What do people out there know about Natan Bedford Forrest the great Confederate general of the Civil War?

Question

I would like to know opinions. Forrest is arguably the greatest American commander of calvary that ever lived. He has also been termed the greatest Confederate general after Lee by some. He has been called one of only two authentic natural geniuses of the Civil War era, the other Abraham Lincoln. What are you folks opinions? Would you like a Forrest today as a field commander in the "War on Terror"?

Answer 1

Brilliant cavalry officer!  Not much of a human being.  Founder of the KKK.  

No, I would not choose to serve a racist elitist in today's war on terror.  

Answer 2

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if a cavalry officer's talents would be transferrable to the current situation.

To be fair, and I know this is a bit controversial, but the original KKK was more of a resistance group to Northern occupation than an outright racist group.  As many southerners, they considered themselves an invaded land, a subject people, an occupied country with a collaborationist government foisted upon them.   They were ready to do what was necessary to kick the occupiers out, which included striking out at what they saw as the central icon of the invasion: black people living free, and in many cases, holding political authority over those who once owned them.  

I am a New Englander, btw, not a southerner.

Answer 3

Greatest commander of cavalry that ever lived...not so sure about that. Don't forget Gen. George S. Patton. This man was brilliant on the battlefield. Other than that, I agree with you everything you've written. And YES I wish we had a commander like him in Iraq.

Answer 4

Forrest was a self made millionaire before the war, and was a fighter, no doubt. He was also responsible for the massacre at Fort Pillow, and was involved is the beginnings of the KKK a racist ,bigoted group.Would I want him involved as a field commander, sure, but in this days armed services, his hands would be tied by congress, oversight committees, and politics. During the civil war he was left virtually alone to do his thing.

Answer 5

Forrest was one of only two non West Pointers to rise above the rank of major general in the Confederate service.  Like Wade Hampton, who led the cavalry in Lee's Army after Stuart's death, Forrest became a three star general.  Hampton was the richest man in the south though, and had started as a colonel.  Forrest was born dirt poor and was a self made man, who had prospered in the slave trade.  Forrest originally enlisted as a private.  

He is abused today for the slaughter of black Union troops after the capture of Fort Pillow, which his men began spontaneously, and all testimony is that Forrest ran around furiously knocking up rifle muzzles and brought an end to the killings, but this is overlooked today.  He is also arraigned for "starting" the KKK, which, as noted, began as a sort of "resistance" among former Confederates, who were disenfranchised, while illiterate freed slaves were encouraged to vote Republican.  When the KKK turned violent, he ordered it disbanded, and then resigned, which is also overlooked today.

He had threatened to kill Braxton Bragg, and the Confederacy would probably have been much better off had he done so.  Bragg continually removed units from Forrest's command after Forrest recruited them, to give them over to Joe Wheeler, who though nothing like as effective as Forrest, was a West Pointer like Bragg.  Had Forrest been allowed free rein to use the forces who enthusiastically enlisted to serve with him the course of the war would undoubtedly have been altered.