First with the Most: Nathan Bedford ForestAthan 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 be said, do not possess the mobility relative to the main force which they attack that Forrest's dedicated band of horsemen enjoyed. Following in the footsteps of Francis Marion and Light-horse Henry Lee, American practitioners of the devastating hit-and-run cavalry attack 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 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. |
Contents
CHAPTER | 13 |
THE FIRST COMMAND AND THE FIRST FIGHTJuly | 27 |
OUT OF THE FALL OF FORT DONELSONDecember | 47 |
Copyright | |
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advance afternoon Alabama ammunition arms Army of Tennessee arrived artillery attack battery battle Bragg bridge brigade Buford camp campaign Captain captured cavalry Chalmers charge Chattanooga Collierville Colonel column command Confederate Corinth corps Creek crossing Cumberland dismounted dispatch division Donelson east enemy escort expedition fall back Federal fight fire flank Forrest reported Fort Donelson Fort Pillow Franklin front garrison Georgia gunboats guns headquarters Hood horses infantry Jackson Johnsonville Johnston Jordan and Pryor Kentucky killed Lieutenant Major McMinnville Memphis ment Middle Tennessee miles military Mississippi morning Morton mounted moved movement Murfreesborough Nashville nessee night o'clock officers Okolona 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 River tion town train troops Tupelo turned Union army Union forces wagons Washburn West Tennessee wounded wrote Wyeth