay . visit 20 neighbof. When
theF were leaving for home late IN the after
noon her hostess presented her with 2 basket
containing several young chickens. Their return
trip was without incident until they had arrived
within mile Of their cabin. The sun had gone
down. ard it was beginning to grow quite dark
A. this moment they heard The yelp or scream
a panther in she dense woods, and only few
yards distant TNey realized al once that the
hungry beast had scented the chickens, and was
bounding through tNe cane and underground 10
secure is prey AT she first yelp of the animal
the horses became iriEhtened and broke into a
run- Their riders, an least one Of them, was
alarmed, and both urged their horses toward
home a. fast they cj-id 20 with safety over
tie narrow and rough trail. Mrs Forests sis
ter shouted 70 her from her position in front
as they were galoping along TO drop the basket I
and let the panther have the chickens which ,
would Ecp ii. bat Marian Beck was not that /
sort q q woman. There was TOO much determi- 4
nation and Scotch grit in her, and she declined 4
10 do as sie was bid. She mot going 10 4
Jet any vsrmint have her chickens. and they /
sped. the horses holding the panther safely IN 1
their wake. until they approached the creek which
ran nearby their cabin On account Of the high !
banks of this stream and the depth Of the water (
They were compelled as they reached il 10 slack
On their speed almost 10 a standsfill TO prevent
the horses from falling rs they Sid down the de-
ciINlty and struck the water. This siowing-up I.
enabled Their swift pursuer to gain them rap /
ids. and, mad with hunger to such desperate 1
degree that il had lost the natural fear Of hn- 1
beings beast leaned ffe Of fh. ]
hafk, striking Mrs. Forrest upon the shoulder and
tioe ~ The neck with his front paws. while the 4
claws oi the hind feet sank deeply into The back
q flr animal she riding Snartsng under /
the pain and wild with fright the horse plunged !
forward quickly that the hold OF fhe panther
was torn ioose- and the time the riders
clothes we're ripped from Der back, and several ]
0eNE. laceratrd wounds were inflicted in the flesh
a the shoulders as the beast fell into the water
The screams Of the brought the whole I
household oEt from the cabin, which was situated I
on the opposite bluff, and Bedford Forrest came 4
running with his dcgs 70 the rescue.
The eldest son, after his mother had been |
cared for, started out TO Kill the panther.
and eventually brought her it's scalp and |
ears. That was the sort OF life 70 which !
Nathan Bedford Forrest was born. and that
was the sort Of mother he had. Later on /
there IS story 81 her unbending will and 4
determination which shows where the |
general got some Of his most prominent 4
traits During the first year Of the war 1
one of her younger boys enlisted in the /
confederate army, as his brothers had done.
and came home in all the giory OF grey I
Uniform and military prestige His mother /
requested him 10 take a sack OF corn TO /
the NIL next morning. which, when morn
Ing came, the youth did not do. He was
eighteen years old and a soldier, and he 1
thought one OF the negroes might do that 1
Mrs. Forrest poured ont the coffee with /
an ominous light in her eye. then went /