The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-08

certainty what Forrest was up TO- lie
seemed always to know what l was
doing, or intended to do, while | am
free to confee L could never tell or
form any satisfactory idea of what he
was trying to accomplish. Dr.
George +. Johnston, nephew OF Gen
eral Joseph f. Johnston, states that
a few months before his uncle's death
he asked him "who he considered the
greatest soldier of our own war. With
out moments hesitation his uncle re-
piled, Forrest General Dabney
H. Maury in his book, "Recollections
of Virginian," tells of a talk with
the great old General in which he
spoke with much animation of the
great soldiers of the world and their
campaigns" He discussed the cam
paigns of Lee, Jackson, Forrest, and
others, and according to Lee and Jack
son the full measure of their fame, he
pronounced General Forrest the great
est soldier the Civil War produced.
General Beauregard said to General
Maury, that FORESTS capacity for
war seemed only to be united by the
opportunity for its display" General
Dick Taylor, son of General and Presl-
dent Zachary Taylor, in capital
strong book published many years
ago, entitled, Destruction and Recon
struction,' writes of Forrest" / DOUBT
if any commander since the days OF
the lion-hearted Richard (of Eng
land) killed as many enemies with ms
own hand as Forrest DR.. Wyeth
says that his system of fighting was
distinctly aggressive, and when pos
sible he always took the offensive
His famous flank and rear movement
always surprised and demOralized the
enemy. He was nearly always at the
front He exercised the most watch
full care over his troops. He was very
particular in selecting his officers. He
relied much on artillery and used it
freely in almost every fight and with
important results. Colonel Kelley
Grew. DR.. X. of the Methodist church,,
a very gallant officer, says: His de-
votion to his wife was deep and sin
cere. She was a quiet, refined Chris
tan woman. and could control him
with word when his temper was at
the highest. He had absolute conf
dence in the piety of his mother and
wife, and was himself a thorough be-
lever in Christianity, and was as full
ly pursuaded of the efficacy of prayer
in times of danger or in battle as Ma
poleon was a believer in fate" He
had services regularly in his camp.
DR.. Wyeth has bestowed vast labor
on his work. 1t shows vast research,
and he tells the career of his great
subject with much interest and en-
tire lucidity. 1t is a very full picture
of one of the most remarkable men of
any age or country who ever figured
upon the tragic arena of war. L had
the pleasure of an acquaintance with
General Forrest in 1868. He was a
fine looking, commanding figure. with
gentle. agreeable manners, conVersing
easily and showing no want of culture
or good breeding. He dressed in eX-
cellent taste. and was a much hand
somer man than his pictures represent
him as being. Let me tell of two Cir
cumstances that occurred. The
Gayosa bank in Memphis failed, and
at about 2 o'clock it was made known
on Court Square. A friend of General
Forrest went at once to his office on
Madison street and told hinf of the
failure. There the General showed
his tactical skill and readiness. Putting
two pistols in his pockets he went at
once to the bank, not over three
squares away. When he arrived at
the bank entrance, some official was
shutting the heavy door. Forrest
threw his stalwart form against it and
pushed in, and walking behind the
counter told the cashier to give him
at once his $4,000 in the vaults. The
cashier seemed to hesitate, when For
rest drew his pistol and said in his
commanding way: IF you do not re-
store it to me you are a dead man.
He got the money, and was the only
one of all the depositors who did get
his money. Another circumstance oc-
Cured after 1 had been living in
Memphis more than four months
Governor Brownlow had caused great
trouble in Tennessee by his high-hand-
ed expressions and usurpations.l He.
had an East Tennessee Legislature that
met at Knoxville, where he resided. 1t
passed what was known as the Ten
Regiment Act" This was a move
ment to raise ten regiments of SOL
diers and billet them on the peo-
pie. The passage of the bill caused
tremendous indignation, and the talk
was to resist the outrage at once if
attempted Two or three weeks be-
fore the Presidential election, in 1868,
Grant being the Republican candidate,
although he had been all his life a
Democrat, a newspaper correspondent
of the Cincinnati Enquirer Can old
Democratic Organ) appeared in Mem
phis. He called upon General Forrest
at his office. Introducing himself he
said he had come for the purpose of
interviewing him. what do you wish
to know" queried the General. II
wish to know said the newspaper
man, what you think of Brownlow's
Ten Regiment Bill Inc reply
came quickly: "Since the war closed |
have done all that L possibly could TO
heal the sores and to reunite the
country, but if BrownloW undertakes
to carry out his infamous project. I'll
be ID if | do not take the saddle
again, and in fOrty-eight hours | will
be at the head of $4,000 as good
troops as / ever commanded in bat
tie" Later when Forrest was asked
as to the correctness of the report in
the Enquirer" his reply was, that
sit was very nearly accurate, a little
dressing up being visible in places"
| only refer to one feature of the re-
port, but there were other things in
the "Enquirer's' letter. The sgnif-
canoe of the prompt declaration Of
purpose on the part of the great SOL
der lay in the revelation made, that
he was the head of the tremendous
Ku kluX organization then in Tennes-
see. They were all we'll drilled. /
could write pages about the Organi-
zation that ramitied the State | was
in dozen or more counties and you
could hear of the Ku Klux constantly
In Lincoln county there were 1900
all drilled. There was no disorder i'm
their operations in the State, but the
oct an H.