[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. I think people may make insensitive comments. Add to your scrapbook. He and his twin sister were the first of their parents' 10 children. On September 25, 1845, Nathan Bedford Forrest married Mary Ann Montgomery. John Goodwin, of Forrest's cavalry command, forwarded a dispatch listing the prisoners captured. 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. Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the U.S. Confederate States presidential election of 1861, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nathan_Bedford_Forrest&oldid=1134336241, Confederate States Army lieutenant generals, People of Tennessee in the American Civil War, Articles with dead external links from August 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2007, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Raids in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi, early December 1862 early January 1863, Farewell address to his troops, May 9, 1865, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 05:09. He sidestepped some questions and pleaded failure of memory on others. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The family at the time consisted of: It has been said that he went to a play in Memphis about his father General Nathan Bedford Forrest. [169] These developments worked to the advantage of the Republicans, who focused on the Democratic Party's alleged disloyalty during and after the Civil War. I thought you might like to see a memorial for CAPT William Montgomery Forrest I found on Findagrave.com. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. [245] In a nearly unanimous vote on July 7, the Memphis City Council passed a resolution in favor of removing the statue and securing the couple's remains for transfer. Part of Forrests farewell to his troops on May 9, 1865: In bidding you farewell, rest assured that you carry with you my best wishes for your future welfare and happiness. Try again later. [81] Bradford refused to surrender, believing his troops could escape to the Union gunboat, USS New Era, on the Mississippi River. 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. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change", "Tennessee Governor Slammed Online for Signing Confederate General Proclamation", "Tennessee Gov. 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. He got involved in trading cattle and horses, and a slave trader, which was not an unusual profession at the time. [112] Concerned about Union supply lines, Maj. Gen. Sherman sent a force under the command of Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith to deal with Forrest. 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. [127][128], During the Virginius Affair of 1873, some of Forrest's old Southern friends were filibusters aboard the vessel; consequently, he wrote a letter to the then General-in-Chief of the United States Army William T. Sherman and offered his services in case a war were to break out between the United States and Spain. [23], Forrest was well known as a Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler. [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 plans triggered outrage and a group of around 20 protesters attempted to block construction of the new monument by lying in the path of a concrete truck. [13] Forrest's family lived in a log house (now preserved as the Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home) from 1830 to 1833. Indoor handball or rock climbing anyone? Despite having no formal military training, Forrest rose from the rank of private to lieutenant. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? A surgeon removed the musket ball a week later, without anesthesia, which was unavailable. . Instead, he noted that the state legislature would not be likely to approve the plate anyway. He is remembered as a self-educated, brutal, and innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading Southern advocate in the postwar years. There is a problem with your email/password. [100], At the time of the massacre, General Grant was no longer in Tennessee but had transferred to the east to command all Union troops. 5.] On April 18, 2018, the Tennessee House of Representatives punished Memphis by cutting $250,000 in appropriations for the city's bicentennial celebration. [39] A great-grandson, Nathan Bedford Forrest III (19051943), graduated from West Point and rose to the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army Air Corps; he was killed during a bombing raid over Nazi Germany in 1943, becoming the first American general to die in combat in the European theater during World War II. [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. By 1861, he had become one of the wealthiest men in the South. He recovered and led a surprise raid on Memphis that produced another Union retreat from Mississippi. 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. For the third time in his military career, Forrest created a new command of recruits and conscripts around a nucleus of battle-tested veterans. 6 feet 2 inches. In the spring of 1864, General Forrest, who had been raiding throughout western Tennessee in Kentucky, planned to move on Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River with about 1,500 to 2,500 men. G GELongstreet 267 followers Organized as a battalion at Memphis, October, 1861; increased to regiment January, 1862; divided into two battalions April, 1862; four Alabama companies transferred to 4th (Russells) Alabama Cavalry Regiment in November, 1862; 18th Battalion first known as Balchs Battalion; then as McDonalds Battalion; finally as 26th Battalion; reorganized as regiment latter part of 1864; consolidated with 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment in February 1865; surrendered and paroled at Gainesville, Alabama, May 1865 [143] The title "Grand Wizard" was chosen because General Forrest had been known as "The Wizard of the Saddle" during the war. [11], Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on July 13, 1821, to a poor settler family in a secluded frontier cabin near Chapel Hill hamlet, then part of Bedford County, Tennessee, but now encompassed in Marshall County. Smith at Tupelo, where Forrest was wounded while directing the pursuit of retreating Federal troops. The ball went through Forrest's pelvis and lodged near his spine. [232], The site is now a Tennessee State Historic Park. In the hasty retreat, they stripped off commemorative badges that read "Remember Fort Pillow" to avoid goading the Confederate force pursuing them.[111]. "[123], As a former slave trader and slave owner, Forrest experienced the abolition of slavery at war's end as a major financial setback. [37] They had two children, William Montgomery Bedford Forrest (18461908), who enlisted at the age of 15 and served alongside his father in the war, and a daughter, Fanny (18491854), who died in childhood. Unlettered, contemptuous of West Point formal training, and given to insubordination, Forrest nonetheless was a brilliant horseman and tactical thinker and the only soldier on either side to go from private to lieutenant generalduring the course of the war. