“First With The Most” ForrestNathan Bedford Forrest did not invent mobilized guerilla warfare, but he did modernize and polish it to an extent that has left few theoretical areas for improvement. Tanks and jeeps, it could even be said, do not possess the mobility relative to the main force which they attach that Forrest’s dedicated band of horsemen enjoyed. Following in the footsteps of Francis Marion and Lighthorse Harry Lee, American practitioners of the devastating hit-and-run cavalry attach of the Revolutionary War, Forrest raised their effective but geographically limited campaigns to an art-form spread over the widest possible tactical theatre. He accomplished this with superior knowledge of terrain and of horses coupled and with an iron will, a complete disregard for physical exhaustion (his own and that of his men) and, this book will demonstrate, by the most admirable sort of sheer country orneriness. Forrest, a man of simple upbringing, is the perfect symbol for the odd mélange that was the Confederate Army; patrician West Pointers like Lee side by side by unregenerate racists like Forrest. These well-bred students of battles and from the classical era were not prevented by an almost unimaginable difference in class from being able to recognize the tactical genius of a farmer from the low country... That any scholar of this history of warfare would have to judge Forrest rather more harshly for his conduct after the war than this conduct during it is just another tragic aspect of the larger tragedy that generated The War Between the States. Heroes rose from unlikely places and returned, when the time for heroism had past, to their more unheroic pursuits. Whether than return negates the valor shown during the conflict is only for you to determine, after you have learned of Forrest’s life in all its aspects, heroic, and less so. |
Contents
CHAPTER VIBATTLE AT THE PLACE OF PEACEMarch | |
CHAPTER VIIFROM MISSISSIPPI TO KENTUCKYJune | |
CHAPTER VIIITHE FIRST WEST TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN | |
CHAPTER XVITHE OCCUPATION OF WEST TENNESSEE | |
AND KENTUCKYFebruary 26 1864April 10 1864 263 | |
CHAPTER XVIIIA SWORD AGAINST SHERMANS LIFE | |
HIGHWATER | |
THE RAID THAT RECALLED | |
INVADING ARMYJuly 24 1864August 25 1864 368 | |
CHAPTER XXIIIAMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS 1864 STYLE | |
SPRING HILL AND FRANKLIN | |
THRUST AND PARRY | |
CHAPTER XTHE PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF STREIGHT | |
CHAPTER XIRETREAT WITH THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE | |
CHAPTER XIIVICTORY WITHOUT FRUITSJuly 6 1863 | |
CHAPTER XIIITO NEW FIELDSSeptember 21 1863 | |
CHAPTER XIVA GENERAL FINDSAND MAKESHIS | |
DEBUT IN VICTORYJanuary | |
CHAPTER XXVTHE REAR GUARD OF RETREAT FROM | |
CHAPTER XXVITHE LAST CAMPAIGN AND SURRENDER | |
CHAPTER XXVIITHE GRAND WIZARD OF THE INVISIBLE | |
CHAPTER XXVIIITHE HARDER WAR18651877 508 | |
A NOTE ON GEOGRAPHICAL CHANGES 525 | |
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 532 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
advance afternoon Alabama ammunition Army of Tennessee artillery attack battery battle Bell’s Bragg bridge brigade Buford camp campaign Captain captured cavalry Chalmers charge Chattanooga Collierville column command Corinth corps Creek crossed Cumberland day’s dismounted dispatch division Donelson east enemy enemy’s expedition Federal fight fire flank Forrest reported Forrest’s cavalry Fort Donelson Franklin garrison Georgia gunboats guns headquarters Hood Hood’s horses infantry Jackson Johnsonville Johnston Jordan and Pryor Kentucky killed Lee’s Major McMinnville Memphis Middle Tennessee miles military Mississippi morning Morton mounted moved movement Murfreesboro Nashville night o’clock officers orders pike Pillow Polk position prisoners raid railroad rear guard regiment retreat road Rosecrans scouts sent Serial Sherman Smith soldiers Spring Hill started Streight Sturgis supplies surrender Tennessee Cavalry Tennessee River town train troops Union army Union forces wagons Washburn West Tennessee William Sooy Smith Wilson wounded wrote Wyeth