[238], A 2011 Mississippi license plate proposal to honor him, by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, revived tensions and raised objections from Mississippi chapter of the NAACP president Derrick Johnson, who compared Forrest to Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. based on information from your browser. He was promoted to major general on December 4, 1863. His cavalry destroyed railroad and blockhouses and blockaded shipping on the Tennessee River, disabling and capturing several Union vessels before destroying the Union supply depot at Johnsonville. [13] His blacksmith father was of English descent, and most of his biographers state that his mother was of Scotch-Irish descent, but the Memphis Genealogical Society says that she was of English descent. Instead, he noted that the state legislature would not be likely to approve the plate anyway. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Jane was born 3 February 1847 at Oxford, Mississippi. More than 100,000 men from Tennessee served with the Confederacy and over 31,000 served with the Union. There, with the labor of over a hundred prison convicts, he grew corn, potatoes, vegetables and cotton profitably, but his health was in steady decline. William Montgomery Forrest (Son of Nathan Bedford Forrest) Buried in the Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. His raids were uniformly bold and skillful, and are his chief right to fame in the history of the cavalry. The Confederate . How do we create a person's profile? Streight had orders to cut the Confederate railroad south of Chattanooga, Tennessee to seal off Bragg's supply line and force him to retreat into Georgia. Verify and try again. 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. 5.] [214], The Forrest Hill Academy high school in Atlanta, Georgia, which had been named for Forrest, was renamed the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy in April 2021 after the Atlanta Braves baseball star who had died less than three months prior. 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. The lieutenant colonel shared his winter quarters with his wife Mary and their son Willie. After his cavalry captured a Union artillery battery, he broke out of a siege headed by Major General Ulysses S. Grant, rallying nearly 4,000 troops and leading them to escape across the Cumberland River. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. A common report is that Forrest arrived in Nashville in April 1867 while the Klan was meeting at the Maxwell House Hotel, probably at the encouragement of a state Klan leader, former Confederate general George Gordon. Forrest assisted in maintaining order. The school unveiled its latest mascot, a winged horse called "Lightning" inspired by the mythological Pegasus, during halftime of a basketball game against rival Tennessee State University on January 17, 1998. 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. Our Arctic Series Cold Climate Heat Pumps are both the most advanced and cost effective air source heat pump on the market, with the ability to heat your home, office, shop, and pool/hot tub. He was the first born of two children. 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. Not always affable, Forrest had troubles with some superiors, particularly General Braxton Bragg. We have set your language to All Previous Reports Fully Confirmed. [200], A monument to Forrest in the Confederate Circle section of Old Live Oak Cemetery in Selma, Alabama reads "Defender of Selma, Wizard of the Saddle, Untutored Genius, The first with the most. Mary has been praying for me night and day for all these years, and I feel now that, through her prayers, my life has been spared and I have passed safely through so many dangers. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. 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. We have set your language to [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. Login to find your connection. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Drag images here or select from your computer for CAPT William Montgomery Forrest 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. 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. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Davis transferred Forrest to an independent command in Mississippi. [147][148][149][150][151][152][153], Following the war, the United States Congress began passing the Reconstruction Acts to specify conditions for the readmission of former Confederate States to the Union,[154][155][156] including ratification of the Fourteenth (1868), and Fifteenth (1870) Amendments to the United States Constitution. Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. [213] A major push to change its name failed on February 16, 2018, when the governor-controlled Tennessee Historical Commission denied Middle Tennessee State University's petition to rename Forrest Hall. 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. This is a cenotaph. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He did not say it that way, and nobody who knows anything about him imagines that he did.[225]. The family moved to Hernando, Mississippi in 1834, where William was a blacksmith and farmer. He denied membership, but his individual role in the KKK was beyond the scope of the investigating committee, which wrote: "Our design is not to connect General Forrest with this order (the reader may form his own conclusion upon this question)". Smith at Tupelo, where Forrest was wounded while directing the pursuit of retreating Federal troops. 