The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-18
FOhREST. THE FIGHTER.
INV Hohors ri Neuil his to enc Cf the Mast
Neinarkablr Soldiers { the civil war.

"e'narhabl" Soldiers Il the civil war.
10 lhh EDITOR OF THE SuN Sir, In the
| presence OF vast throng. among whom
"t,' 'nnl'Hr Of gray haired veterans VINO
! lo'io"ed his fortunes in the civl war there
mas been unveiled al Memphis H colossal
equestrian statue of Lieut.. ten. Nathan
| bediord Forrest. Such (, the admira ton OF
'ne southern people, aud especially of those
" MS native state and the city of his home.
! 'or inns remarkable man that in addition
| 10 'h's inaEnlicent work of art they have
p"''haHed and laid out in picturesque fash
| ION III the Heart of the city a most beautiful
PARK which In honor OF their hero they ha We
NAMED Forrest Park
! inc career Of Nathan Bedford Forrest will
slahu chapter apart IN the annals Of our conn
| Try. story a. unique as his personality was
| picturesque. In the obscurty OF his origin.
the success of his struggle against 30 verify.
a"o !he splendor of his achievements in war.
1t VIII ne difficult to match ii in all the pages
OF history. The fertile ina gnation OF a
walter Scott could hardly conjure up a
tale more romantic than the plain. unvarnished
| narrative OF his life. The sou OF q blacksmith.
MS childhood. youth and early manhood
speh1 amid the Wild scenes Of the American
| iroh'ler; reared to such hard labor in the
struggle for existence that even the scantipst
| opportunities Tor an education we're denied
NM win patient coura ge. untiring energy
anu 'hc honest employment OF the strong
faculties OF mind with which nature endowed
MN. rising superior to the many temptations
10 dissipation and lawlessness which the
reckless NE OF the frontier offered In the
methods pf pes"e he achieved fortune and the
respect Of all who knew him and in the stir
ring imes OF war became the great lighting
leader of fighting men" and won undyipR
fame.
IL mas been said of h!m that he was born
soldier "a men are born poets" The truth
OF thls Il evident III the fact that, without
education or the knowledge of what others
had done, he showed from the outset of his
career an extraordinary capacity for war.
private soldier IN the ranks in June. 1881 :,
aga inst obstacles which seemed almost in
surmoun,abe lie fought his way to a Lieu
tenant -Generalship. the highest rank but
one accorded to its soldiers By the Confed-
eracy.
Gen. Forrest possessed mind not only
OF unusual power. but capable OF reason
ing calmly and rapidly no matter how serious
or perple1ing the problems which presented
themselves. Even in moments OF extreme
peril. so rapid was the process by which his
brain registered and analy2ed every detail
Of the pictures which flashed through It, that
any action which the emergency demanded
followed as logically and as quickly as the roar
OF the thunder follows the lightning's fash.
The ordinary mind can deal with reasona BILE
certainty and success with the things that are
expected, but to cope successfully with the
unexpected is the crucial test OF extra ordinary
ability. In war. and especially upon the
battlefield. 1t is the unexpected which most
often happens. and In these great emergen-
ces the mind is too often da zed by the rapid
and Kaleidoscope changes which are occur
ring or temp9rarily stunned By the shock
OF an unlocked for stroke. II Is on such oc-
CuSlODS
In nature
Everything tia, grows
Holds in perfection bu, single moment"
so in the crisis Of, human affairs single mo-
opportunity i brings ia or il, not rrasped.
Whether his life alone was in the balance or
whether the safety Of his command was in
volved, this wonderful presence Of mind did
not fail.
Some Of the. notable features in Forests
e tho 81 ss the nsGksTJ
ment on the flank and raar so demoraizng
to an enemy AZ Ard especially so when made
cealed the strength OF the thanking forces;
the, quick dismounting Of his men TO fight
under . cover OF every object which Afforded
often carried along with the troops in line
Ana aw AZ placed r GGss 70 the and
his anita Qonist Welded
His system Of fighting, was distinctly az
gressiye and when possible he always took
ness, even when akin to raslness. and when
GGoIssi6ie he a,taessd n22,wthstsndns his
Of Forward HneM a1
even the tmid with courage, while to stand
N the open TO receive a charge was severe
was about TO charge. or was moving upon him.
MS rule s, was t9 make counter attack before
tactics on one occasion. Forrest showed his
disregard for the manual by remarkiny that
minutes of bulge than for week OF tactics -"
Although, as WAS very often the case in his |
encoup'ers. his troops we're fewer in number
TO disccncert his antagonist by feigned at
tacks and show Of force at various points. |
striking point would have tn greater strength. |
Asked once by Federal officer why IL was |
battles, lie replied that he could not under |
stand il, unless II Was because he mana ged |
TO get there iirst with The most men" Ills
The moral Of mis- teaching snd example was
ie sud 10 Ills soldiers. 4WHene ee sne WG
meet Tia" 'nemy. no matter how few there are
Of D"o or how many man IF them show asht
ably catch yon. II you show fight. they will
,h'nk there are more Of You. and will not push
"4 e a'' ." every ssiss0H w WGF
-cant regard for his own life. he SET au ex-
ample OF desperate courage which justified
he statement OF Gen. Stephen A, Hurlbut
before the Congressional committee that
Forrest ts desperate. lie will lead his men
farther than any man know
Whether In the thickest OF the battle where
hundreds or thousands were rushing at each
other in deadly combat or on the lonely |
highway. where he came face 10 face with A
Jingle adversary, or In the reconnaissance
by day or night. when. alone or attended by
, single member of his stan, he would rjda
INTO the enemy's lines and even into their
amps. he was with pistol or sabar ever ready !
o assert his physical prowess II is known
lat he placed horI de combat thirty Federal
lftcorI or soldiers hg'ting hand TO hand.
hat he had twenty -nhe horses shot under
rim aud MAS many times wounded.
Gen. sherman said After all. / think
Forrest was the most remarkab bio man our
'lvil war produced on either side" Cen.
Ioaeph f. Johnston. Shermans great an
sgonst. said he considered Forrest the
greatest soldier OF the war such was his
tbity that had he received a West Point
raining he would have been the great central
lyure of tho war"
Forrest died on Oct "a 1877. at the early
Ige of SO
III, death created n profound irnpressjon
throughout the country, and called forth |
Universal expressions Of sympathy and re-
poet Many Of those avainst whom he had
or SHIT in battle. uniting with the South pa Id |
esp"ctfnl tribute to his memory, The en-
resident Of the Confederacv and some OF
he surviving members of the Confederate
a binet and thousands tlpon thousa nds OF |
,iRh and low degree, followed tho funeral |