Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. [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. Try again later. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Despite having no formal military training, Forrest rose from the rank of private to lieutenant. [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'". After a brief courtship, the couple wed on September 25, 1845. . Consequently, his role at Fort Pillow was a stigmatizing one for him the rest of his life, both professionally and personally,[228][229] and contributed to his business problems after the war. To use this feature, use a newer browser. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. He was not as successful in railroad promoting as in war and, under his direction, the company went bankrupt. "[186], Forrest's funeral procession was over two miles long. 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. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Tucker. Achilles Clark, a soldier with the 20th Tennessee cavalry, wrote to his sisters immediately after the battle: The slaughter was awful. [172] The Klan's violent tactics backfired, as Grant, whose slogan was "Let us have peace", won the election and Republicans gained a majority in Congress. This broke with its historic loyalty to the Plessy v. Make sure that the file is a photo. While most Forrest biographies discuss his military career in great detail, what they do not provide is the General's own perspective of the conflict. Indeed, next to J.E.B. Part of General Nathan Bedfords Obituary The New York Times, October 30, 1877: Of late years, his views had undergone a considerable change. 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 head of a mounted brigade, he took a brilliant part in General Braxton Braggs autumn 1862 campaign. When General Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on 13 July 1821, in Chapel Hill, Marshall, Tennessee, United States, his father, William B Forrest, was 20 and his mother, Miriam A Beck, was 19. As the Klan's first national leader, he became the Lost Cause's avenging angel, galvanizing a loose collection of boyish secret social clubs into a reactionary instrument of terror still feared today. William was 15 years old. Though Forrest had no prior formal military training or experience, he had exhibited leadership and soon proved he could successfully employ tactics. Montgomery Shelby S9866 White's Co. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates, and the rebels targeting black soldiers. There was an error deleting this problem. . [50], A few days after the Confederate surrender of Fort Donelson, with the fall of Nashville to Union forces imminent, Forrest took command of the city. 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 Bill joined the Confederate Army June 14, 1861 at age 15, and served under his father, attaining the rank of Captain by the end of the war. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. [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. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? GREAT NEWS! Forrest, who was a Freemason,[7] joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1867 (two years after its founding) and was elected its first Grand Wizard. A statue of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, is seen defaced with hot-pink paint on Dec. 28, 2017, after it was vandalized in Nashville. [157] According to Wills, in the August 1867 state elections the Klan was relatively restrained in its actions. Not always affable, Forrest had troubles with some superiors, particularly General Braxton Bragg. Historians have differed in their interpretations of the events at Fort Pillow. The height of the monument is 21 feet 6 inches, including the equestrian of 12 feet. Tom Hanks' title character in the film Forrest Gump remarks in one scene that his mother named him after Nathan Bedford Forrest and "we was related to him in some way". Forest of Confederate fame was at our head, and was known as the Grand Wizard. William is 18 degrees from Margaret Atwood, 19 degrees from Jim Carrey, 21 degrees from Elsie Knott, 21 degrees from Gordon Lightfoot, 21 degrees from Alton Parker, 23 degrees from Beatrice Tillman, 17 degrees from Jenny Trout, 21 degrees from Justin Trudeau, 23 degrees from Edwin Boyd, 17 degrees from Barbara Hanley, 27 degrees from Fanny Rosenfeld and 19 degrees from Cathryn Hondros on our single family tree. ", "Sons of Confederate Veterans 'Put to Rest for Eternity' Gen. Nathan Bedford in Columbia, Tennessee", Animated History of The Campaigns of Nathan Bedford Forrest, General Nathan Bedford Forrest Historical Society, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. They had two children; a son, William Montgomery Bedford, born in 1846, and in 1848 a daughter, Frances, who died when she was five years old. This account has been disabled. He was the first born of two children. Several of Forrests battles were minor classics of cavalry tactics. Failed to delete memorial. Forrest assisted in maintaining order. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. [80] Booth and his adjutant were killed in the battle, leaving Fort Pillow under the command of Major William Bradford. In fact, it was only disbanded when its work was essentially done blacks and Republicans had been terrified into not voting and when it came under intense criticism. On this date in 1955, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company was ruled. I hope I am a better man now than then. [53], A month later, Forrest was back in action at the Battle of Shiloh, fought April 67, 1862. [145] According to Jack Hurst's 1993 biography, "Two years after Appomattox, Forrest was reincarnated as grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The Confederate . The losses were a deep blow to the black regiment under Sturgis's command. [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. Now often recast as "Getting there firstest with the mostest",[223] this misquote first appeared in a New York Tribune article written to provide colorful comments in reaction to European interest in Civil War generals. Forrest spoke in encouragement of black advancement and of endeavoring to be a proponent for espousing peace and harmony between black and white Americans. Forrest met Mary Ann Montgomery, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. [5], In the Confederate Veteran, Nathan Bedford Forrest II claimed that he and Tate Brady were making plans together for an "active campaign throughout Oklahoma" as an act of terrorism against the U.S. Government and on behalf of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Forrest's Confederate forces were accused of subjecting Union captured soldiers to extreme brutality, with allegations of back-shooting soldiers who fled into the river, shooting wounded soldiers, burning men alive, nailing men to barrels and igniting them, crucifixion, and hacking men to death with sabers. 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. White's cavalry company on June 14, 1861. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. [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. The lieutenant colonel shared his winter quarters with his wife Mary and their son Willie. A surgeon removed the musket ball a week later, without anesthesia, which was unavailable. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Lieutenant Andrew Wills Gould, an artillery officer in Forrest's command, was being transferred, presumably because cannons under his command[66] were spiked (disabled) by the enemy[67] during the Battle of Day's Gap. He and his twin sister were the first of their parents' 10 children. [93] The rebels said the Union flag was still flying over the fort, which indicated that the force had not formally surrendered. In 1845, Forrest married Mary Ann Montgomery (1826-1893), the niece of a Presbyterian minister who was her legal guardian. [125], The historian Court Carney writes that Forrest was not universally popular in the white Memphis community: he alienated many of the city's businessmen in his commercial dealings and he was criticized for questionable business practices that caused him to default on debts. Forrests personality and his natural soldierly gifts were such that USA General William Tecumseh Sherman considered him the most remarkable man the Civil War produced on either side. Obelisks in his memory were placed at his birthplace in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and at Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park near Camden.[194]. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). [6] He served as Secretary and Business Manager at Lanier University, a college that was sold to the Klan in 1921. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. This monument stands as testament of our perpetual devotion and respect for Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. On May 3, Forrest caught up with Streight's unit east of Cedar Bluff, Alabama. [247] Brett Joseph Forrest, a direct descendant of Nathan, spoke in support of the bust's removal. 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. [250][251] However, since that time, Governor Bill Lee's administration introduced a bill passed by the Tennessee legislature on June 10, 2020 which released the governor from the former requirement that he issue a proclamation of that observance each year, and a spokesman for Governor Lee confirmed that he would not be signing a Forrest Day proclamation in July 2020. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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. NBF II ran the business side of Klan Kollege (Lanier University) for a year before it failed financially. See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below. Many in the north, including President Grant, backed the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, that gave voting rights to Americans regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". [230], Whether the massacre was premeditated or spontaneous does not address the more fundamental question of whether a massacre took place it certainly did, in every dictionary sense of the word. 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.. Bill joined. There was a problem getting your location. based on information from your browser. [160][161] He said he sympathized with them, but denied any formal connection, although he claimed he could muster thousands of men himself. DEO VINDICE". 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. Wife of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. [13] Forrest's family lived in a log house (now preserved as the Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home) from 1830 to 1833. [129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136], Forrest was an early member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which was formed by six veterans of the Confederate Army in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the spring of 1866[137][138][139] and soon expanded throughout the state and beyond. G GELongstreet 267 followers The list included the names of 7 officers and 219 white enlisted soldiers. For this, he would later be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on March 2, 1865. Obey the laws, preserve your honor, and the government to which you have surrendered can afford to be and will be magnanimous. He moved his family to Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee and is found on the census there in 1860, He was a planter. William Bill Forrest was born in Desoto County, Mississippi on September 26th, 1846 to Nathan Bedford and Mary Ann Forrest. GREAT NEWS! [168] The SeymourBlair Democratic ticket's campaign slogan was: "Our Ticket, Our Motto, This Is a White Man's Country; Let White Men Rule". There are no volunteers for this cemetery. [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. [170], Forrest testified before the Congressional investigation of Klan activities on June 27, 1871. J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. This browser does not support getting your location. Captain William Montgomery "Willy" Forrest Born 28 Sep 1846 in Hernando, Desoto, Mississippi Ancestors Son of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Mary Ann (Montgomery) Forrest Brother of Frances Forrest and William Bedford Forrest [half] Husband of Jane Taylor Cook married [date unknown] [location unknown] Father of Nathan Bedford Forrest In December 1861, in his first major combat experience at Sacramento, Kentucky, Forrest demonstrated the traits of common sense tactics and close-hand fighting that would characterize his military career. Ordered to Pollard, the regiment remained in that vicinity for nearly a year. Some kept going, right into the river, where a number drowned, and the swimmers became targets for marksmen on the bluff. 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 Cav. [196] It is now the site of the Arnold Engineering Development Center. He emptied his Colt Army revolvers into the swirling mass of Union soldiers and pulled out his saber, hacking and slashing. Jane was born 3 February 1847 at Oxford, Mississippi. He transferred to the Air Corps in 1929. He filed for pension in Shelby County. Conflicting accounts of what actually occurred were given later.[87][88][89]. Blood, human blood stood about in pools and brains could have been gathered up in any quantity. Bill Lee Signs Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Proclamation, Is Not Considering Law Change", "Tennessee Governor Slammed Online for Signing Confederate General Proclamation", "Tennessee Gov. Forrest's grandson, Nathan Bedford Forrest II (18721931), became commander-in-chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans[38] and a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in Georgia and secretary of the national organization. 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. William Montgomery Forrest was born on month day 1846, at birth place, Mississippi, to Nathan Bedford Forrest and Mary Ann Forrest (born Montgomery). Forrest's legacy as "one of the most controversialand popularicons of the war" still draws heated public debate. 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