Despite a lack of formal military education, Forrest was known for his keen tactical skills including the use of fast-moving cavalry and hit and run attacks. Try again later. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. A funeral procession formed at the church by thousands of marchers, who then proceeded to accompany the body to Elmwood Cemetery where he was buried. The native Tennesseean had amassed a fortune, which he estimated at $1,500,000, as a slave trader and plantation owner before . Services were held at Court Avenue Presbyterian Church in Memphis, and an oration was given by Jefferson Davis. Brett Forrest resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado; I'm a descendant of Confederate general and first Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest, and I candidly and wholeheartedly believe . With only the Mississippi hill farm, Forrest began making changes in the familys business affairs, and helped his mother scratch out a comfortable living for the family. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Search above to list available cemeteries. Spiritually, Mary Ann Forrest had a great influence on her husband. [132] According to Forrest biographer Jack Hurst, writers present at the public viewing of Forrest's body and at the funeral procession noted many black citizens among them. [38] They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (1846-1908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (1849-1854), who died in childhood. In retaliation, Forrest shot and killed two of them with his two-shot pistol and wounded two others with a knife which had been thrown to him. "[71][72] The story that Forrest confronted and threatened the life of Bragg in the fall of 1863, following the battle of Chickamauga, and that Bragg transferred Forrest to command in Mississippi as a direct result, is now considered to be apocryphal. Forrest had success as a businessman, planter and slaveholder. The frontier hardships drove Nathan to work hard and to become a successful businessman. [158] Author Andrew Ward, however, writes, "In the spring of 1867, Forrest and his dragoons launched a campaign of midnight parades; 'ghost' masquerades; and 'whipping' and even 'killing Negro voters and white Republicans, to scare blacks off voting and running for office'". Ironically, the Klan Kampus of Lanier later became a synagogue! One month later, while serving under General Stephen D. Lee, Forrest experienced tactical defeat at the Battle of Tupelo in 1864. On an August Sunday, he met the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Mary Ann Montgomery, and her mother while they were on their way to church. Oops, something didn't work. [121], In the spring of 1865, Forrest led an unsuccessful defense of the state of Alabama against Wilson's Raid. In his one-of-a-kind book, "Give 'Em Hell Boys!," Forrest scholar, Forrest relation, Southern historian, and award-winning author Lochlainn Seabrook handily remedies this situation. "[254], On June 3, 2021, the remains of Forrest and his wife were exhumed from their burial place in the park, where they had been for over a century, in order to be reburied in Columbia, Tennessee. Object Number - UPL 35401 - Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest III (Arlington National Cemetery) Killed In Action (KIAn)in the loss of B-17 #42-30164 on the Kiel mission 13 June 1943. You have been good Soldiers; you can be good citizens. [170] Grant defeated Horatio Seymour, the Democratic presidential candidate, by a comfortable electoral margin, 214 to 80. Through the KKK, he sought to restore white conservative Democrats to power. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. [9] In the last years of his life, Forrest insisted he had never been a member,[10] and made public calls for black advancement. Forrest set up winter headquarters at Hopkinsville, in southwestern Kentucky, on December 20, lodging his troopers in floored tents as they contended with the cold and an outbreak of measles. The association voted unanimously to amend its constitution to expressly forbid publicly advocating for or hinting at any association of white women and girls as being in the same classes as "females of the negro race". In Room 10 of the Maxwell, Forrest was sworn in as a member by John W. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Achilles Clark, a soldier with the 20th Tennessee cavalry, wrote to his sisters immediately after the battle: The slaughter was awful. In honor of Gen. Forrest's unwavering defense of Selma, the great state of Alabama, and the Confederacy, this memorial is dedicated. On February 3, 1863, Forrests command suffered a defeat at Dover, Tennessee, while under the command of Major General Joseph Wheeler. He denied membership, but his individual role in the KKK was beyond the scope of the investigating committee, which wrote: "Our design is not to connect General Forrest with this order (the reader may form his own conclusion upon this question)". This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. [239][238] The Mississippi NAACP petitioned Governor Haley Barbour to denounce the plates and prevent their distribution. