The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-18

%''S
BY RICHARD SPILLANE.
At rare intervals in history a man Of
military genius pops up who seems to
have graspei without study all the prin-
ciDles of warfare. Such a man was Ma
than Bedford Forrest. who entered the
Confederate service n private and came
out at the end Of the war a lieutenant
general He was one of the most re-
msrkabIe characters the sreat struggle
produced Unlettered and unframed.
knowing nothing of tactics and hardly
able TO give the regulation orders such
as every militia lieutenant is familiar
with for the formation of men, he could,
In hts own way, handle either a COM
paHy Or corps. squadrons of cavalry
or regiments OF infantry, and he proved
on many a field that he was a far more
ACCOMPLISHED soldier than some Of the
best schOOled men of arms that came
from the nations academy at West
Point
Where he got his military skill is a
mystery. He was born i'm log cabin
near Dutch River. Tenn, July IS. 1921.
AZ that time Tennessee was a wilder
ness His father was a blacksmith So
Far back as the family can be traced
there was not a soldier in it. He had
little education except such as he picked
up through contact with men Of Gull
ture, and he had a dread Of a pen. look
ing upon it as something almost as awe
some as a snake; yet his personal let
ters and reports, even If grotesquely
misspelled, are of better construction
dramatically than those of the major
ity Of military leaders. He knew moth
ing OF grammar from books, yet he un-
consciously absorbed its principles, and,
while he never studied mathematics, he,
IKE all really great commanders, had a
Hne mathematic mind.
A Man Of Contradictions.
Forrest was q mass of contradictions.
dealer In slaves and a man Of the
most violent temper he was almost fop-
plsh in dress and deeply religious. Very
JaA and very powerful his voice was
snguiarly mild and low, except in battle
OF when he was angered. His complex
Ion was swarthy, but I'm battle or when
enTaged the blood rushed to his head
ana ne looked like an Indian. His veins
ss"eLed and mis- face took on a reddish
unge Persons who saw him for the
ulsl uiae under such conditions thought
Ae mad lost control OF himself, but. as a
matter or tact, his brain was more or
g5Ily and worked with more precision
- u-he or stress than in periods of
44l-llle. He was q master of detail
ana looked after what seemed 10 be in
coAseluential trifles with as much care
a. he did the more important matters.
ne was The most rigid of disciplinarians.
ana personally chastised his men for in
. ia of his orders, A trooper who
---n properly care for his horse or who
yaItlessly arranged the blanket so that
,ie saddle chafed the animals back was
EEA-ly 10 oe punished severely if at the
-ls- word from the commander he did
-'' hasten 20 correct the fault. Auda-
-o4s % the point of rashness in battle
g %. showing not irfreQuently a supreme
disregard for human life. he wept like a
eeAan when ONE of his most devoted
t'io"ers were killed, and after the war
-5 cared for the INDECENT and the Wild
oNs and orphans TO a deeree that was
en genera,
-- MS hfst engagement. a trivial cav
any encounter at Sacramento. XIV. For
~ employed methods that the most
OF Trained commanders wofIld find difi-
s- -.. l- improving upon. He attacked in
mont flank and rear. This stvle Of
i-a-7l. Per- he found Of advantage many
80 ,,,...s i- later days. And although his
-.,--.-.5-- was supposed to be cavalry il
/. O. e. rH..-
ton. --1 iii-''ii'i TINA
IN. o-e or the first things he did was to
eL-- - MS men 70 fight afoot. For the
~ o- LOT transportation the horse
Ls- essential, but from the first ne used
--.- .-.zA as cavalry or as infantry ac-
ms ~ The needs of the situation
,,,. me men fought afoot one mar
~. vi Tour OF one out of eight held the
49, Today this is the system
r-- 80 the armies of the world. but
fr-. was one of the first if not the
b-.s ~ establish it, In Virginia. ii
~, IN me Union and Confederate armies
No., VARY was used as cavalry alon,
g.. 500 -aLe ~ the war. and it used to b,
,-..t 1--'emDtuously that a dead soldier
v...L spurs on never was found. Blu
u. oIIest war was a serious business
~ as "-l TO kill, TO destroy. 10 US,
tr-, -glse TO the utmost advantage. H,
NJ ISM less of show than of shock. NOR
VI -'inage than Of dash.
Mother Of Eight Soldiers.
~, -#1 the war began Forrest was
~ ~ tate dealer and a slave trader il
is.--L-''s- BE had a plantation and wa
No. ---lentiy wealthy. His mother. VIII
married twice. had fifteen childrel
.l5.eh by William Forrest, father O
49, 7'1ral and four by her second hus
- man named Luxton. Eight O
NJ suns served in the Confederate army
--hth vas paralyzed, SO he stage