"The truth about General Forrest, like the South he defended,
though crushed to the earth has a surprising ability to rise again."
-James Ronald Kennedy
Truth be told, until only a few years ago, I had never
heard of the man named Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Having been born and raised in southern New Jersey,
I was not taught that much about the American Civil War in
school either, and certainly not from the viewpoint of the South.
heard of the man named Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Having been born and raised in southern New Jersey,
I was not taught that much about the American Civil War in
school either, and certainly not from the viewpoint of the South.
I do remember learning in history class that the war was
fought to end slavery and to preserve and restore the
Union after the southern slave-holding states broke away.
fought to end slavery and to preserve and restore the
Union after the southern slave-holding states broke away.
Growing up in the mid-1970's I remember when the
mini-series, "Roots" premiered on television, as well as
the screen adaptation of John Jakes' novel, "North and South".
I can also remember the television commercial advertising
the series about the Civil War from Time-Life Books.
Later on as a young adult, I became an ardent fan of the
classic movie, "Gone With The Wind". I also read the book.
I have long thought about what happened to the South
especially after Washington unleashed the volatile forces of
General William Sherman against the defenseless people there.
His scorched earth policy from Atlanta to the sea was implemented,
in Sherman's own words, "...to take their lives, their homes, their
lands, their everything...To the persistent secessionist, why,
death is mercy, and the quicker he or she is disposed of the better..."
in Sherman's own words, "...to take their lives, their homes, their
lands, their everything...To the persistent secessionist, why,
death is mercy, and the quicker he or she is disposed of the better..."
It must have been absolutely horrible for those who lived through it.
"Nathan Bedford Forrest Southern Hero, American Patriot"
by acclaimed writer and Confederate historian, Lochlainn Seabrook,
is the story of one of the South's and America's greatest unsung heroes.
Mr. Seabrook is also a cousin of Nathan Bedford Forrest.
In almost the same divisive spirit of General Sherman, revisionist
historians of the Civil War, most of whom were schooled in
the bastions of liberal think-speak, or the higher echelons of
academia on the East and West coasts, have done a major
hit job on the reputation of Nathan Bedford Forrest,
demonizing him as an illiterate backwoodsman, a cruel slaver,
and the founder and first imperial wizard of the KKK.
Meanwhile, as we have witnessed just this past year,
politically-motivated agitators and their supporters-in cahoots
with a biased and conspiratorial national news media- have
sought to remove any lingering traces of what they have
deemed, "The Lost Cause of the Confederacy" applauding the
violent removal of centuries old Confederate war hero statues
and monuments from public squares and parks across the South.
The vandals who have attacked and smashed these
priceless historical treasures and are calling for the removal
of the "racist" Confederate flag from public view, are
not only woefully ignorant about the real causes behind
the Civil War, but have been taught to hate America
and all that we have stood for as a nation.
I find it both shocking and sad that many young people
today cannot tell you what happened at Pearl Harbor
on Sunday December 7, 1941 much less about what
happened in places like Shiloh and Gettysburg.
Of course, Civil War re-enactments have grown in popularity
over the years in both the South and in the North.
However, most of the presentations up here in
Yankee territory are told solely from the northern vantage point.
I recently attended a local presentation on the Civil War,
complete with an Abe Lincoln impersonator chastising the crowd
of listeners while standing on a platform outside a restored
railroad depot. A garrison of Yankee soldier-reenactors were
camped out on the lawn nearby. According to "Honest Abe"
prior to the outbreak of the war, the good citizens of the
Garden State had sorely disappointed him, as
many New Jerseyans were seriously considering secession!
Well, this was certainly news to me, too!
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why to this day the Confederate
flag is proudly flown in the front yards of homes in the remote
communities along the Delaware Bay in our state.
The "Honest Abe" impersonator was followed at the mike
by a professor from the local university who was said to be
an expert on the history of the Civil War.
Out of politeness I remained quiet, trying to listen to what he was saying,
but at the same time my mind kept wandering, as I occasionally
swatted at the pesky yellow jackets hovering around me on this
unusually warm mid-October afternoon.
As the speaker and the hornets droned on, I began to feel a compelling
urge welling up from the depths of my soul to sing aloud
the words of the famous southern anthem,
"O I wish I were in the land of cotton, Old times there
are not forgotten, Look away, Look away, Look away, Dixieland..."