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. After the war, Nathan Bedford Forrest lived in Memphis, and spent years struggling to regain the financial status he had enjoyed before the war, and failed in many business ventures. [157] According to Wills, in the August 1867 state elections the Klan was relatively restrained in its actions. White Americans who made up the KKK hoped to persuade black voters that a return to their pre-war state of bondage was in their best interest. Try again later. [167] Former Governor of New York Horatio Seymour was nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate, while Forrest's friend, Frank Blair, Jr. was nominated as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Seymour's running mate. One of the wounded Matlock men survived and served under Forrest during the Civil War. Bill joined. In the 1870s, Forrests health began to fail, and for several years he was plagued by illness. Without in any way referring to the merits of the cause in which we have been engaged, your courage and determination, as exhibited on many hard fought fields, has elicited the respect and admiration of friend and foe. In June 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and became one of the few soldiers during the war to enlist as a private and be promoted to general without any prior military training. At the onset of the war in 1861, Jeffery and Nathan each enlisted as a Private into Captain Josiah White's Tennessee Mounted Rifles, a command that would later be designated the 7th Tennessee Cavalry. For other uses, see, Klan prosecution and Congressional testimony (1871), sfn error: no target: CITEREFSelect_CommitteePolandScott1872 (, church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, List of American Civil War generals (Confederate), Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the Tennessee General Assembly building, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, "Tennessee to remove bust of Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from state Capitol", "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home", "Lieutenant-General N. B. Forrest and His Campaigns", "Civil War Myths, Mistakes and Fabrications", "The Fort Pillow Massacre. [13], Forrest served with the main army at the Battle of Chickamauga on September 1820, 1863, in which he pursued the retreating Union army and took hundreds of prisoners. Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest surrendered his command at Gainesville, Alabama, on May 9, 1865, under the agreement between CSA General Richard Taylor and USA General E. S. Canby. Add to your scrapbook. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Similar accounts were reported in many Southern newspapers at the time. They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (1846-1908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (1849-1854), who died in childhood. Please try again later. Family members linked to this person will appear here. And if you're looking for employment in the sports and recreation industry, not all . [202] The bust of Forrest was stolen from the cemetery monument in March 2012 and replaced in May 2015. Forrest County, Mississippi is named after him, as is Forrest City, Arkansas. The Forrests great-grandson, Nathan Bedford Forrest III, (April 7, 1905 June 13, 1943) died in the service of his country. Nathan Bedford Forrest was born to a poor family in Bedford County, Tennessee. That Devil Forrest A succession of commanders realized Forrests talent as a raider and used him to wreak havoc behind Union lines. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. Half brother of Kitty (Kittie) Ann Williams and Mathew Dunn Forrest, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8578580, Capt Forrest Tenn Cav Confederate States Army. An expert cavalry leader, Forrest was given command of a corps and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname "The Wizard of the Saddle". Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The height of the pedestal is 7 feet, and the terrace 2 feet 6 inches. Just one grandparent can lead you to many In 1905, he and his wife were reinterred in Forrest Park in downtown Memphis. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The Fourteenth addressed citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for former slaves, while the Fifteenth specifically secured the voting rights of black men. [56] In December 1862, Forrest's veteran troopers were reassigned by General Braxton Bragg to another officer, against his protest. Cav. Learn more about merges. cemeteries found in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [189] In light of the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, some Tennessee lawmakers advocated removing a bust of Forrest located in the state's Capitol building. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? His . A common report is that Forrest arrived in Nashville in April 1867 while the Klan was meeting at the Maxwell House Hotel, probably at the encouragement of a state Klan leader, former Confederate general George Gordon. Jane was born 3 February 1847 at Oxford, Mississippi. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The remains of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife Mary are no longer resting at Health Sciences Park as of Monday, June 7th, at 9:01 a.m. reminnessida fr CAPT William Montgomery Forrest (26 Sep 1846-7 Feb 1908), . You need a Find a Grave account to continue. You can always change this later in your Account settings. According to survivors, many blacks were killed after they had surrendered. 0:54. