The Paducah evening sun., 1910-05-06

at the rear end of the south wing.
"A number of social features have
been arranged during their stay, in
Guiding a banquet to be given by
members of Troop A. This troop.
incidentally will be one of the great
lattractions of the reunion. The
members, mounted, and attired in
the regulation uniform of c. S. A..
cavalrymen, will act as escort to
General Tyler in the parade. and
lthey are said to ride with much of
the old dash and spirit that made
Them famous and feared in the days
of the sixties.
"The following story of the life
of General N. b. Forrest and his
campaigning has been furnished by
Captain V. Y. Cook, of Batesville,
Ark, as historian of the corps:
Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Lieutenant General Nathan Bed
ford Forrest, Provisional Army Con-
federate States of America, was
born in Bedford county, Tennessee,
July 13, 1921, and died at Mem
iphis, Tenn, October 29, 1877.
"He was Just 40 years old at the
beginning of the war between the
states, entering the Confederate
service July Il, 1861, as a private
in Whites Mounted Rifles, a Ten
nessee organization. Soon there
after he was elected lieutenant col
onel of what was called Forests
Cavalry Battalion, sometimes known
as the Twenty-sixth Battalion OF
Tennessee Cavalry, and sometimes
as the Third Tennessee, Cavalry.
'1n the fall of 1861 he was pro-
NOTED to a colonelcy. On July 81,
l1S62, he was promoted to brigadier
general. and on December 4, 1868,
he was made a major general, and
on March 2, 1865, he was appointed
Lieutenant general. to rank from
February 2S of that year. He was
parolcd at Gainesville, Ala, May 10,
1865.
General Forrest was under fire
something like 200 different times,
and participated in 179 battles and
skirmishes. having 20 horses killed
from under him. IL was said, and
truthfully too, no doubt. that l6 of
the enemy fell by his personal hand.
"He was wounded once, July 10,
1864, at Old Town Creek, near Tu-
pelo, Miss. This, however, disabled
him but a short time.
"The records of the Union and
| ~ npiHanfa
that General Forrest gave the fed
eral authorities more anxiety than
all other Confederate cavalry COM
mands, and / dare say that more
space in the records above men
toned is given TO him than to any
other Confederate officer.
"He kept the federals continually
guessing as to his whereabouts and
objectlves, and they seldom ever
anticipated him correctly.
"In 1864 General William T..
sherman became exceedingly solicit
Gus, and it was said offered rewards
for Forests death or capture, writ
ing Brigadier General Joseph A..
Moore, of the Sixteenth Army Corps.
then at Memphis. Tenn., and just
before the right wing Of that corps
under Major General A. ). Smith,
started from Memphis for North
Mississippi in pursuit of General
Forrest, Offering that Union officer
major generals commission IL he
would whip or kill General Forrest.
saying in his laconic manner that II
old Abe refused TO ratify the prom
ise that General Moore should have
his CSherman's) shoulder straps.
Never did a cavalry command do
an enemy more damage In so brief
time as did General Forrest on
the Tennessee river, and especially
at Johnsonville, in the last week OF
October, 1864. His victory over
General Sturgis at Brice's Cross
Roads. Miss, June 10, 1864, was
unprecedented. and / venture to say
no such victory was ever achieved
where the numerical strength was
so unequal as there.
ION Hoods advance upon Nash
Vile. Tenn, in November. 1864,
General Forrest led the advance,
] clearing the way gallantly and rap
idly to Columbia. Tenn.
"He participated at Spring Hill,
Franklin. Murphreysboro and Nash
Vile. and when Hoods disastrous
retreat began in front of Nashville.
December Is, 1864, General For
rest, with native intuition, took
command of the rear and with his
veteran cavalry saved Hoods army