Evening star., 1909-07-18

what seemed to be inconSeuuential tribes
with as much care as he did the more
important matters. He was the most rigid
of discinlinarians. and personally chas-
tised his men for infractionS of his orders.
\ trooper who didn't properly care for
his horse or who carelessly arranged the
blanket so that the saddle chafed the
animals back was likely to be punished
severely if at the first word from the COM
mander he did not hasten to correct the
fault. Audacious to the point of raslness
in battle, and showing not infrecuently
a supreme disregard for human life, he
weDt Like woman when some of his
most devoted followers were killed, and
after the war he cared for the INDECENT
and the widows and orphans to degree
that was approached probably by no
other southern general.
In his first engagement trivial cav
airy encounter at Sacramento. KY, For
rest employed methods that the most of
trained commanders would find difficult
in improving upon. He attacked in front.
flank and rear. This style of maneuver
he found of advantage many times in
later days. And although his command
was supposed to be cavalry, 1t did far
more tightings in infantry formation.
One of the first things he did was to
teach his men to fight afoot. For the
charge or for transportation the horse
was essential. but from the first he used
his men as cavalry or as infantry accord
ing to the needs of the situation. When
the men fought afoot one man out Of
four or one out of eight held the horses.
Today this is the system throughout the
armies of the world. but Forrest was one
of the first, if not the first. to establish
1t. In Virginia. In both the Union and
Confederate armies the cavalry was used
as cavalry alone until late in the war.
and 1t used to be said contemptuously
that a dead soldier with spurs on never
was found. But with Forrest war was a
serious business. He was out to kill, to
destroy. to use his force to the utmost
advantage. He thought less of show than
of shock, more of damage than of dash.
When the war began Forrest was a
real estate dealer and slave trader In
Memphis. He had a plantation and was
independently wealthy. His mother, who
was married twice, had fifteen children
eleven by William Forrest, father Of the
general, and four by her second husband.
a man named Luxton. Eight of her sons
served in the Confederate army The
ninth was paralyzed, so he stayed at
home. Like Sam Houston, there were two
persons to whom Forrest always de-
ferred his wife and his mother. A word
from either would calm him In the time
of his most violent RACES.
This mother of Forrest was a very
forceful character. There is story told
of her illustrative of her masterful con-
troll of her children. She had been reared
in the backwoods, and even in the days
of her ease retained many of the back
woods customs. She always arose before
daylight. always made her own bread and
always got corn meal from the mill once
a week for the bread. In the early days
of the war her youngest son, then eigh-
teen or nineteen, was commissioned
lieutenant and came home the first time
he got his uniform, gay with sword and
gold lace When he was. retiring for the
night his mother told him to go, first
thing in the morning to the mill. two
miles away, for two bushels of meal. The
proud officer looked at her disdainfully,
but said nothing. At breakfast the
mother while pouring the coffee remarked
that the son was late in getting back