Conflicting accounts of what actually occurred were given later.[87][88][89]. [226] Forrest's claim that the Fort Pillow massacre was an invention of Northern reporters is contradicted by letters written by Confederate soldiers to their own families, which described extreme brutality on the part of Confederate troops. William Bill Forrest was born in Desoto County, Mississippi on September 26th, 1846 to Nathan Bedford and Mary Ann Forrest. 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. [241], In 2000, a monument to Forrest was unveiled in Selma, Alabama. [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. Son William M Forrest 4 Daughter Francis A Forrest 2 "Ladies and Gentlemen I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the southern states. He reportedly had 30 horses shot from under him, and personally killed 31 men in hand-to-hand combat, saying I was a horse ahead at the end.. These lightning blows of Forrests caused USA General William Tecumseh Sherman great alarm. Booth. In June 1862, he assumed command of a cavalry brigade. William Forrest; Through the KKK, he sought to restore white conservative Democrats to power. A Tennessee town's absurd and tacky monument to General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Learn more about managing a memorial . Achilles Clark, a soldier with the 20th Tennessee cavalry, wrote to his sisters immediately after the battle: The slaughter was awful. Although he repeatedly denied membership even to Congress Forrest in fact led the Klan through one of its most successful periods, when robed terrorists succeeded in rolling back Reconstruction. [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. According to Richard L. Fuchs, "records concerning the fate of the black prisoners are either nonexistent or unreliable". [159], In an 1868 interview by a Cincinnati newspaper, Forrest claimed that the Klan had 40,000 members in Tennessee and 550,000 total members throughout the Southern states. 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. Many of the blacks were former slaves and understood the personal consequences of a loss to the Confederates at best an immediate return to slavery. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. The total cost of this magnificent sculpture was $32,359.53. [33], Forrest had twelve brothers and sisters; two of his eight brothers and three of his four sisters died of typhoid fever at an early age, all at about the same time. 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. Forrest took his grievance to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. [15] John Allan Wyeth, who served in an Alabama regiment under Forrest, described it as a one-room building with a loft and no windows. [21][22] By the time the American Civil War started in 1861, he had become one of the richest men in the South, having amassed a "personal fortune that he claimed was worth $1.5 million". Ironically, the Klan Kampus of Lanier later became a synagogue! [191] Consequently, Memphis sold the park land to Memphis Greenspace, a non-profit entity not subject to the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act, which immediately removed the monument as explained below. Please enter your email and password to sign in. [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. The aphorism was addressed and corrected as "Ma'am, I got there first with the most men" by a New York Times story in 1918. Try again later. Their marriage of thirty-two years produced one son and a daughter who died in infancy. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY FORREST (1846 - 1908) Photos: 34 Records: 200 Born in Hernando, DeSoto County, Mississippi, USA on 28 Sep 1846 to Nathan Bradford, Gen. Forrest and Mary Ann Montgomery Forrest. Son of Lt Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, (CSA) and Mary Ann Forrest I have been and am trying to lead another kind of life. [98] The 226 Union troops taken prisoner at Fort Pillow were marched under guard to Holly Springs, Mississippi and then convoyed to Demopolis, Alabama. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. The losses were a deep blow to the black regiment under Sturgis's command. Marriage Although there are a number of differing accounts of the events that took place in the summer of 1845, Forrest did meet his future wife in a notable and romantic way. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Paramount in his strategy was fast movement, even if it meant pushing his horses at a killing pace, to constantly harass the enemy during raids by disrupting their supply trains and communications with the destruction of railroad tracks and the cutting of telegraph lines, as he wheeled around his opponent's flank. [103][104], S.C. Gwynne writes, "Forrest's responsibility for the massacre has been actively debated for a century and a half. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a guiding force in the original Ku Klux Klan in the 1860s and his grandson and namesake played a similar role in the revived Klan of the 1920s and 1930s. [109] When Sturgis's Federal army came upon the crossroads, they collided with Forrest's cavalry. General Nathan Bedford Forrest died October 29, 1877, at his brothers home in Memphis at the age of 57. 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. [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. Forrest's legacy as "one of the most controversialand popularicons of the war" still draws heated public debate. 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. Historians have differed in their interpretations of the events at Fort Pillow. The native Tennesseean had amassed a fortune, which he estimated at $1,500,000, as a slave trader and plantation owner before . this animal attacked Bedford Forrest's mother; he tracked it down and killed it. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY FORRESTfamily tree Parents Nathan Bradford, Gen. Forrest 1821- 1877 Mary Ann Montgomery Forrest 1826- 1893 Spouse(s) Jane Taylor Cook Forrest 1847- 1882 Children Mary E Forrest 1869- 1965 His only son, Nathan Bedford Forrest III, was a senior officer of the United States Army Air Forces killed in action in the European Theater of World War II. On February 3, 1863, Forrests command suffered a defeat at Dover, Tennessee, while under the command of Major General Joseph Wheeler. Mr Forrest lived from 1821 to 1877. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The Blue Raiders' athletic mascot was changed to an ambiguous swash-buckler character called the "Blue Raider", to avoid association with Forrest or the Confederacy. In August, a historical society called Friends of Forrest moved forward with plans for a new, larger monument, which was to be 12 feet high, illuminated by LED lights, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and protected by 24-hour security cameras. His declaration had little effect, and few Klansmen destroyed their robes and hoods.[165]. [254] Sexton said that he believed the removal of the bust "aligns with the teaching of communism. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Returning to Mississippi, Forrest was promoted to lieutenant general on February 28, 1865, and took command of the cavalry in the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. 28 Sep1846 Hernando, De Soto County, Mississippi. He married Mary Ann Montgomery on 25 September 1845, in Hernando, DeSoto, Mississippi, United States. His raids were uniformly bold and skillful, and are his chief right to fame in the history of the cavalry. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The school in Jacksonville was named for Forrest in 1959 at the urging of the Daughters of the Confederacy because they were upset about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Depending on where you live, you may find an abundance of fitness and recreational opportunities. His . [144] Another member wrote, "N. B. [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. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. 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. 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. Bill suffered a stroke during the screening of "The Klansman" in 1908 and died less than 24 hours later, and was buried in Memphis. There is a problem with your email/password. He transferred to the Air Corps in 1929. 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 In the 1870s, Forrests health began to fail, and for several years he was plagued by illness. Forrest's responsibility for the massacre continues to be actively debated by historians.[6]. 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. 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. Prominent ex-Confederates, including Forrest, the Grand Wizard of the Klan, and South Carolina's Wade Hampton, attended as delegates at the 1868 Democratic Convention, held at Tammany Hall headquarters at 141 East 14th Street in New York City. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. He was the first born of two children. Forrest recovered and began thinking about his future. Forrest moved to Memphis in 1849, where he became active in city affairs. Forrest believed in surprise, audacity, and nerve, and trained his men to become splendid scouts and raiders. Impressed with his gallantry Mrs. Montgomery agreed. Search above to list available cemeteries. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. ). NBF II ran the business side of Klan Kollege (Lanier University) for a year before it failed financially. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. He then mounted a second horse, which was shot out from under him as well, forcing him to mount a third horse. [80], On April 12, 1864, Forrest's men, under Brig. 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. A system error has occurred. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. 3rd (Forrests) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment 410 to overrule the city. William was 15 years old. The poor deluded negroes would run up to our men fall upon their knees and with uplifted hands scream for mercy but they were ordered to their feet and then shot down. He is noted mainly as a highly successful raider behind Union lines, but also distinguished himself in several traditional type battles. The Klan's activity infiltrated the Democratic Party's campaign for the presidential election of 1868. Though Forrest had no prior formal military training or experience, he had exhibited leadership and soon proved he could successfully employ tactics. [188] In 1904, the remains of Forrest and his wife Mary were disinterred from Elmwood and moved to a Memphis city park that was originally named Forrest Park in his honor, but has since been renamed Health Sciences Park. 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. On June 13, 1863, Gould confronted Forrest about his transfer, which escalated into a violent exchange. His younger sister, Francis "Fannie" Ann was born in 1849 but passed away at age 6 in 1854.After the age of 8, Bill grew up as an only child. [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. He was more like a father to them than a brother. Oops, something didn't work. I hope I am a better man now than then. According to the City of Memphis, the Nathan Bedford Forrest, James T. Mathis, and Jefferson Davis statues have been released to the descendants . Forrest sympathizers have long claimed that he disbanded the Klan when it became violent. Thanks for your help! [233], Grant himself described Forrest as "a brave and intrepid cavalry general" while noting that Forrest sent a dispatch on the Fort Pillow Massacre "in which he left out the part which shocks humanity to read". Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Login to find your connection. WGA 11th cousin GEDCOM Note Bio notes: Confederate General like his father GEDCOM Note view all [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. He passed away in 1908.[1]. 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". On william montgomery bedford forrest September 1845, in Hernando, Desoto, Mississippi on September 26th, to. Behind Union lines, but also distinguished himself in several traditional type battles his declaration had little,., but also distinguished himself in several traditional type battles unveiled in Selma,.! Memphis at the age of 57, and are his chief right fame... Or email debated by historians. 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