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. His last notable public appearance was on the Fourth of July in Memphis, when he appeared before the colored people at their celebration, was publicly presented with a bouquet by them as a mark of peace and reconciliation, and made a friendly speech in reply. He had exhausted his fortune during the war, and with the abolition of slavery he lost one of his most valuable avenues for making money. [102] The Southern press steadfastly defended Forrest's reputation. General Forrest would be remembered only as a daring and successful guerrilla cavalry leader, were it not for the one great and indelible stain upon his name. Nathan was born on July 13 1821, in Chapel Hill, Bedford, now Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. Fort Pillow Massacre Historians still argue over Forrests responsibility for the Fort Pillow Massacre, in which many Union African American troops were killed. Birthday: July 13, 1821 ( Cancer) Born In: Bedford County, Tennessee, United States 24 17 Military Leaders #45 Leaders #215 Quick Facts Nick Name: Old Bed, Devil Forrest, Wizard of the Saddle Died At Age: 56 Family: father: William Forrest mother: Miriam Beck siblings: Colonel Jesse Forrest, John Cimprich Military Leaders American Men Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. panther. On May 3, Forrest caught up with Streight's unit east of Cedar Bluff, Alabama. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Hicks refused to comply with the ultimatum, and according to his subsequent report, Forrest's troops took a position and set up a battery of guns while a flag of truce was still up. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. 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 (July 13, 1821 October 29, 1877), called Bedford Forrest in his lifetime, was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. CSA General Joseph E. Johnston, the Confederate general whose greatness lay above all in calm and critical judgment, said that Forrest; had he had the advantage of a thorough military training, would have been the great central figure of the war.. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He was the first born of two children. Nathan B. Forrest III was born in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1905. [197] The Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue in Nashville was particularly notable for its idiosyncratic depiction of Forrest on horseback. The Confederates charged across the short distance between their lines and the fort, helping one another scale the parapet, from which they fired down into the fort. [68] Gould shot Forrest in the hip and Forrest mortally stabbed Gould. [116] Facing a disastrous defeat, Forrest argued bitterly with Hood (his superior officer) demanding permission to cross the Harpeth River and cut off the escape route of Union Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield's army. [207] At the time the school was all white, but now more than half the student body is black. For Selma, of all places, to have a big monument to a Klansman is totally unacceptable". This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. He sidestepped some questions and pleaded failure of memory on others. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8578580/william-montgomery-forrest. [216] Forrest fought by simple rules; he maintained that "war means fighting and fighting means killing" and the way to win was "to get there first with the most men". [12][13] Forrest was the first son of Mariam (Beck) and William Forrest. He was a Brigadier General of the United States Army Air Forces, and the first American general to be killed in battle in Europe; his remains are buried at Arlington National Cemetery on grounds that formerly belonged to his great-grandfathers commanding general, Robert E. Lee. Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 - October 29, 1877) was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. By November, Forrests Tennessee Cavalry Battalion included roughly 790 men from Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Texas. Try again later. According to the City of Memphis, the Nathan Bedford Forrest, James T. Mathis, and Jefferson Davis statues have been released to the descendants . This unit, which varied in size from 40 to 90 men, constituted the elite of his cavalry. [214], The Forrest Hill Academy high school in Atlanta, Georgia, which had been named for Forrest, was renamed the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy in April 2021 after the Atlanta Braves baseball star who had died less than three months prior. He destroyed Union supplies and disabled miles of track and trestle work, and eluded pursuit until forced into a pitched battle at Parkers Crossroads on December 31, 1862. [143] James R. Crowe stated, "After the order grew to large numbers we found it necessary to have someone of large experience to command. He and his twin sister were the first of their parents' 10 children. It means we have grind. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? There is a problem with your email/password. [47], Forrest won praise for his performance under fire during an early victory in the Battle of Sacramento in Kentucky, the first in which he commanded troops in the field, where he routed a Union force by personally leading a cavalry charge that was later commended by his commander, Brigadier General Charles Clark. When he received news of Lee's surrender, Forrest surrendered as well. Verify and try again. [240] Barbour refused to denounce the honor. We chose General Forrest". based on information from your browser. [80] The fort was manned by 557 Union troops, 295 white and 262 black, under Union commander Maj. L.F. As a result, Grant was forced to revise and delay the strategy of his Vicksburg campaign. CSA 18211877, one of the South's finest heroes. Smith at Tupelo, where Forrest was wounded while directing the pursuit of retreating Federal troops. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. [129], On July 5, 1875, Forrest gave a speech before the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association, a post-war organization of black Southerners advocating to improve the economic condition of black people and to gain equal rights for all citizens. On June 13, 1863, Gould confronted Forrest about his transfer, which escalated into a violent exchange. Have you taken a DNA test? Montgomery Shelby S9866 White's Co. Some kept going, right into the river, where a number drowned, and the swimmers became targets for marksmen on the bluff. He taught himself to write and speak clearly and learned mathematics, but he never learned to spell (as witnessed by the uncouth phraseology and spelling of his war dispatches). [190] However, on October 13, 2017, the Tennessee Historical Commission invoked the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2013 and U.S. Public Law 85-425: Sec. According to Con-federate Veteran, young Willie attempted to join his father and two uncles into the Tennessee Mounted Rifles, but his age and small size disallowed him. Not always affable, Forrest had troubles with some superiors, particularly General Braxton Bragg. 0 cemeteries found in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, USA. He transferred to the Air Corps in 1929. Several of Forrests battles were minor classics of cavalry tactics. Caph, DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States, Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, White County, White County, Tennessee, United States, Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, 1791-1963, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, 1836-1922, Birth of Capt. [24] In 1859, he bought two large cotton plantations in Coahoma County, Mississippi and a half-interest in another plantation in Arkansas;[25] by October 1860 he owned at least 3,345 acres in Mississippi. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change", "Tennessee Governor Slammed Online for Signing Confederate General Proclamation", "Tennessee Gov. In his final confrontation with Streight, the Confederate cavalryman manipulated his forces magnificently, convincing the Federals to surrender their numerically superior forces by artificially inflating his own command. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates, and the rebels targeting black soldiers. Verify and try again. [18], Forrest had success as a businessman, planter and slaveholder. And he raised his brothers - he was considerably older than all of them, the ones in between having died and left a sizable age gap. [13], In 1841 Forrest went into business with his uncle Jonathan Forrest in Hernando, Mississippi. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. General Nathan Bedford Forrest died October 29, 1877, at his brothers home in Memphis at the age of 57. I think people may make insensitive comments. William was 15 years old. He was the first born of two children. When war came in 1861 his father and his uncles enlisted in the Confederate Army. [80] Booth and his adjutant were killed in the battle, leaving Fort Pillow under the command of Major William Bradford. He passed away on 7 FEB 1908 in Memphis, Shelby, TN. Thanks for your help! Then, following redeeming victories at Thompsons Station and Brentwood that spring, Forrest stopped a Union raid led by Colonel Abel Streight through northern Alabama in April and May 1863. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. In planning this action, he took into account the weather, the terrain, the condition of his own and of the enemys troops, deployment, time, and distance in a deft blending of strategy, tactics, and logistics. To use this feature, use a newer browser. In early June . His grandfather, Nathan Bedford Forrest, was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded cavalry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. [76] On March 25, 1864, Forrest's cavalry raided the town of Paducah, Kentucky in the Battle of Paducah, during which Forrest demanded the surrender of U.S. The infantry, tired, weary and suffering under the heat, were quickly broken and sent into mass retreat. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. [13] Forrest's family lived in a log house (now preserved as the Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home) from 1830 to 1833. Forrest had to recruit a new brigade, composed of about 2,000 inexperienced recruits, most of whom lacked weapons. Forrest recruited and equipped his command, sometimes at his own expense. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [30][44], Public debate surrounded Tennessee's decision to join the Confederacy and both the Confederate and Union armies recruited soldiers from the state. I have never on the field of battle sent you where I was unwilling to go myself, nor would I now advise you to a course which I felt myself unwilling to pursue. The next month, he captured the Union garrison with its stores at Murfreesboro, and on July 21, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, and began a long and illustrious association with the Confederate Army of Tennessee. In August 2000, a road on Fort Bliss named for Forrest decades earlier was renamed for former post commander Richard T. Plan in Mississippi raises hackles", "Proposed Mississippi License Plate Would Honor Early KKK Leader", "Group Wants KKK Founder Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest on License Plate", "Haley Barbour Won't Denounce Proposal Honoring Confederate General, Early KKK Leader", "Bust of Civil War General Stirs Anger in Alabama", "Petition Against Selma's Ku Klux Klan Monument", "Mayor Wharton: Remove Nathan Bedford Forrest statue and body from park", "Nathan Bedford Forrest statue won't be relocated", "Tennessee House Punishes Memphis For Confederate Statue Removal", "Nathan Bedford Forrest's descendant: Move the bust from Tennessee's Capitol Featured letter", "Gov. How do we create a person's profile? Nathan went after the murderers, killing two and wounding two others. Mr Forrest lived from 1821 to 1877. There is a problem with your email/password. He worked as a law enforcement officer, magistrate, and was elected alderman for the City of Memphis. Geneanet. [255] After the Forrests' remains were removed from Memphis, they were reportedly buried in Munford, Tennessee[256] until their reburial in Columbia in September 2021 by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Will, "deranged by worry over financial matters. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Capt. [183][184], Just a few months before his death, Forrest attended an African-American barbecue in Memphis. 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. We have set your language to [34][35] He also contracted the disease, but survived; his father recovered but died from residual effects of the disease five years later, when Bedford was 16. This account has been disabled. Forrest was the first son of Mariam (Beck) and William Forrest. [81] Bradford refused to surrender, believing his troops could escape to the Union gunboat, USS New Era, on the Mississippi River. I thought you might like to see a memorial for CAPT William Montgomery Forrest I found on Findagrave.com. This was a landmark civil rights case in the United States in which the Interstate Commerce Commission, in response to a bus segregation complaint filed in 1953 by Black Women's Army Corps (WAC) private Sarah Louise Keys. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Capt. The long spring 1864 raid of USA General James H. Wilson, one of the ablest of the Union cavalry generals, pushed Forrest back to the defense of the Confederate ordnance center at Selma, Alabama, where Forrest was finally defeated on April 2, 1865. After the age of 8, Bill grew up as an only child. The time 9:01 is significant to Memphis Greenspace President Van Turner. [20][42], His superior officers and Governor of Tennessee Isham G. Harris were surprised that someone of Forrest's wealth and prominence had enlisted as a soldier, especially since major planters were exempted from service. On May 9, 1865, at Gainesville, Forrest read his farewell address to the men under his command, enjoining them to "submit to the powers to be, and to aid in restoring peace and establishing law and order throughout the land. Their great-grandfather, Shadrach Forrest, moved between 1730 and 1740 from Virginia to North Carolina, where his son and grandson were born; they moved to Tennessee in 1806. He did not say it that way, and nobody who knows anything about him imagines that he did.[225]. The Confederate . Historian Court Carney suggested that "embarrassed by their city's early capitulation during the Civil War, white Memphians desperately needed a hero and therefore crafted a distorted depiction of Forrest's role in the war. At the head of a mounted brigade, he took a brilliant part in General Braxton Braggs autumn 1862 campaign. Forrest was elevated in Memphis in particularwhere he lived and diedto the status of folk hero. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Oops, we were unable to send the email. In 1845, Jonathan Forrest was killed in a street fight over a business dispute. Forrest protested that to send such untrained men behind enemy lines was suicidal, but Bragg insisted, and Forrest obeyed his orders. He recovered and led a surprise raid on Memphis that produced another Union retreat from Mississippi. Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877) was a Confederate general during the Civil War (1861-65). Forrest sympathizers have long claimed that he disbanded the Klan when it became violent. [19][13][20] In 1858, Forrest was elected a Memphis city alderman as a Democrat and served two consecutive terms. Others have tried to get a bust of Forrest removed from the Tennessee House of Representatives chamber. [118] When Hood's battle-hardened Army of Tennessee, consisting of 40,000 men deployed in three infantry corps plus 10,000 to 15,000 cavalry, was all but destroyed on December 1516, at the Battle of Nashville,[119] Forrest distinguished himself by commanding the Confederate rear guard in a series of actions that allowed what was left of the army to escape.