The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-03-08
GEN. N. B. FORREST.
From Review of Reviews, March 1901.

January very TedldDic ShctCn VI
the military career of Gen. Nathan
Bedford Forrest, the Confederate
cavalry leader. of whom Gen Sher
man once wrote: After all. l
think Forrest WAS the most remark
able man our Civil War produced
on either side"
FORESTS first engagement at Sac
ramento, Ky, illustrated the tactics
that he followed with such marked
success throughout the war dis
mounting about one third of his
men In front as st>irmishers, and
then attacking with the Others III
two divisions on flank and rear
Passing over the surrender of
For, Doneison, To which Forrest re-
fused To be a party and which Bl~h-
op Gator characterlzes as "tils-
graceful" the next important ac-
ton in which Forrest lad part was
Shiloh, where he captured battery
and on the retreat To Corinth he
''saved the Confederate army from
destruction by checking Sherman's
advance"
Forests subsequent exploits are
thus related by Bishop Gailor:
"Within three weeks, however,
he was again ready for action, and
made a raid into Middle Tennessee
that astounded his enemies, and so
began the marvellous career of au-
dacity and success that ended only
with the Civil War. With 1900
men he swooped upon the fOrtifica-
lions at Nun freesboro, destroyed
the railway station and the forts,
took 200 prisoners, including two
brigadier-generals, Crittenden and
Dutfield, destroyed 800, 900 worth
of stores, captured go wagons, 500
mules and horses, one battery of ar
tillery, and escaped III safety, with
the loss of but sixteen killed and %
wounded. The country swarmed
with Federal troops, and Forests
escape reads like chapter in tc-
ton. General Buell. wrote: Our
guards are gathered mp by Forrest as
easily as he would herd cattle.
Why don't you 10 something?'
.'After checking Buell's advance
upon Bragg. who had marched in
TO Kentucky, Forrest was again re
Iieved Of his command November
1862, and was ordered back to
tennessee to raise and equip anoth-
er, if he could.
"By December 1 a new brigade
OF 1900 men had gathered round
him at Columbia; but they had vir
tualiy no arms, ammunition, or OH
CT equipment, aud tn. only source
of supply was the eneiny's garrlsons
Forrest accordingly ventured to
cross the Teuuessee River, though
1t was patrolled by gunboats, aud
marched with his small brigade in
TO West Tennessee III the face of
more than II 900 Federal troops.
lie eluded pursuit. captured CoIonel
lugersoll and his command near
Jackson, captured the garrison at
Forked Deer Greek, then captured
Trenton and It's garrison, and again
Union City with its garrison, and
destroyed immense quantities OF
stores. Being surrounded finally
by three hrigades, be attacked one
liter the other and made his escape
Ilr safety, taking with MIN 500 re-
cruits, full supplies OF arms, ammu
nItion, horses and clothes for his
men, together with ) pieces of ar
tlllery, IL caunons, 38 wagons amt
teams, and l, 500 prisoners.
In his account of Forests raid
into West Tennessee. III 1868.
Bishop Gailor quotes the words ot
"a Northern correspondent" who
wrote:
lin the lace of 10000 Federal
troops, Forrest, with less than
1000. has marched right through
the Sixteenth Army Corps, nine
miles from Memphis, carried off
100 wagons, 2OG cattle, 5000 con-
scripts, destroyed several railroads
aud many towns
Iu his successful attack on Gen.
William ). Smith. Forrest stated
that he had 1000 men engaged
against 600
Summarizing General FORESTS
personal characteristics, Bishop
u .iiOr says:
ale was man of immense phys
icai strength and size, and az reso-
iute and audacious in personal rem
counters as in open battle. His
temper was terrific when reused, and
MS language was often vinlept and
profane, but never vulgar nor OBJ
scene. lie detested uucleapness, as
he despised want"n. cruelty aud OPP
preston In the mid7t of battle,
when his own life was In peril, he
was know tn rescue a woman and
Il chIi from danger aud carry them
u place of safety. While be
thrAshei "A scout with hickory withes
for giving him second hand infor-
NATION he degraded one of bis best
officers for trifiiug with the affec-
lions of woman He was unlearu-
ed, bat not illiterate. A pen, he
said once, reminded him of snake,
aud his spelling was consistently
wrong, but his natural eloquence
could move his troops to enthusi-
asm. lie did not know the
first principles of the drill.