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. [26], Nathan Bedford Forrest was a tall man who stood sixfeet twoinches (1.88m) in height and weighed about 180 pounds (13st; 82kg);[27][28][29][30] He was noted as having a "striking and commanding presence" by Union Captain Lewis Hosea, an aide to Gen. James H. Wilson. Forrest rarely drank and abstained from tobacco usage; he was often described as generally mild mannered, but according to Hosea and other contemporaries who knew him, his demeanor changed drastically when he was provoked or angered. "[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. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. This browser does not support getting your location. His other memorial can be seen here: Jeffrey Edward Forrest Civil War Confederate Officer. Montgomery Shelby S9866 White's Co. [99] President Abraham Lincoln asked his cabinet for opinions as to how the Union should respond to the massacre. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. [6], Forrest's most decisive victory came on June 10, 1864, when his 3,500-man force clashed with 8,500 men commanded by Union Brig. He acquired several cotton plantations in the Delta region of West . Not realizing that the rest of his men had halted their charge when they reached the full Union brigade, Forrest charged the brigade alone and soon found himself surrounded. Their marriage of thirty-two years produced one son and a daughter who died in infancy. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of William Forrest (8578580)? Sorry! 2110 n washington st,forrest city,ar,72335-01846-11344-s 1 2110 STRINGTOWN RD,GROVE CITY,OH,43123-02931-07973-S 2 21106 KUYKENDAHL RD,SPRING,TX,77379-03300-07720-S 2 Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. The height of the pedestal is 7 feet, and the terrace 2 feet 6 inches. 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. [117] He eventually made the attempt, but it was too late. Forrest moved to Memphis in 1849, where he became active in city affairs. Some kept going, right into the river, where a number drowned, and the swimmers became targets for marksmen on the bluff. He then mounted a second horse, which was shot out from under him as well, forcing him to mount a third horse. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. [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. Failed to report flower. He is noted mainly as a highly successful raider behind Union lines, but also distinguished himself in several traditional type battles. His younger sister, Francis Fannie Ann was born in 1849 but passed away at age 6 in 1854. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. A system error has occurred. "I do think it was God ordained and really 901 means something. 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. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. There was a problem getting your location. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. [60][61], The Union Army gained military control of Tennessee in 1862 and occupied it for the duration of the war, having taken control of strategic cities and railroads. Nathan Bedford Forrest II (August 1871 March 11, 1931) was an American businessman who served as the 19th Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans from 1919 to 1921,[1][2][3] and as the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan for Georgia. He developed his natural ability as a leader and held many civic posts throughout his young life. This unit, which varied in size from 40 to 90 men, constituted the elite of his cavalry. [201] As an armory for the Confederacy, Selma provided a substantial part of the South's ammunition during the Civil War. Forrest led other raids that summer and fall, including a famous one into Union-held downtown Memphis in August 1864 (the Second Battle of Memphis)[114] and another on a major Union supply depot at Johnsonville, Tennessee. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. His descendants were present when his remains were placed in the park in November 1904, and again generations later when the. He was the first born of two children. Learn more about managing a memorial . [81] Forrest's men immediately took over the fort, while Union soldiers retreated to the lower bluffs of the river, but the USS New Era did not come to their rescue. [215], Forrest is considered one of the Civil War's most brilliant tacticians by the historian Spencer C. [82] As the Union troops surrendered, Forrest's men opened fire, slaughtering both black and white soldiers. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [169], During the presidential election of 1868, the Ku Klux Klan under the leadership of Forrest, along with other terrorist groups, used brutal violence and intimidation against blacks and Republican voters. based on information from your browser. [115] During Hood's Tennessee Campaign, he fought alongside General John Bell Hood, the newest commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, in the Second Battle of Franklin on November 30. And I now cheerfully and gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the officers and men of my command, whose zeal, fidelity and unflinching bravery have been the great source of my past success in arms. To use this feature, use a newer browser. His uncle was killed there in 1845 during an argument with the Matlock brothers. [62] Forrest chased Streight's men for 16 days, harassing them all the way. MacDonald's Bn. Forrest, William Resend Activation Email. Words cannot describe the scene. "[126] A memorial to him, the first Civil War memorial in Memphis, was erected in 1905 in a new Nathan Bedford Forrest Park. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. General Nathan Bedford Forrest died October 29, 1877, at his brothers home in Memphis at the age of 57. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. discoveries. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Victory came quickly, with the Union soldiers running toward the river or surrendering. There was an error deleting this problem. After serving as the president of the Selma, Marion and Memphis Railroad, he settled on managing a plantation manned by convict labour. In 1905, he and his wife were reinterred in Forrest Park in downtown Memphis. Hernando, DeSoto County, Mississippi, USA. Former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who is black, blocked the move. [166] Forrest rode to the convention on a train that stopped in a small Northern town along the way, where he faced a protester who wanted to fight the "damned butcher" of Fort Pillow. According to survivors, many blacks were killed after they had surrendered. William was born in 1846 in Desoto County, Mississippi. Capt Forrest Tenn Cav Confederate States Army, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. [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. He did not say it that way, and nobody who knows anything about him imagines that he did.[225]. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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. [189], On July 7, 2015, the Memphis City Council unanimously voted to remove the statue of Forrest from Health Sciences Park, and to return the remains of Forrest and his wife to Elmwood Cemetery. The native Tennesseean had amassed a fortune, which he estimated at $1,500,000, as a slave trader and plantation owner before enlisting in the Confederate army as a private in Josiah H. 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