Of course I refrained from doing this because I felt my
youngest son, who was with me that day,
might be embarrassed by his mother's sudden
and unabashed display of American defiance.
This was a presumptuous thought on my account.
He recently told me he would not have been the
least bit embarrassed!
However, I might well have incurred the wrath of
my sister, who was in charge of putting on the
presentation for the local historical society.
She probably would have disowned me.
But now back to Mr. Forrest..
Mr. Seabrook is also a cousin of Nathan Bedford Forrest.
In almost the same divisive spirit of General Sherman, revisionist
historians of the Civil War, most of whom were schooled in
the bastions of liberal think-speak, or the higher echelons of
academia on the East and West coasts, have done a major
hit job on the reputation of Nathan Bedford Forrest,
demonizing him as an illiterate backwoodsman, a cruel slaver,
and the founder and first imperial wizard of the KKK.
Meanwhile, as we have witnessed just this past year,
politically-motivated agitators and their supporters-in cahoots
with a biased and conspiratorial national news media- have
sought to remove any lingering traces of what they have
deemed, "The Lost Cause of the Confederacy" applauding the
violent removal of centuries old Confederate war hero statues
and monuments from public squares and parks across the South.
The vandals who have attacked and smashed these
priceless historical treasures and are calling for the removal
of the "racist" Confederate flag from public view, are
not only woefully ignorant about the real causes behind
the Civil War, but have been taught to hate America
and all that we have stood for as a nation.
I find it both shocking and sad that many young people
today cannot tell you what happened at Pearl Harbor
on Sunday December 7, 1941 much less about what
happened in places like Shiloh and Gettysburg.
Of course, Civil War re-enactments have grown in popularity
over the years in both the South and in the North.
However, most of the presentations up here in
Yankee territory are told solely from the northern vantage point.
I recently attended a local presentation on the Civil War,
complete with an Abe Lincoln impersonator chastising the crowd
of listeners while standing on a platform outside a restored
railroad depot. A garrison of Yankee soldier-reenactors were
camped out on the lawn nearby. According to "Honest Abe"
prior to the outbreak of the war, the good citizens of the
Garden State had sorely disappointed him, as
many New Jerseyans were seriously considering secession!
Well, this was certainly news to me, too!
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why to this day the Confederate
flag is proudly flown in the front yards of homes in the remote
communities along the Delaware Bay in our state.
The "Honest Abe" impersonator was followed at the mike
by a professor from the local university who was said to be
an expert on the history of the Civil War.
Out of politeness I remained quiet, trying to listen to what he was saying,
but at the same time my mind kept wandering, as I occasionally
swatted at the pesky yellow jackets hovering around me on this
unusually warm mid-October afternoon.
As the speaker and the hornets droned on, I began to feel a compelling
urge welling up from the depths of my soul to sing aloud
the words of the famous southern anthem,
"O I wish I were in the land of cotton, Old times there
are not forgotten, Look away, Look away, Look away, Dixieland..."
Of course I refrained from doing this because I felt my
youngest son, who was with me that day,
might be embarrassed by his mother's sudden
and unabashed display of American defiance.
This was a presumptuous thought on my account.
He recently told me he would not have been the
least bit embarrassed!
However, I might well have incurred the wrath of
my sister, who was in charge of putting on the
presentation for the local historical society.
She probably would have disowned me.
But now back to Mr. Forrest..
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Southern Hero. American Patriot
(1821-1877)
Born in a log cabin on July 13, 1821 in Chapel Hill, Tennessee
Nathan Bedford Forrest was the oldest son of an impoverished
pioneer family living on the edge of what was then the western frontier.
pioneer family living on the edge of what was then the western frontier.
His early years were spent helping his father clear the land for
their farm and learning to survive in the wilderness.
their farm and learning to survive in the wilderness.
In 1833, Nathan's father, William Forrest, moved his family to a rented
farm in Tippah County, Mississippi to try his hand at cotton farming.
However, only four years later, Nathan's father died, and being the
oldest child, Nathan overnight became the man
of the thirteen member household.
oldest child, Nathan overnight became the man
of the thirteen member household.
