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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. [187], Forrest was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis. [245] In a nearly unanimous vote on July 7, the Memphis City Council passed a resolution in favor of removing the statue and securing the couple's remains for transfer. Learn more about merges. 2008 - 2022 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Grandfather William Montgomery Forrest b. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. [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". His . A Southern reporter traveling with Forrest makes clear that the discrimination was deliberate: Our troops, maddened by the excitement, shot down the retreating Yankees, and not until they had attained the waters edge and turned to beg for mercy, did any prisoners fall into our hands. [80] By 3:30 pm, Forrest had concluded that the Union troops could not hold the fort, thus he ordered a flag of truce raised and demanded that the fort be surrendered. Others have tried to get a bust of Forrest removed from the Tennessee House of Representatives chamber. After a brief courtship, the couple wed on September 25, 1845. . Ordered to Pollard, the regiment remained in that vicinity for nearly a year. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Forrest continued to lead his men in small-scale operations, including the Battle of Dover and the Battle of Brentwood until April 1863. cemeteries found in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Booth. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. [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. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. 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.. Forrest took his grievance to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. 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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. [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. [48][49] Forrest distinguished himself further at the Battle of Fort Donelson in February 1862. [169] The party advocated termination of the Freedman's Bureau and any government policy designed to aid blacks in the South. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. The next month, he captured the Union garrison with its stores at Murfreesboro, and on July 21, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general, and began a long and illustrious association with the Confederate Army of Tennessee. 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. Subsequently, then-Mayor A C Wharton urged that the statue of Forrest be removed from the Health Sciences Park and suggested that the remains of Forrest and his wife be relocated to their original burial site in nearby Elmwood Cemetery. 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. [208][209][210] In 2005, Shelby County Commissioner Walter Bailey started an effort to move the statue over Forrest's grave and rename Forrest Park. During this time, Nathan had barely survived a typhoid epidemic that ravaged the region and took the lives of three of his siblings, including his twin sister. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. For Selma, of all places, to have a big monument to a Klansman is totally unacceptable". 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 With the battle almost won, a second Union force appeared, and Forrest was fortunate to save most of his force. From the 1850 federal census, William M. Forrest lived with his father, mother, and sister at DeSoto County, Mississippi. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4LH-RSS, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T2-T2N, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD8Q-6Q1, http://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/history/military/pension006.htm, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDW8-DXD, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8578580/william-montgomery-forrest, "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (, "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (, "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (, "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (. We encourage you to research and . He attended Georgia Institute of Technology from 1924 to 1934, and was commissioned in the Cavalry from West Point in 1928. Part of General Nathan Bedfords Obituary The New York Times, October 30, 1877: Of late years, his views had undergone a considerable change. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? A system error has occurred. Caph, DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States, Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, White County, White County, Tennessee, United States, Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, 1791-1963, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, 1836-1922, Birth of Capt. It was after these efforts failed that Klan violence and intimidation escalated and became widespread. Login to find your connection. [140] The organization had grown to the point that an experienced commander was needed, and Forrest was well-suited to assume the role. An uncle of William was a Major in the reorganized regiment. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Nathan B. Forrest III was born in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1905. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. GREAT NEWS! Capt. 6 feet 2 inches. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. William was 15 years old. [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. According to survivors, many blacks were killed after they had surrendered. 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. Gen. Benjamin Grierson's cavalry division. The losses were a deep blow to the black regiment under Sturgis's command. Just one grandparent can lead you to many To use this feature, use a newer browser. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. This account has been disabled. [23], Forrest was well known as a Memphis speculator and Mississippi gambler. Hernando, DeSoto County, Mississippi, USA. "[254], On June 3, 2021, the remains of Forrest and his wife were exhumed from their burial place in the park, where they had been for over a century, in order to be reburied in Columbia, Tennessee. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Forrest was elevated in Memphis in particularwhere he lived and diedto the status of folk hero. High schools named for Forrest were built in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. "[126] A memorial to him, the first Civil War memorial in Memphis, was erected in 1905 in a new Nathan Bedford Forrest Park. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. On April 21, Capt. On November 4, 1864, during the Battle of Johnsonville, the Confederates shelled the city, sinking three gunboats and nearly thirty other ships and destroying many tons of supplies. This is a cenotaph. [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. Montgomery Shelby S9866 White's Co. On April 25, 1845, Nathan Bedford Forrest married Mary Ann Montgomery in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Originated after 10/1/2011 or before 7/1/2007 (These limits were determined under the provisions of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008). He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. The effort was spearheaded by Take 'Em Down 901, an organization dedicated to removing Confederate iconography, which was founded by activist Tami Sawyer. Not always affable, Forrest had troubles with some superiors, particularly General Braxton Bragg. Thus the whites received quarter, but the Negroes were shown no mercy. In the ensuing raids he was pursued by thousands of Union soldiers trying to locate his fast-moving forces. [189] In light of the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, some Tennessee lawmakers advocated removing a bust of Forrest located in the state's Capitol building. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Report of the Committee on the Conduct of the War. [80], On April 12, 1864, Forrest's men, under Brig. After the age of 8, Bill grew up as an only child. [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. 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. Please reset your password. And so began the lifelong love affair that would become part of the legend of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Nathan Bedford Forrest was born to William and Miriam Beck Forrest in Bedford County, Tennessee in 1821. William supported his family as a blacksmith who had been part of the westward expansion across Tennessee, moving from one village to another as opportunity presented itself. A Tennessee town's absurd and tacky monument to General Nathan Bedford Forrest. 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. Modern historians generally believe that Forrest's attack on Fort Pillow was a massacre, noting high casualty rates, and the rebels targeting black soldiers. The bronze casting of more than heroic size (one and one-half life size), weighs 9,500 pounds. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. [201] As an armory for the Confederacy, Selma provided a substantial part of the South's ammunition during the Civil War. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. [46] Forrest's command included his Escort Company (his "Special Forces"), for which he selected the best soldiers available. 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. Historians have differed in their interpretations of the events at Fort Pillow. [114] He continued to oppose Union efforts in the West for the remainder of the war. 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. [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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. (CSA), William Montgomery Forrest, Burial of Capt. There was an error deleting this problem. His younger sister, Francis Fannie Ann was born in 1849 but passed away at age 6 in 1854. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God's earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. Upon seeing how badly equipped the CSA was, Forrest offered to buy horses and equipment with his own money for a regiment of Tennessee volunteer soldiers. I hope I am a better man now than then. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of William Forrest (8578580)? This was a landmark civil rights case in the United States in which the Interstate Commerce Commission, in response to a bus segregation complaint filed in 1953 by Black Women's Army Corps (WAC) private Sarah Louise Keys. [157] According to Wills, in the August 1867 state elections the Klan was relatively restrained in its actions. [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. A system error has occurred. [227] According to this analysis, Forrest's troops were carrying out Confederate policy. Forrest's notoriety only increased . Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Even so, he never completely adjusted to the new realities of the postwar South. [81] Bradford refused to surrender, believing his troops could escape to the Union gunboat, USS New Era, on the Mississippi River. The lieutenant colonel shared his winter quarters with his wife Mary and their son Willie. Forrest had fewer men than the Union side but feigned having a larger force by parading some repeatedly around a hilltop until Streight was convinced to surrender his 1,500 or so exhausted troops (historians Kevin Dougherty and Keith S. Hebert say he had about 1,700 men). If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Capt Forrest Tenn Cav Confederate States Army, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. More than 100,000 men from Tennessee served with the Confederacy and over 31,000 served with the Union. Brother of Frances Ann Forrest It was evident that he felt this, as his constantly-repeated defenses of himself show. In the fall of 1864, the 7th reported to Gen'l Nathan Bedford Forrest at Corinth, Mississippi and was reassigned to Rucker's Brigade. [206] After several public forums and discussions, Westside High School was unanimously approved in January 2014 as the school's new name. Forrest became well known for his early use of maneuver tactics as applied to a mobile horse cavalry deployment. Nathan was born on July 13 1821, in Chapel Hill, Bedford, now Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? The memorials and decide if they should be merged activate your account as an only.. Union efforts in the reorganized regiment PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: you have questions, please contact [ emailprotected.! 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