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. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 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. He passed awayon 7 FEB 1908in Memphis, Shelby, TN. We encourage you to research and . Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. [102] The Southern press steadfastly defended Forrest's reputation. It was after these efforts failed that Klan violence and intimidation escalated and became widespread. In Room 10 of the Maxwell, Forrest was sworn in as a member by John W. And so began the lifelong love affair that would become part of the legend of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. He seemed to be a natural military genius with an intuitive grasp not only of tactics, but also of logistics. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Sep 28 1846 - Hernando, Desoto, Mississippi, Feb 7 1908 - Memphis, Shelby Co., Tennessee, Lt Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest, Mary Ann Forrest, Sep 28 1846 - Hernando, DeSoto, Mississippi, United States, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Mary Ann Forrest (born Montgomery), Mary E Bradley (born Forrest), Nathan Bedford Forrest II, James Cook Forrest, William Montgomery Forrest, "in this city died today after a long illness Captain W M. suicide while deranged by worry over financial matters. "[123], As a former slave trader and slave owner, Forrest experienced the abolition of slavery at war's end as a major financial setback. In the fall of 1864, the 7th reported to Gen'l Nathan Bedford Forrest at Corinth, Mississippi and was reassigned to Rucker's Brigade. 3rd (Forrests) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment 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. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. For this, he would later be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on March 2, 1865. He then mounted a second horse, which was shot out from under him as well, forcing him to mount a third horse. He sidestepped some questions and pleaded failure of memory on others. The Ku Klux Klan Forrest was evidently active in organizing the Ku Klux Klan, and became its first Grand Wizard in 1867. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Grandfather William Montgomery Forrest b. Cassidy. [80] Booth and his adjutant were killed in the battle, leaving Fort Pillow under the command of Major William Bradford. 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. As soon as they received the Union reply, they moved forward at the command of a junior officer, and the Union forces opened fire. ). There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Son of Lt Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, (CSA) and Mary Ann Forrest [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. [90] Forrest's men were alleged to have set fire to a Union barracks with wounded Union soldiers inside[91][92] In defense of their actions, Forrest's men insisted that the Union soldiers, although fleeing, kept their weapons and frequently turned to shoot, forcing the Confederates to keep firing in self-defense. The Klan's violence was primarily designed to intimidate voters, targeting black and white supporters of the Republican Party. [197] The Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue in Nashville was particularly notable for its idiosyncratic depiction of Forrest on horseback. I think people may make insensitive comments. [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 Horrors and Cruelties of the Scene Intensified. Try again. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates, and the rebels targeting black soldiers. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. William Montgomery Forrest was born on month day 1846, at birth place, Mississippi, to Nathan Bedford Forrest and Mary Ann Forrest (born Montgomery). Your Scrapbook is currently empty. There was a problem getting your location. Afterwards, he admitted to 'gentlemanly lies'. His tactic was the charge, and he frequently overcame Union forces that vastly outnumbered his own as he personally led his troops. Family members linked to this person will appear here. [14] He and his twin sister, Fanny, were the two eldest of 12 children. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Please try again later. Colonel Stephen G. Hicks: "if I have to storm your works, you may expect no quarter." Through the KKK, he sought to restore white conservative Democrats to power. Ironically, the Klan Kampus of Lanier later became a synagogue! Mr Forrest lived from 1821 to 1877. William "Bill" Forrest was born in Desoto County, Mississippi on September 26th, 1846 to Nathan Bedford and Mary Ann Forrest. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. He wrote in his memoirs that Forrest in his report of the battle had "left out the part which shocks humanity to read". [168] The Democratic Party platform denounced the Reconstruction Acts as unconstitutional, void, and revolutionary. There was an error deleting this problem. Nathan Bedford Forrest, called Bedford Forrest in his lifetime, was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. 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