Although as a teenager Nathan worked hard
to support his mother and siblings on the farm,
when he turned 21 he set out on his own.
While living in Hernando, Mississippi he met and later married
to support his mother and siblings on the farm,
when he turned 21 he set out on his own.
While living in Hernando, Mississippi he met and later married
Mary Ann Montgomery, a cousin of Texas Governor Sam Houston.
Together they had two children, William and Francis.
As an enterprising young husband and father, Nathan Forrest started
his own stage line, owned a brickyard and a construction company,
ran a livery stable, was elected sheriff, and traded in farming supplies.
But this man's true passion was horses.
From a young age, Nathan was said to "ride like a Comanche".
From a young age, Nathan was said to "ride like a Comanche".
During the War for Southern Independence, his riding skills, combined with
a natural impulsiveness, not to mention his fiery Celtic temper, earned him
his reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
his reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
"The Devil" as the Union forces called him, was well known not only for
his piercing blue eyes and fearless demeanor, but, according to
his piercing blue eyes and fearless demeanor, but, according to
his cousin, for "his infernal harass-and-destroy maneuvers,
diabolical bluffs, and fiendish surrender-or-die tactics" which struck
terror in the hearts of many Yankee soldiers caught off guard by this
brilliant frontier strategist and loyal band of followers.
Nathan Bedford Forrest, however, was a man of his time, and like
a lot of people in his day, he owned slaves.
a lot of people in his day, he owned slaves.
Today we see slavery and the slave trade of centuries past as an
abomination, and rightly so, however, in our nation's infancy, the
institution of slavery was a legal business practice under the law.
During Forrest's time, slavery was even sanctioned
under the US Constitution, which is something else I learned
while reading his biography
During Forrest's time, slavery was even sanctioned
under the US Constitution, which is something else I learned
while reading his biography
Slavery and the slave-trade began in the North, and in the years leading
up to the war, many thousands of people owned slaves here.
up to the war, many thousands of people owned slaves here.
The famous Sojourner Truth was the slave of a Dutch-born master
who lived in New York State, while my home state of New Jersey
was one of the last of the northern states to outlaw slavery.
Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, not all slave owners were white folks.
who lived in New York State, while my home state of New Jersey
was one of the last of the northern states to outlaw slavery.
Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, not all slave owners were white folks.
As America expanded further westward, and the South became more populated,
free black men also owned slaves, as did some of the American
Indian tribes, like my ancestors, the Cherokees.
According to Seabrook, one example of blacks holding
other blacks as slaves is the Metoyer family of Louisiana,
whom are described as "an African-American clan who owned
400 black slaves. At about $2000 a piece, their servants were
worth a total of $20,000,000 in today's currency, making the
Metoyers one of the wealthiest families in American history,
black or white. Forrest never owned anywhere near this many
black servants, and was certainly not as affluent."
free black men also owned slaves, as did some of the American
Indian tribes, like my ancestors, the Cherokees.
From the year of our founding as a nation, 1776, to the end
of the Civil War in 1865, it has been a long established, if suppressed
fact, that buying slaves was open to anyone who could afford to
buy them, regardless of their race or skin color.
fact, that buying slaves was open to anyone who could afford to
buy them, regardless of their race or skin color.
According to Seabrook, one example of blacks holding
other blacks as slaves is the Metoyer family of Louisiana,
whom are described as "an African-American clan who owned
400 black slaves. At about $2000 a piece, their servants were
worth a total of $20,000,000 in today's currency, making the
Metoyers one of the wealthiest families in American history,
black or white. Forrest never owned anywhere near this many
black servants, and was certainly not as affluent."
In the book, "The Lost German Slave Girl: The Extraordinary
True Story Of Sally Miller And Her Fight For Freedom In New Orleans"
author John Bailey convincingly brings to light the fact that white people
were also enslaved, and not merely "indentured servants" paying
off a debt through servitude.
True Story Of Sally Miller And Her Fight For Freedom In New Orleans"
author John Bailey convincingly brings to light the fact that white people
were also enslaved, and not merely "indentured servants" paying
off a debt through servitude.
Perhaps people in that time and place considered slavery as a
necessary evil, much in the same way many Americans today
regard the heinous practices of abortion-on-demand and
euthanasia as 'necessary evils'.
regard the heinous practices of abortion-on-demand and
euthanasia as 'necessary evils'.
