Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-15
CamFm
Acton-Ru AcrwaS

Even as Sherman searched his soul
for fresh explosives with which to
batter poor Sooy Smith. Forrest
struck again. bottling powerful gar
risons by brilliant feints. dashing
clear into Kentucky and winding up
the daring raid by the capture OF
Fort Pillow.
Then it was that the North famed
10 fury, branding Forrest as an At
tia, denouncing Fort Pillow as a
massacre and 1t was long before the
facts In the case rescued his reputa-
ton from the weight OF lies.
TIE fort had been called upon to
surrender. but the commanders were
confident OF the strength OF their In
trenchments and also expected AID
from the gunboats. The attack car.
ried the walls. the officers fed. such
as were not killed. and with no one
In authority TO ny n white nag or
lower the colors, there was sIaugn-
ter. grim and terrible. until the hal
wards of the nag were cut by one OF
FORESTS own men.
MAY came-the gloomy May that
1*1 saw Grant and Lee locked In
death struggle In the wilderness
and Sherman. under orders to thrust
at the heart Of the South. left Chat.
tapooga with 100000 men for his
march through Georgia.
THAT devil FOREST" had to De
consfd cred, however: and by way OF
protecting his rear. Gen. Sturgis ana
5000 men were commanded TO ies'e
Memphis and call no halt until they
met and destroyed the southern
chiAftain and his phantom cavalry:
sherman knew that Forrest couid
not possibly gather more than 4'"oo'
but the experience Of Sooy smith
should have taught him that two TO
one was not odds enough. This vas
proved at Srice's Crossroads on June
10. for while Forrest started the battle
with only 1000 men. he whipped
Sturgis into headlong Night.
All night he led bloody pursuit,
falling from his horse from sheer tx.
haustion at dawn. but the fruits OF
his tremendous exertions were ISL:
Federais killed. wounded and captured
and arms and supplies enough TO
equip his entire force
| These things done. the indefatigable
| leader raced after Sherman with pur-
pose 10 harass his rear. striking MS
/ first blow at Athens. Ala. The town
! had a garrison Of 1000. strongly Tor
tilted, hut Forrest forced SURRENDER
by his usual trick. making his army
seem five times its size.
| On he dashed. cutting supply ana
communica ton lines. capturing block
/ houses and towns. until the raging
/ sherman hurled $4,000 men against
| him from various quarters Fighting
| when no more than 5000 or 1000 were
/ i'm frc.. OF him and retreating when
! the odds were too heavy. Forrest
/ wound a way through the crowd'ng
pursuers and crossed 10 the south
/ bank OF the Tennessee almost under
| their eyes.
Two weeks later he shot north 20
| Ichnsonvilie. Tenn. a great supply
depot. destroyed some ss.eoo.eeo In
property and actually captured enough
| grnboats ami transports to set up
small navy.
From every quarter. however. came
news black with the doom OF APP
/ preaching disaster. In Virginia Lee
/ hammer blows OF Grant. and Hood
| crushed BY sherman. vas retreating
into middle Tennessee, desperately
| planning the capture OF Nashville.
Ejunder matched bluoder.
Hoods one change yas 20 have
scrossed the Ohio Cor u swift cash
Through the North: Thcmss. with IN
army twice as large as Hoods. should
have given hattie. Instead OF that.
he Jet v eeSs .psss. and IL MAS erly
when Grant thxeatened his- renewal
|. fhst he attacked. ,hAtterlng the Con
lfsderase hest into fragments.
stss
TN this dark hour OF Generalization
and despair. ~whsn utter annihila.
ton seemed inevitable. t WA not Ia
some fellow West Pointer that Hood
turned, but to the humble black
smiths iiliterats son. asking him TO
safeguard the retreat
Forrest accepted. and vert his tee
ard barren OF all other military
achievement. the manner in which
he 'dischats.cd his responsibility would
have entitled him TO q place among
the great soldiers OF all time.
With q force Of S.e0o. only S.oVo
mounted, he held OF the pursuit az
10000 cavalry and 30 .oeo infantry for
IS terrible days-nshtins. rstreaiinS.
turning TO night aEain-tireleSs. in.
dosmit bic. hrtiiia ntly resourceful. and
holding fast until the hast Of Hoods
dying army crossed the Tennessee
into the safety Of Alabama.
During the struggle he killed and
captured a number equal to his own
comma nj and armed and fed his men
al the expense az the enemy.