Was Nathan Bedford Forrest the Best Confederate Cavalry Leader in the West?

Military History Online ^ | 12/09/2007 | Laurence Freiheit

[archy]

Nathan Bedford Forest is considered by many the greatest Calvary officer in American history.

Not a bad avancement for one who began his career as a private of Cavalry in July of 1861.

I presume you know who the tutor for the adolescent George S. Patton was, and that the texts used were Thomas Jordan and J. P. Pryor’s The Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. N. B. Forrest and John A. Wyeth’s Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

[archy]

In said picture, NBF looks a little like Emilio Estevez.

Not quite aged enough; NBF began his military career at age 40. Though Estevez was born in 1962, he seems younger...though the beard might help somewhat.

You are invited to consider this comparison:

[af_vet_rr]

Forrest’s lack of a formal military education was eclipsed by his uncanny ability to improvise on the spot. He taught his men to build bridges from logs and vines that were strong enough to support a loaded wagon and horse drawn caissons and cannon. At Clifton, Tennessee he built rafts to ferry his force across the river, sunk the rafts with stones on the far side, then retrieved the rafts on their return and recrossed the river.

It helps that many of his men made their livings engaged in activities that would have benefited somebody making such bridges, etc. If you look at Sherman's March to the Sea - you see similar men - they did something like 300 miles in five weeks, all the while tearing up anything of value and having to build bridges and rafts Forrest's men. They were going through swamps, over rivers and creeks, etc.

In both instances, and throughout the war, you had so many soldiers that were savvy about using their hands (and minds) to make things and to live under extreme conditions. That's the product of a citizenry made up of a lot of farmers, ranchers, hired hands, carpenters, etc. We've lost some of those skills these days and they probably have to be taught whereas Forrest and Sherman and the others had the benefits of men who grew up with these skills.

[Sans-Culotte]

I always felt that James Coburn resembled Forrest.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Are Armstrong’s tactics studied in War College as are Forrest’s?

[Little Ray]

Hey, J. E. B. Stuart was a pretty good calvary commander! Give him some credit.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

“Wheeler would later help lead forces into Cuba during the Spanish-American War”

Where he was quoted as telling his troops fighting the Spanish: “Come on, we’ve got the damn Yankees on the run!”

[af_vet_rr]

....one of my g.grandfathers spent 4 years in the saddle as 1st Sgt of G company, 6th Texas Cavalry....Sullivan Ross commanded 6th Texas...Ross was an excellent commander and a fine man....after the war he went on to be Governor of Texas and after that president of Texas A&M....it was under Ross’ leadership that the university grew into the modern institution it is now....today it is a campus rule there that any student displaying a Condederate flag or Nazi flag will be expelled....they hold the Confederate South equal to the Nazis!...what an insult.

Same thing at the University of Texas - every now and then some group tries to have the statues of Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis removed. George Littlefield was the biggest donor to the University in the first 50 years of its existence, and some would like you to forget that.

The biggest problem is that the white supremacist idjits have hijacked the Confederate Battle Flag and linked it to Nazi beliefs. There used to be no problem with Confederate flags until those bozos came along and made it their symbol. Funny how they claim to be proud of the white race yet they are some of the worst examples of it.

In the proper context, I don't think it deserves the criticism that it gets - I say this as somebody who had well over half a dozen ancestors and their kin leave Texas to fight for the Union (almost all of the branches of my family around back then were supporters of Sam Houston as well as incredibly religious, which is why they fought for the Union).

[af_vet_rr]

Armstrong’s problem was that he wasn’t as imposing of a character as Forrest and a lot of his contemporaries, as well as his superiors at times took credit for his actions...

[rustbucket]

There are some great paintings of Forrest. Here are some links to a few:

Forrest and his horse King Phillip. A print of this hangs in the little museum at Fort Pillow. Not sure who the artist is. And by the way, don't mess with his horse:

In August, 1866, a troop of Federal cavalry was riding by Forrest's place, as much out of curiosity to see him as for any more definite reason. Forrest's war horse, King Phillip, was grazing in the front lot. As the blue-clad cavalry filed into the lot on the way up to the house, King Phillip's training in many a melee reasserted itself, and he rushed the bluecoats, teeth bared and front feet flailing. When some of the soldiers, astonished at his onslaught, struck at him, Forrest's wartime body servant Jerry- whom the other Negro's in the Forrest command had referred to, and obeyed, as "the Gin'ral"- rushed out to defend the horse. After Forrest himself had come out and the horse was back in the stable and things had quieted down, the Federal captain observed, "General, now I can account for your success. Your negroes fight for you, and your horses fight for you." [Source]

Vengance at Okolona by John Paul Strain. Note the raised pistols of the cavalry. Reminds me of a scene in Gods and Generals.