But again, let's return to the life of Nathan Bedford Forrest...
Unlike the lies spun by his detractors, Forrest was a politically
conservative man, who, like many other southerners, initially
opposed the idea of succession. But when President Abraham Lincoln
launched his illegal war against the South, trampling states' rights,
Nathan Bedford Forrest joined the Confederacy and took up arms
to defend his beloved homeland from the invasion of federal troops.
Forrest became a zealous recruiter, signing up both white
and black men to serve in his cavalry.
Meanwhile, contrary to what I have been taught about President
Abraham Lincoln, according to the author of this book, our 16th
President was not only a big government progressive, but
a warmonger, and a white supremacist, who, along with his
political idol, slave-owning statesman, Henry Clay, was a leader
in the American Colonization Society, which sought to deport all
blacks out of the country. Lincoln also refused to abolish slavery in
Washington D.C. for years, and opted to use the labor of slaves to
complete the Capitol building and other structures and to construct
new roads instead of using the free labor available at the time.
After reading these shocking, yet well researched and documented details,
I was left thinking that while Abraham Lincoln was also a man of his time,
, he seemed to be about as much as a "Great Liberator" as Attila the Hun
or Adolf Hitler, the latter of whom admired Lincoln's best efforts
to kill states' rights as recorded in his book, "Mein Kampf".
This is definitely a most bitter pill to swallow, especially after reading
many glowing attributes to "Honest Abe" over the years, as well as
remembering my visit to see the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC
back in 1987. Could it really be that much of what has been
written about our 16th President over the years is akin to
what is today called, "Fake News"?
Personally, looking at the crisis from an entirely different perspective,
Abraham Lincoln's vision for America may have been tainted by
something beyond the realm of politics. He may very well have
yielded himself, perhaps unintentionally at first, to the dangerous allure
of what the apostle Paul called, "the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly sphere." (Ephesians 6:12)
Although not mention in this book, it has been well- documented
that during his time in the White House, both Abraham Lincoln
and his wife, Mary, were deeply interested in spiritualism,
as well as other occult practices, which were popular
in American society at the time. It seems that the subjects
of dying and death also fascinated many in the mid-Victorian era.
Abraham Lincoln is said to have permitted his wife and First Lady
Mary Todd Lincoln, to invite famous spirit mediums to the White House
in order to conduct seances. Lincoln is reported to have attended
at least one of these spirit-summoning sessions. Could it possibly
be that our 16th President received and actually adhered to
advice for governing the nation and even launching his war
against the South, from evil spirits summoned during a seance?
Lincoln would not be the first famous leader of a nation to
turn away from Almighty God and to the powers of darkness
in order to seek answers to his problems.
In the Bible, desperate King Saul broke his own strict law
regarding the practices of soothsaying and witchcraft when
he, while in disguise, sought help from the seer-medium of
Endor and asked her to conjure up the spirit of Samuel for him.
Was the apparition which appeared to the medium
really that of the prophet Samuel?
No one knows for sure.
However, those who are familiar with this story know
will remember that Saul later died- as proclaimed by the "ghost" of Samuel-
along with his sons, after they were defeated in a battle with the Philistines.
During her years in the White House, Mrs. Lincoln was known
for her often erratic behavior. After their son, Willie, succumbed to
typhoid fever in 1862, Mary Lincoln claimed that the spirit of the
young lad often came to visit her in the night.
After her husband's assassination in April,1865
she claimed that his ghost also visited her.
In her post White House years, Mary Lincoln continued
to suffer from severe depression, however, she apparently
could not give up her fascination with the occult.
I was further surprised to learn from this book
that President Lincoln's famous, " Emancipation
Proclamation" did not end slavery in America. It was only
with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in December,1865
that the once legitimate practice of slavery ended here forever.
conservative man, who, like many other southerners, initially
opposed the idea of succession. But when President Abraham Lincoln
launched his illegal war against the South, trampling states' rights,
Nathan Bedford Forrest joined the Confederacy and took up arms
to defend his beloved homeland from the invasion of federal troops.
Forrest became a zealous recruiter, signing up both white
and black men to serve in his cavalry.
