The times., 1899-09-17
quotes Lord Wolseley's characterization of
the Rangers and their commander:

their master, their leader, and over whom he had
| obtained the most complete control lie pos
sessed that tact-uniearnable from boohs-
which enabled him not only effectively TO con-
troll these fiery, turbulent spirits, but to attach
| them to him personally with hooks of steel. y
| In him they recognized not only the daring able,
| and successful leader, but also the commanding
officer, who would not hesitate to punish with
| severity when he deemed punishment necessary.
He thoroughly understood the nature and dispo-
sition of those with whom he had 60 deal. their
strong and their weak points, what they could
and could not accomplish. He never yentured
to hamper their freedom of action by any sort
of stiff, barrack-room drill. 10 embaTTass ii
| by any preconceiyed notions of what a soldier
should look like They were essentially irreg-
ulars by nature, and he never attempted TO rob
them OF that character. They possessed an
inheritance all the best and most valuable fight
ing qualities of the irregulars accustomed as
they were from boyhood TO horses and the use
of arms, and brought up with all the devil-may.
care, lawiess notions OF the frontiersman. But
the most volcanic spirit among them felt he
must bow before the superior viii of the deter
mined man who led them. There a some
thing about the eye OF Forrest which warned
I his suhordinates that he was not to be trifed
/ with, and would stand nonsense from either
1 friend or foe. He essentially practical man
| of action, with a dauntless, fiery soul, and a
heart that knew no fear.
DR.. Wyeth further says:
The methods employed by General Forrest to
! insure discipline. and to impress upon the mind
of his troopers the Importance of obtaining infor-
nation which was absolutely reliable and not
heaTsay, were original. and at times extremely
severe
Not far from Blountsville a scout belonging TO
Capt Bill Forests company, who had wander
ed OIL mile or two from the main road to a
country blaeksmith's shop, for the purpose of
getting his horse shod, came back 10 the column
at full speed and in great perturbation. enquir-
ing anXiously for General Forrest Rid
ing up 10 the commander he told
hlm IN an excited tone that a heavy
force OF Union cavalry was marching on
the road which ran parallel with the one on
which his command marching and that they
were then not more than four miles off Forrest
SAID Dld you see the Iankees?' The man re-
piled: No, / did not them myself but while
l the blacksmith's shop a citizen came
galloping up on horseback and told me he had
seen them. He had scarcely delivered himself
OF this piece of information when General For
rest, with both hands, seized the astonished SOL
dier by the throat, dragged him from his horse,
and showing him against tree near the road
side, proceeded to bump his head vigorously
against the rough bark Of the trunk Having
sufficiently punished the unreliable scout this
overbearing leader of men, who when he found
it necessary for the good of his command con-
stituted himself judge, jury, and execntioner
said; Now. damn You, if you ever come 10 me
again with pack of lies you won't get off so
easily.'
1t was during this skirmishing with
Emma Sansons bravery and coolness
comes in. This was at Black Creek, where
almost under fire, this girl CT sixteen pilot
ed General Forrest and his men to ford
known only TO her family, by which he
might escape from a large Union force
There is picture of this courageous girl
and facsimile of the note which Forrest
wrote TO her in recognition of her bravery
This shows plainly one of the qualities
u n oil
iteracy. He had had nc advantages in the
way of education. and even if he had, prob
ably would not have been bookish man.
He wrote an almost illegible hand and
his spelling was something original and
quaint.
One of the picturesque incidents of For
rests life occurred at about this time A
young lieutenant, who believed himself un-
justly treated by the general, sought him
pistol in hand and shot him. Forrest,
quick as a cat, grasped the pistol hand of
his assailant, and with his other hand
drew a pen-knfe, which he opened with
his teeth and plunged it into the lieuten-
ants body, infiicting a wound eventually
mortal. The two then separated, and For
rest went to doctor to see how serious his
injury might be. The doctor informed him
that it was likely to be fatal, consid 4 ng
the heat of the season, whereupon Forrest
rushed out into the street avowing his de-
termination to shoot the man who had
killed him, and was only dissuaded from
his resolve by the information that the
young man was already dying The pa
thetic denouement of the affair is that be-
fore his death the young soldier begged
that the general be brought to see him.
and on the fulfillment of this request said
that he was glad that it was he and not
Forrest who was to die, for the sake of the
Confederacy
How Forrest himself took what he con-
sidered injustice is shown in an encounter
which he had with General Bragg 1t was
after the battle of Chickamauga. This is
what happened:
standing stiff and erect before Bragg Forrest
said: Il am not here TO pass civilities OF COM
pliments with you but other business. You
commenced your cowardly and contemplate per-
secutlon OF me soon after the battle OF Shiloh
and you have kept ii up ever since. You did it
because reported to Richmond facts, while you
reported damned lies. IN a spirit OF re-
venge and spite, because l would not fawn upon
you as others did you drove me into West Ten
nessee in the winter OF 1862, with second bri-
gade had organized with improper arms and
without sufficient ammunition, although had
made repeated applications for the You
did ii to ruin and my career. You
have played the part Of damned scoundrel and
coward, and il you any part of a
would slap your jaws and force you to resent
it. You may as well not issue any more orders
to me, for l will not obey them"
To this extraordinary harangue-and
there is great deal more of it-Bragg
made no response, nor did he take any
subsequent notice of it. The fact is that
Forests usefulness to the Confederacy,
in his own line, was so thoroughly recog-
nized, that there seems to have been a
tacit understanding among the wiser and
cooler heads to allow him 10 say what he
chose, like a spoiled child
One of the things which have reflected
discredit upon Forrest was the Fort Pill
low business, at which ii was alleged by
Northerners at the time, negro soldiers
were shot down after they had surrender
ed, and wounded men burned in their bar
racks, by Forests permission If not by
his orders. DIR. Wyeth makes an earnest
attempt to refute this charge, but it can
not be said that he is entirely successful.
He does state with certainty that Forrest
was not on the scene at the time of the
alleged massacre, but admits that while
number of the garrison who had thrown
their guns away and ran toward the Con-
federates, holding up their hands, were
spared, "others who did this were shot
down" Whatever else happened, he says
was the work of guerrillas and "bummers.'
He also charges that many of the garrison
continued to fight, convinced from the
slaughter that had transpired that no quar-
ter would be shown them" This is rather
a lame case, all things considered
II is not TO be supposed that General For
rest gave definite orders that negro soldiers
were TO be given no quarter, although that
was the prevailing impression among the
garrison, and led to desperate resistance on
the part of these troops. Such an action
would have been not only barbarous but