That Devil Forrest by John Paul Strain. More raised pistols.

Order out of Chaos by Mort Kunstler. This is Forrest and his troops at Nashville February 1862 when he saved needed supplies.

Forrest at Owen's Ford, 1864 by Mort Kuntsler. Forrest and troops in the snow.

Forrest comes home by David Wright.

Forrest leading a charge by John Paul Strain.

[stand watie]

Dixie PONG!

free dixie,sw

[rustbucket]

Same thing at the University of Texas - every now and then some group tries to have the statues of Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis removed. George Littlefield was the biggest donor to the University in the first 50 years of its existence, and some would like you to forget that.

Those are great statues. I plan to take a picture some day of the Jefferson Davis statue with the words "The Truth Shall Make You Free" on the building in the background.

My parents were members of the Littlefield Society at UT.

[stand watie]

the TRUTH is that "the ft pillow controversy" is that the "conventional wisdom" is BUNK & HOKEM.

the TRUTH is that there was NO massacre. period. end of story.

furthermore, the REVISIONIST/LEFTIST version of the battle at Ft Pillow is UNTRUTHFUL about the bravery, honor & fidelity of the US Black soldiers, who fought so bravely there. FEW surrendered. instead, they "fell in battle" while trying to WIN.

but, of course, THE TRUTH doesn't "make a good story" for the LIARS, DAMNyankee REVISIONISTS, etc.

free dixie,sw

[archy]

Are Armstrong’s tactics studied in War College as are Forrest’s?

Wade Hampton's are. He too was a genius at small unit employment.

[stand watie]

sorry, but "modelbreaker" is CORRECT.

BG Armstrong was a VERY capable BRIGADE commander, but he was NOT as capable as NBF (otherwise, he would have HAD GEN Forrest's job).

GEN Hood was a CAPABLE & excellent BRIGADE commander, but a disaster at higher command. Armstrong might well have been equally as big a disaster at a higher rank/position of command.

may i also point out to you that Armstrong's successes were as a SUBORDINATE of NBF???

free dixie,sw

[archy]

Making broad general statements can make a person look like a dim bulb...

Mark Twain reputedly reminded us that All generalities are untrue.

[archy]

I had two Great-Grandfathers with the 10th Tennessee Cavalry which I believe was formed from the remains of Napier’s Regiment and another. They were under Forrest.

[archy]

BG Armstrong was a VERY capable BRIGADE commander, but he was NOT as capable as NBF (otherwise, he would have HAD GEN Forrest's job).

GEN Hood was a CAPABLE & excellent BRIGADE commander, but a disaster at higher command. Armstrong might well have been equally as big a disaster at a higher rank/position of command.

See, however, my comments at #54.

[af_vet_rr]

Those are great statues. I plan to take a picture some day of the Jefferson Davis statue with the words "The Truth Shall Make You Free" on the building in the background.

The Jefferson Davis one always gave me the creeps, probably because a police officer and a civilian that were killed by Charles Whitman died there or right near it and it's just my mind playing tricks on me. The Washington statue still has a bullet hole or two, as do some of the railings and steps. The University has held off patching up most of them.

[stand watie]

i also have long thought that GEN Wheeler had a wry sense of humor & was GROSSLY underrated as a combat leader.

when "corrected" by a subordinate about having the damnyankees on the run", Wheeler said, "SPANIELS. i meant SPANIELS" (he did NOT say Spaniards.).

further, when LTC Roosevelt said that he had "regrettably lost" his saber in battle, GEN Wheeler said that "only a damnyankee would carry a damn knife, when he could instead carry at least two Colt's Walkers". (fyi, GEN Wheeler carried TWO PAIRS of pre-WBTS Colt's Walkers to Cuba, affixed to his saddle horn. he also wore a PAIR of 1860 fully-engraved .44 caliber Armys, which he actually used throughout the Spanish-American war.)

free dixie,sw