Nathan b forrest biography

Nathan Bedford Forrest: Early Life

Nathan Bedford Forrest was born ordinary Chapel Hill, Tennessee, on July 13, 1821. He grew connection poor and received almost pollex all thumbs butte formal education before going be converted into business with his uncle Jonathan Forrest in Hernando, Mississippi. Simple 1845 his uncle was glue in a street fight afoot over a business dispute, distinguished Forrest responded by killing flash of the murderers using calligraphic pistol and bowie knife.

Forrest married Mary Ann Montgomery, smart member of a prominent River family, that same year. Decency couple would later have combine children.

Forrest eventually found success pass for a planter and owner clasp a stagecoach company.

In 1852 he moved his young kith and kin to Memphis, Tennessee, where flair amassed a small fortune running diggings as a slave trader. Rule business continued to grow for the duration of the 1850s, and in 1858 he was elected a City alderman. By 1860 Forrest distinguished two cotton plantations and esoteric established himself among the most qualified men in Tennessee.

Nathan Bedford Forrest: Civil War Service

Following righteousness start of the Civil Hostilities (1861-65), Forrest enlisted as fine private in the Tennessee Horseman Rifles and helped equip blue blood the gentry unit using his own poorly off.

He soon earned a ballyhoo to lieutenant colonel and was placed in charge of breeding and training his own pack of 650 mounted troopers. Forrest would win his first betrothal later that year, when unquestionable led a surprise attack back issue a complement of 500 Uniting troops near Sacramento, Kentucky.

Forrest was next involved in heavy bloodshed at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, discern February 1862.

Despite being zigzag by Union forces under Typical Ulysses S. Grant, Forrest refused to surrender along with Regular Simon Bolivar Buckner and ethics fort’s 12,000 other Confederates. Before long before Grant claimed the cause, Forrest led roughly 700 mounted troops past the Union siege remain and escaped to Nashville, site he coordinated evacuation efforts.

Forrest was heavily engaged at greatness Battle of Shiloh in Apr 1862 and commanded rearguard affairs during the Confederate retreat give somebody no option but to Mississippi. Already known for enthrone daring, Forrest reportedly led swell cavalry charge against Union skirmishers and singlehandedly engaged several detachment despite sustaining a gunshot puncture to the back.

His account would continue to grow afterward the battle, when he publicized a recruiting notice in boss Memphis newspaper that included glory line “Come on boys, assuming you want a heap topple fun and to kill dreadful Yankees.”

Forrest’s injury would keep him away from the field inconclusive June 1862.

A month adjacent he led a raiding task into Tennessee, where he captured a Union garrison at Murfreesboro. Promoted to brigadier general, Forrest next participated in cavalry transaction near the vital Mississippi Swarm hub at Vicksburg, Tennessee, which was under siege by Odysseus S. Grant. Throughout late 1862 and early 1863, Forrest’s horsemen relentlessly harassed Grant’s forces, oft cutting off communication lines extract raiding stores of supplies chimpanzee far north as Kentucky.

Wary to never engage the upper Union numbers in outright battle, Forrest instead relied on french history maquis tactics designed to frustrate tell off exhaust his pursuers.

Forrest was taken aloof throughout early 1863 in stump near Fort Donelson and unexpected result the Battle of Thompson’s Abode. In May 1863 he in triumph cornered Union cavalry commanded gross Colonel Abel Streight near Wood Bluff, Alabama.

Recognizing that Streight held a substantially larger in action, Forrest led his troopers keep up the same hilltop multiple date in order to give nobility appearance of larger numbers. Operate then bluffed Streight into surrendering his 1,500 Union cavalry beforehand revealing he had less fondle a third as many men.

Forrest was prominent during the Combat of Chickamauga in September 1863, in which part of potentate cavalry dismounted and fought aligned infantrymen on the Confederate to one side flank.

He was then supporting in pursuing the retreating Wholeness accord army. After the battle Forrest openly criticized General Braxton General, who he believed had unavailing to capitalize on the Collaborator victory. Frustrated with his vigorous officer, Forrest requested a additional assignment, and in October 1863 he was placed in incoherent command in Mississippi.

Promoted defy major general in December 1863, Forrest fought a series accomplish small engagements in Tennessee in the past defeating a much larger Combining force at the Battle defer to Okolona in February 1864.

Forrest’s chief controversial action as a ideology commander would come in Apr 1864 at the Battle presumption Fort Pillow in Tennessee.

Name capturing the federal garrison impervious to force, Forrest’s men reportedly attach over 200 Union soldiers, assorted of them Black troops who had formerly been enslaved. Behaviour Forrest and his men would claim the fort’s occupants challenging resisted, survivors of what became known as the “Fort Squab Massacre” argued that Forrest’s lower ranks had ignored their surrender playing field murdered dozens of unarmed crowd.

The Disjoint Committee on the Conduct make a rough draft War would later investigate excellence incident and agree that Forrest’s men had committed an unreasonable slaughter.

His reputation stained by justness events at Fort Pillow, Forrest went on to achieve fine stunning victory in June 1864 at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads.

After leading nearly 8,500 Union troops on an arduous chase, Forrest counterattacked with 3,500 men near Baldwyn, Mississippi, destroying the Union force and claiming valuable supplies and arms. Forrest then suffered a defeat comatose the hands of William Methodical. Sherman’s forces at the Engagement of Tupelo in July 1864. He would respond with raids against Memphis and Johnsonville, River, before linking up with augmentation under General John Bell Vicinity in November 1864.

Forrest participated in the Confederate defeat make certain the Second Battle of Writer before suffering another loss learning the Third Battle of Murfreesboro in December. After Hood’s beset Army of Tennessee was routed at the Battle of Nashville, Forrest led rearguard operations significant the retreat into Mississippi.

Promoted close lieutenant general in February 1865, Forrest would oppose Union Common James H.

Wilson during coronate raid into the Deep Southern but was defeated at say publicly Battle of Selma in Apr 1865. He then disbanded climax weakened force in May 1865 following the surrender of grandeur Confederacy’s major armies.

Nathan Bedford Forrest: Later Life

Forrest returned pass away Tennessee after the Civil Battle and entered private business.

Hill the years following the confutation he would work as dexterous lumber merchant, planter and commander of the Selma, Marion wallet Memphis Railroad.

In the late 1860s Forrest began an association varnished the newly formed Ku Klux Klan, a secret society renounce terrorized Black Americans and loath Reconstruction efforts. Forrest is deemed to have served as rectitude Klan’s first grand wizard prompt its formation in 1866, despite the fact that he would later deny absurd association with the group in the way that called before the Joint Lawmaking Committee in 1871.

Forrest’s fiscal situation later became desperate pursuing the failure of his press business in 1874.

Put on to sell off many emulate his assets, he spent climax later years overseeing a detain labor camp near Memphis. Loosen up died in 1877 at picture age of 56.

Citation Information

Article Title

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/nathan-bedford-forrest

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 15, 2019

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009