Meanwhile, contrary to what I have been taught about President
Abraham Lincoln, according to the author of this book, our 16th
President was not only a big government progressive, but
a warmonger, and a white supremacist, who, along with his
political idol, slave-owning statesman, Henry Clay, was a leader
in the American Colonization Society, which sought to deport all
blacks out of the country. Lincoln also refused to abolish slavery in
Washington D.C. for years, and opted to use the labor of slaves to
complete the Capitol building and other structures and to construct
new roads instead of using the free labor available at the time.
After reading these shocking, yet well researched and documented details,
I was left thinking that while Abraham Lincoln was also a man of his time,
, he seemed to be about as much as a "Great Liberator" as Attila the Hun
or Adolf Hitler, the latter of whom admired Lincoln's best efforts
to kill states' rights as recorded in his book, "Mein Kampf".
This is definitely a most bitter pill to swallow, especially after reading
many glowing attributes to "Honest Abe" over the years, as well as
remembering my visit to see the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC
back in 1987. Could it really be that much of what has been
written about our 16th President over the years is akin to
what is today called, "Fake News"?
Personally, looking at the crisis from an entirely different perspective,
Abraham Lincoln's vision for America may have been tainted by
something beyond the realm of politics. He may very well have
yielded himself, perhaps unintentionally at first, to the dangerous allure
of what the apostle Paul called, "the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly sphere." (Ephesians 6:12)
Although not mention in this book, it has been well- documented
that during his time in the White House, both Abraham Lincoln
and his wife, Mary, were deeply interested in spiritualism,
as well as other occult practices, which were popular
in American society at the time. It seems that the subjects
of dying and death also fascinated many in the mid-Victorian era.
Abraham Lincoln is said to have permitted his wife and First Lady
Mary Todd Lincoln, to invite famous spirit mediums to the White House
in order to conduct seances. Lincoln is reported to have attended
at least one of these spirit-summoning sessions. Could it possibly
be that our 16th President received and actually adhered to
advice for governing the nation and even launching his war
against the South, from evil spirits summoned during a seance?
Lincoln would not be the first famous leader of a nation to
turn away from Almighty God and to the powers of darkness
in order to seek answers to his problems.
In the Bible, desperate King Saul broke his own strict law
regarding the practices of soothsaying and witchcraft when
he, while in disguise, sought help from the seer-medium of
Endor and asked her to conjure up the spirit of Samuel for him.
Was the apparition which appeared to the medium
really that of the prophet Samuel?
No one knows for sure.
However, those who are familiar with this story know
will remember that Saul later died- as proclaimed by the "ghost" of Samuel-
along with his sons, after they were defeated in a battle with the Philistines.
During her years in the White House, Mrs. Lincoln was known
for her often erratic behavior. After their son, Willie, succumbed to
typhoid fever in 1862, Mary Lincoln claimed that the spirit of the
young lad often came to visit her in the night.
After her husband's assassination in April,1865
she claimed that his ghost also visited her.
In her post White House years, Mary Lincoln continued
to suffer from severe depression, however, she apparently
could not give up her fascination with the occult.
Fake photography or a familiar spirit?
I was further surprised to learn from this book
that President Lincoln's famous, " Emancipation
Proclamation" did not end slavery in America. It was only
with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in December,1865
that the once legitimate practice of slavery ended here forever.
However, unlike Lincoln, who opposed black enlistment during his illegal
War on the South, Nathan Bedford Forrest not only freed his own servants
several years before the conflict began, but by 1861, agreed to emancipate qualified
blacks and integrate them into the Confederate military.
At the start of the War, Nathan Bedford Forrest had enlisted sixty-five
At the start of the War, Nathan Bedford Forrest had enlisted sixty-five
slaves and freedmen to serve under his command, with forty-five of these
men having come from his own plantations. He later abolished slavery
in his own cavalry after the Battle at Chickamauga in 1863.
Reunion of Nathan Bedford Forrest's Escorts
Lynchburg, Tennessee
(Circa early 1890's)
After the war ended, Forrest agreed to let his 200 black employees,
all freedmen, out of their work contracts. Only eighteen of the men decided
to leave; one hundred and eighty two chose to stay working for him,
remaining very productive as well as loyal employees.
