Nathan Bedford Forrest - Biography Notes essays

Nathan Bedford Forrest - Biography Notes essays Nathan Bedford Forrest was a businessman, a slave owner, a Confederate general, and the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Forrest is most known for his leadership and courage during the Civil War. Although some of Forrests ideals may be considered absurd, he was a man with the utmost potential. Many have seen him as a war hero as he guided his battalion across an array of battles and skirmishes across both the Union and Confederate states. He was also accused of committing a rather controversial war crime. Today, many people still see him as a hero and a symbol of courage despite his political and social views (Davidson). One attribute that Nathan Bedford Forrest, Ambrose Burnside, Johnny Clem, and Kady Brownell had in common, was bravery. During his service, Forrest led his cavalrymen to what appeared to be certain death. He and his men were almost always successful in their endeavors. Forrest had commanded in some of the war's greatest battles such as the battle of Shiloh, Sacramento, and Fort Donelson. At one time, Forrest found himself surrounded by Union forces yet somehow managed to make his way through the carnage. During his fight to escape the Union forces, he was shot in the side by a rifle, tossing him up in the air. He then snatched up a Union soldier and used him for protection against further gunfire. Once he was in the clear, he dumped the Union soldier (Davidson). Forrest was born on July 13, 1821, in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. He was born to North Carolina-born parents. The living conditions he grew up in were unsatisfactory as he and his family were very poor. Forrest didnt receive any formal education but learned important backwoods skills such as hunting, fishing, and survival. Unfortunately, when Forrest was only 16, his father, William Forrest, passed away. Soon after his fathers death, Forrest moved to Mississippi to work for his uncle, Jonathan Forrest. They worked in a tailor shop in H...