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.
In the battle of Fallen Timbers, he drove through the Union skirmish line. Not realizing that the rest of his men had halted their charge when reaching the full Union brigade, Forrest charged the brigade single-handedly, and soon found himself surrounded. He emptied his Colt Army revolvers into the swirling mass of Union soldiers and pulled out his saber, hacking and slashing. A Union infantryman fired a musket ball into Forrest's spine with a point-blank musket shot, nearly knocking him out of the saddle. Forrest grabbed an unsuspecting Union soldier, hauled him onto his horse to use as a shield, dumped the man once he had broken clear and was out of range, then galloped back to his incredulous troopers. A surgeon removed the musket ball a week later, without anesthesia, which was unavailable. Forrest would likely have been given a generous dose of alcohol to muffle the pain of the surgery.
Forrest was one of the first men to grasp the doctrines of "mobile warfare" that became prevalent in the 20th century. Paramount in his strategy was fast movement, even if it meant pushing his horses at a killing pace, which he did more than once. Noted Civil War scholar Bruce Catton writes:
"Forrest ... used his horsemen as a modern general would use motorized infantry. He liked horses because he liked fast movement, and his mounted men could get from here to there much faster than any infantry could; but when they reached the field they usually tied their horses to trees and fought on foot, and they were as good as the very best infantry.
Forrest painted his masterpiece at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads where he fought three separate battles against three separate Union Army formations, each having more men and firepower on the same day, defeating and routing them all. I've been to that small battlefield in Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteThe American Indians are lucky indeed that they never had to face Forrest's cavalry veterans. Toward the end of the War of Northern Aggression, they were a battle hardened, experienced lot that traveled fast with their own organic light artillery. Forrest understood the concept of combined arms in combat with the ability to employ his cavalry as dragoons, artillery and as light cavalry depending on the circumstances.
Very early on - as early as the break out at Ft. Donaldson, they had given up sabers in lieu of short shotguns. Most of Forrest's troopers carried two short double barreled shotguns for work against Union cavalry close in where the Union troopers carried swords...to the gunfight. As a result, Union cavalry RARELY chose to engage Forrest. And when they did, they came off poorly. It's a pity that Custer's Michigan Rgmt. never fought Forrest.
Reading about him now...
ReplyDeletehe also had a large number of black troops.your friend truckwilkins
ReplyDeleteLong disparaged by the North in historical accounts, Forrest was more masterful and intelligent than the pop history acknowledges.
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