Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate cavalry commander during the American Civil War. Remembered by some as a hero of Southern causes, Forrest was memorialized in statues and other monuments throughout the region. Cutting off communication lines and raiding stores of supplies, Forrest relied on guerrilla tactics and never fully engaged the enemy's superior forces. Some contemporaries and historians have argued that Forrest forestalled Vicksburg’s fall by several months. He was commissioned lieutenant colonel, and issued this call to arms in June, 1861: Forrest took part in the defense of Fort Donelson, Tennessee (February 1862), from which he and the majority of his command escaped, refusing to capitulate with the rest of the Confederate forces when the fort’s massive garrison surrendered. Nathan Bedford Forrest , called Bedford Forrest in his lifetime, was a cotton farmer, slave owner, slave trader, Confederate Army general during the American Civil War, first leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and president of the Selma, Marion, & Memphis Railroad. Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877) was a renowned Southern military leader and strategist during the War Between the States. In the late 1860s, he associated himself with a fledgling secret society called the Ku Klux Klan and allegedly was its first Grand Wizard, though he later denied any association with the group when testifying before a Joint Congressional Committee in 1871, and again in several newspaper interviews. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War (composed primarily of Radical Republicans) concluded that Confederates killed most of the Union soldiers after they had surrendered. 5.0 out of 5 stars. Forrest was tasked with raising, equipping, and training a new cavalry command to, again, operate semi-independently. Despite contradictory evidence, it is clear that in many instances Forrest’s men killed African American soldiers who were attempting to surrender. Mixing an aggressive style with superb battlefield instincts, his attacks on Northern military positions and supply centers became so disruptive that Union general William T. Sherman (18201891; see entry) warned that \"there will never be peace in Tennessee till Forrest is dead.\" Park Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm. His final task of the war was to prevent the incursion of Brig. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a self-taught man who made his fortune as a cotton planter and trader of enslaved people. This in turn led to Forrest’s being promoted to lieutenant general. As a result, General Grant was forced to revise his strategy. Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877) was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a self-taught man who made his fortune as a cotton planter and trader of enslaved people. He and his twin sister, Fanny, were the two eldest of blacksmith William Forrest's twelve children with wife Miriam Beck. He and his troops were responsible for the massacre of Black Union troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, in April 1864, and he was the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. General Nathan Bedford Forrest, much reviled, much hated and much misunderstood--not only by the Yankee war criminals but also by some of his fellow Southerners--was indeed redeemed by Our Lord God Almighty but also by the facts about him--thanks to … Nevertheless, he found himself in command of fewer men, who were equipped with inferior horses and poorly supplied. Forrest, on the other hand, refused to take any further orders from Bragg, but, instead of accepting Forrest’s resignation, Confederate Pres. Forrest soon moved the family to Memphis, Tennessee, where he became a successful planter and owner of a stagecoach company. After leading a new command to a dramatic victory over Union forces at Mufreesboro, Tennessee, in July, Forrest was promoted to brigadier general. Witnesses reported the rebels shouted “No quarter!” as they shot and bayoneted the Union forces, specifically targeting the Black troops as they ran. The remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest and wife will soon be exhumed from under the pedestal of where his mounted statue once stood and reinterred in Columbia, Tennessee, according to … Confederate cavalryman Nathan Bedford Forrest ranks as one of the most controversial figures in Civil War history. He served from 1857 to 1861, during the build-up to the Civil War. After failing to secure the surrender of Union-controlled Fort Pillow in Tennessee, Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest ordered his men to take the outnumbered garrison by force. The death of his father led young Nathan to become the head of the family. The two would have two children, only one of whom would survive to adulthood. In 1845 Forrest married Mary Ann Montgomery. Between 277 and 295 Union troops were killed. The benefits of this initiative include improved aesthetics, a significant cost savings in materials, labor, and fuel, as well as in… Omissions? $27.99. He seemed to thrive on the gamble and uncertainty in business. Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 - October 29, 1877) was a lieutenant general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. By the outbreak of the Civil War, he was one of the richest men in Tennessee, if not all of the South. Rates subject to change. Nathan Bedford Forrest was born to a poor family in Bedford County, Tennessee. Park Office: (731) 593-6445. 99. General Nathan Bedford Forrest is an ancestor of Forrest Gump (who was named after him), a Civil War general and first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, According to the Forrest Gump film, Mrs. Gump named Forrest after this KKK Wizard to remind him that "sometimes we … At the outbreak of the Civil War, he raised a cavalry and fought with distinction through much of the war. He was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel and placed in charge of raising and training his own battalion. After his father's death, Forrest became head of the family at age 17. The remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife Mary Ann Montgomery will be moved to Columbia, Tenn. in a few weeks, according to court records. His hardscrabble background contributed to the development of an aggressive and sometimes violent disposition. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Forrest volunteered as a private before deciding to raise and equip an entire unit at his own expense. Nathan Bedford Forrest by Michael R. Bradley It has been said that Bedford Forrest was the most effective cavalry commander produced by the Civil War. Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park is located 8 miles east of Camden along Kentucky Lake. Gen. James H. Wilson’s Union cavalry into northern Alabama. Having been promoted to colonel, Forrest fought with distinction at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6–7, 1862), during the retreat from which he received the first of his multiple wartime wounds. Nathan Bedford Forrest died of complications of diabetes on October 29, 1877, in Memphis, Tennessee. In the war’s early months he earned a reputation as a doggedly, if sometimes brutally, determined commander who exercised a natural acumen for battlefield tactics. Nathan Bedford Forrest, lately of the armies of the Confederacy was elected Grand Wizard, and his Empire divided into realms, dominions, provinces, and dens, headed by Grand Dragons, titans, Giants, and Cyclopes, and composed of Ghouls” (David Chalmers, Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan). After failing to negotiate the fort’s surrender, Forrest ordered his men to take the outnumbered garrison (which was made up African Americans, southern unionists, and Confederate deserters) by force. During the battle and subsequent massacre, between 277 and 295 Union troops—most of whom were Black—were killed. and the University of West Georgia... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Map & Directions. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest had a stunning confrontation with General Braxton Bragg in the Army of Tennessee commander’s tent on Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! In 1874, the railroad company failed and Forrest was forced to sell off many of his assets. Jefferson Davis was a 19th century U.S. senator best known as the president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. In 1845, Jonathan was killed in a street fight over a business dispute. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Despite his nearly nonexistent formal education, he was able to secure a measure of financial stability for his family, and, when his mother remarried, he embarked on his own ventures. In 1865, Forrest and his men were struggling just to avoid capture. It developed as a commercial centre for an agricultural area (cotton, corn, peaches, rice, soybeans, and wheat), but its economy… He spent his remaining years overseeing a prison camp near Memphis and living with his wife in log cabin salvaged from this plantation. As the war moved on through 1864 and into 1865, Forrest experienced some victories and defeats, but neither strong enough to turn the tide of war toward the South or to destroy his army completely. Robert Smalls was an enslaved African American who became a politician, serving in both the South Carolina legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. His command was responsible for the massacre of African American Union troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, in April 1864, and he served as the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in the early years of Reconstruction. Wood engraving depicting the Fort Pillow Massacre. Closer look at historical sources sheds doubt on whether infamous Chattanooga confrontation ever occurred ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1863—as the story has gone for the past 120 or so years—Confederate Brig. Born dirt-poor in the small town of Chapel Hill, Tennessee, on July 13, 1821, Nathan Bedford Forrest grew up with no education except the backwoods skills of hunting, tracking and survival. On April 12, 1864, Confederate forces had surrounded Fort Pillow, a union garrison near the Mississippi River, occupied by nearly 300 Black troops, most newly freed enslaved people, and nearly the same number of white soldiers. On April 12, 1864, Forrest’s command surrounded Fort Pillow, a small Union installation on the Mississippi River about 40 miles (65 km) north of Memphis. The battle that ensued was characterized by close-quarters combat, chaos, and the almost total breakdown of command and control. The God of War: Nathan Bedford Forrest as He Was Seen By His Contemporaries. After several hours of continuous rifle and artillery fire by Confederate forces, Forrest sent a note to the Union commander demanding unconditional surrender. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, a repudiated slave owner and early Ku Klux Klan leader who fought in the Civil War, as well as his wife, Mary Ann, are buried in Health Sciences Park. He holds degrees in history from Kennesaw State University (B.A.) Park Contact Info: 1825 Pilot Knob Road. Despite contradictory evidence regarding Forrest’s orders and response to the actions of his troops, it is clear that in many instances Forrest’s men killed African American soldiers who were attempting to surrender. Their report enraged the Northern populace, and “Remember Fort Pillow!” became a rallying cry for African American Union troops. Most of them were Black. It was formerly installed in Forrest Park in Memphis, Tennessee. Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park began as a local park constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a Depression Era work recovery program. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. Nathan Bedford Forrest, (born July 13, 1821, near Chapel Hill, Tennessee, U.S.—died October 29, 1877, Memphis, Tennessee), Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War (1861–65) who was often described as a “born military genius.” Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In February 1862, Forrest and his troops were cornered by Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Fort Donelson, Kentucky. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nathan-Bedford-Forrest, HistoryNet - Biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest, American Battlefield Trust - Biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Nathan Bedford Forrest - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), massacre of Black Union troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, in April 1864, American Civil War: Battle of Chickamauga Creek. 6. Five months earlier, on July 10, 1861, Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris had plucked Forrest from the ranks of the Tennessee Mounted Rifles Company and offered him a command of his own. Forces at Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville but differ in their conclusions whether... And Klan leader still haunts the American Civil War, he found embroiled... And an almost total breakdown of command nathan bedford forrest control of blacksmith William Forrest and his troops cornered. 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