The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-08
GENERAL FORREST, THE
DASHING CAVALRY KING
A Biography Full of Spendor of Daring Achieve
nent it is Like Page From
Arabian Nights

600 soldiers and % pieces of artillery.
The Confederate had $500 soldiers
and Il pieces of artillery. General
Sturgis lost 2,612 killed, wounded and
missing. General Forrest captured
$50 wagons and ambulances, 1 8 pieces
of artillery, 5000 stands of small arms,
100000 rounds of small-arm ammuni-
ton, and all the enemy's baggage and
supplies. Forrest was then Major
General. In what is known as the
Tupelo Expedition in July, 1864, there
| was much hard fighting, and the Con-
federates lost immensely in killed and
wounded. The FederalS were in
strong force, and greatly outnumber-
ed the Confederates. Forrest was
finally wounded, and it was the worst
of the many wounds he re-
ceived. He had to ride in
buggy for some time before
he was able to take to the saddle
again There was much fighting dur
ing General A. j. Smiths second in
vasion of Mississippi. The enemy was
in great force, and the purpose of
Smith was to overwhelm and capture
or kill Forrest. The conclusion of
the campaign was that General Wash
burn scores General Smith for per-
suit Of Forests attack on Memphis,
Smith is ordered to retreat, and he
abandons Mississippi to the Confed-
crates. general Forrest surprised
the enemy at Athens, and by bluff
and strategy captured it. Other
movements, assaults surprises, cap
lures followed for Forrest was always
active, aggressive watchful General
Forrest rendered magnificent service
at the disastrous battle of Franklin.
General Hood displayed poor gener-
alship. The battle was desperately
fought and the Confederates lost ire
mendously The loss of Confederate
Generals was heavy in killed and
wounded. Among the killed was Ma
jor-General p. r. Cleburne, an Of
ficer of superior skill and great Valor.
The Federals marched northward,
with Forrest, with his cavalry, pur-
suing the enemy vigorously. Such are
the Official Records" | must here
close the references to particular
fights. Forrest was invariably in the
thick of them all. and always where
men bleed and die. The courage of
Forrest was as great no doubt as was
ever bestowed upon any man. He
had twenty-nine horses shot under
him during the war. He overthrow
and killed thirty of the enemy during
the four years. 1t is noticeable that
Forrest spoke we'll in spite of a mark
ed deficiency in his early schooling.
It is stated on the best of authority
that he dictated the many striking
addresses he made to his soldiers, as
we'll as the letter he sent to President
Davis. Several plots or attempts
were made upon his life. His farewell
address to his soldiers was his own
inspiration. His health broke down
about 1S76-'77. He died in his home
in Memphis on 18th October, 1877;
at the age of fifty-siX. He knew of
his decay and changed his whole man
ner of life, accepted Jesus Christ as
his Redeemer, united with the Cum
berland Presbyterian church, and
died in great peace. The eminent
Lord Wolsely, commandment of
the British army, thus wrote of him:
Forrest had fought like a knight
Grant for the cause he believed to
be that of justice and right. No man
who drew the sword for his country
in that fratricidal struggle deserves
better of her; and as long as the chiv-
alrous deeds of her sons find poets to
describe them and fair women to sing
of them. the fame of this gallant gen.
eral will be remembered with affec-
ton and sincere admiration. y man
with such a record needs no ancestry.
General Bradley T. Johnson, of
Maryland, in his very interesting
book on General Joseph E. Johnston
states that talking with the General
one day he said: Bradley whom do
you think L believe to be the greatest
military genius ever born on the
American continent" The reply was
I cannot say. Then the great Cen
eral said: why, Bedford Forrest. y
If he had been recognized by end of
1862, for the tremendous genius he
was and had been put in com
mand in the States south of South
Carolina, there would have been no
Chickamaugas and Nashvilles and
Murfreesboroughs and Franlllins, and
Sherman would have never made his
vandalic, destructive march through
Georgia, destroying for forty miles
wide, as he telegraphed Grant, and
he would never have burned Atlanta
and Columbia, and laid waste in
North Carolina.
DR.. Wythe writes of him: He was
great not only in strategy and tactics,
and in dealing with matters connect.
ed with his military career, but he
possessed IL remarkable genius for
mathematics, a subject in which he
had absolutely no training. He could
with surprising facility solve the most
difficult problems in algebra and
trigonOmetry." Rev. DR.. Kelley, who
was brave, distinguished Colonel I'M
der Forrest, says: Forrest was a
fine conversationalist; his voice was
soft and pleasant, his eyes twinkled as
he spoke, giving an attractive express
sion to his face.
The testimony of many soldiers and
others is that he was fully six feet
tall of commanding appearance, with
piercing blue eyes, fine cut features,
massive head. and great physical pow
err. Major anderson says that few
men were heater in personal appear
ance or in his surroundings than Gen
eral Forrest" With the exception of
cursing when angry he was strictly
moral Major Powhatan Ellis says:
General Forrest was an exceedingly
handsome and striking man, grave and
dignified in manner unless in anger,
then he was terrible to behold. He
loved his wife deeply, and she had a
fine, wholesome influence over him.
He never used vulgar or obscene
words, and did not allow them in his
presence. He was rcverent, and with
religious leanings long before his final
surrender and acceptance of the Di-
vine Son as his personal Redeemer.
he had great respect for Christian