Nathan Bedford Forrest

• Born: July 13, 1821
• Birthplace: Chapel Hill, Tennessee
• Died: October 29, 1877
• Place of death: Memphis, Tennessee

Confederate cavalry officer and first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan

Cause of notoriety: While Forrest’s exploits are legion, he is remembered primarily for commanding the massacre against the Union soldiers stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on April 12, 1864, and for his role as the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

Active: 1864-1877

Locale: Tennessee

Early Life

Like most Southern families at that time, the family of Nathan Bedford Forrest (NAY-thuhn BEHD-fuhrd FOHR-ehst) was poor, with the father, William Forrest, attempting to make a living as a blacksmith in the Bedford County town of Chapel Hill, located in Tennessee. Forrest was the oldest of twelve children whose father died when he was seventeen years old. Though he lacked a formal education (he could barely read or write), he became quite wealthy before the Civil War, owning several plantations throughout Mississippi and Tennessee. Although the Southern economy was based on slavery, slave traders themselves were considered “lowly,” and were, at best, merely tolerated. Unconcerned about what others thought, Forrest became a slave trader in Memphis and made a fortune; it has been estimated that prior to the firing upon Fort Sumter, Forrest was a millionaire and was considered one of the wealthiest men in the South.

Military Career

Considered by many historians to be the finest cavalry commander and one of the greatest tacticians in American history, Forrest was a lieutenant general for the Confederate States of America, earning respect from both sides during the Civil War. During 1861-1865, he killed thirty men in hand-to-hand combat and had twenty-nine horses shot from under him. He faced daunting odds on many occasions but lost no battles until the last days of the war.

In 1862, during the Battle of Fort Donelson, Forrest showed his mettle when he led a cavalry charge against a Union artillery battery and captured it, then led a breakout from a siege by the Union army under Ulysses S. Grant. At the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee (April 6-7, 1862), a Union infantryman on the ground fired at Forrest, hitting him in the side and lifting him out of his saddle. The ball went through his pelvis and lodged near his spine. Forrest then lifted the shooter up onto his mount and used him as a human shield until threat from gunfire diminished.

While Forrest’s exploits are legion, he is primarily remembered for the massacre of the Union soldiers stationed at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, that occurred on April 12, 1864. As he had done before, Forrest demanded unconditional surrender. Instead of acquiescing, the fort decided to fight, resulting in a brutal Confederate attack in which most of their blue-clad opponents were killed. Once the battle was over, reports filtered out that the captured black soldiers were treated inhumanely, including being crucified and burned alive.

Forrest’s skill as a guerrilla fighter was unequaled during the war (causing tremendous problems for Grant and General William Tecumseh Sherman). At the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads on June 10, 1864, Forrest’s 3,500 men defeated the 8,500-man force commanded by General Samuel D. Sturgis, inflicting 2,500 casualties while suffering a mere 492.

Forrest’s experience in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a direct result of his military capabilities. The KKK was formed during the latter part of the 1860’s as a means for Southern men to resist the Union’s attempts at Reconstruction. During the first convention, which took place in 1867, Forrest became the organization’s first grand wizard. Under his command, the KKK grew in popularity and notoriety, leading Forrest to state that he could, if needed, quickly bring forty thousand Klansmen together within a five-day period. At that point, the group’s mission was not one of keeping former slaves in their place; rather, it was to empty the South of all carpetbaggers. Once the organization became primarily racist, Forrest resigned.

Legal Action and Outcome

After the war, an inquest took place regarding Fort Pillow. Witnesses from both sides claimed that Forrest was not personally involved in the melee and that he attempted to control his men. After the war, an investigation by General Sherman found that Forrest was not liable for the barbaric behavior of the men under his command.

Impact

The twentieth century doctrine of “mobile warfare” was first discussed by Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. His idea about “get there fustest with the mostest” was always paramount in his thinking, even if it meant riding horses until they fell over dead. During the Battle of Paducah, the twenty-five-hundred-man cavalry led by Forrest rode one hundred miles in just fifty hours. In later years Forrest would be studied for his fast-moving raids and other maneuvers made possible by his early application of guerrilla-style, “hit and run” tactics.

Bibliography

Browning, Robert M. Forrest: The Confederacy’s Relentless Warrior. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s, 2004. Short but insightful, providing an excellent introduction to Forrest.

Fuchs, Richard L. An Unerring Fire: The Massacre at Fort Pillow. Mechanisburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 2002. Focuses only on Fort Pillow but offers keen analyses of Forrest and the milieu in which he lived.

Hurst, Jack. Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1993. Provides detail on Forrest as a man (both before and after the Civil War) and as a first-class soldier.

Wyeth, John A. That Devil Forrest. 1899. Reprint. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989. Written by a member of Forrest’s staff. Wyeth knew Forrest professionally and personally and respected him greatly.