Meanwhile, many former slaves, who once worked on his plantation,
Green Grove, in Mississippi returned there after the war
and were also given employment by the man that
they once called, "Marse Bedford".
Unlike some slave-holders who abused their slaves, or, sold
them away from their families, Nathan Bedford Forrest was noted for
his fair-mindedness in regards to the slave trade, and refused to
separate slave families, keeping them together on his plantations.
Although far from perfect, Nathan Bedford Forrest was said to be
both a devoted husband and father. Therefore the assertion,
according to the author, that his ancestor was a cruel slaveholder,
an unfaithful spouse, and a debaucher, who carried on
in an affair with one of his female slaves, resulting in the
births of several illegitimate children, is patently false.
In the research he has gathered on his famous cousin,
Lochlainn Seabrook traced the origins of these scandalous
rumors to a northern newspaper, which printed the unfounded
allegations against General Forrest in attempt to sully his
reputation, not only as a man of integrity, but, as a
gallant freedom fighter for the Confederacy, not to mention
to further inflame northern hatred towards the South.
.
Because he was a slave owner, General Forrest is today
portrayed by revisionist historians as a racist.
While we can look back to the slave trade
and slavery in America and cringe in horror and disgust
at the thought of human beings owning other human beings,
with the latter having little or no rights under the law,
I have to wonder how many of our predecessors in 19th
century America would shudder with absolute revulsion
if confronted by the reality of the equally abominable,
21st century practice known as partial-birth abortion?
Personally, I see no difference between the horrible cruelty
of slavery in centuries past, and the cold-blooded murders
of nearly full-term babies being half way, or partially
delivered, from their mother's birth canal, only to be stabbed
with a surgical instrument at the base of the neck so their
tiny brains can be ripped out and their stem cells removed,
to be sold to the highest bidder for the purposes
of 'medical' and 'scientific' research.
As far as Nathan Bedford Forrest's notorious association with
the Imperial Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the original "Invisible Empire"
which was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee bares no resemblance
to the far right-wing hate group of today.
The original group can be likened to a neighborhood watch,
only well-armed, and constantly on guard in the aftermath of the war.
Many Southern survivors were now homeless, wandering the
destitute landscape looking for food and shelter.
Others, whose homes and properties had remained intact, were
now being victimized once again, this time by renegade Union forces
like Stoneman's Calvary, which led a savage campaign of mayhem
and murder across several southern states, not long after
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant in Virginia.
However, according to Forrest's biography, the courageous
efforts put forth by the original KKK in regards to defending
all Southerners regardless of race, creed, or skin color,
were continually challenged by disgruntled blacks in the South,
and by agencies like the Freedman's Bureau and the Loyal Leagues,
which advocated a violent uprising against white former slave
owners which resulted in a wave of anti-white hate crimes.
Angered whites within the Klan began to retaliate against these
violent insurrectionists, and their numbers started to grow along with
the increasing chaos in ruined towns and cities across the South.
As the Klan became increasingly alienated from its original purpose
to defend and protect all Southerners, while increasing it's membership
roster with bigoted white men committed to exterminate all black men,
women, and children, a disturbed Nathan Bedford Forrest called
for the disbanding of the group.
In 1871, the US government investigated Forrest's involvement with
the KKK, however, he was found innocent of any misconduct associated
with the original group. He later regretted any involvement with the Klan,
perhaps sensing that his initial support of them would one day
come back to haunt him.
As he grew older, Forrest became more introspective about his life.
He regretting many of his actions before, during, and after the war.
He sought to apologize to those he felt he had wronged in life,
even dropping several lawsuits against certain people,
though his lawyers claimed his cases were all winnable.
But perhaps the greatest renewal of this man's mind came
about as a result of his surrendering at the foot of the cross and
accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
In the last years of his life, Forrest became a strong supporter
of equal rights for black Americans and worked tirelessly to help
them in establishing their own businesses and obtaining the right to
vote in political elections in the South. He also generously
donated to many charities, especially those concerned with
aiding Confederate war veterans, widows, and orphans.
He donated most of his estate to them.
On October 29, 1877 this fearless warrior and proud son of the South
was called home to be with his Lord after a valiant last battle against the
ravages of exhaustion, war wounds, and diabetes.
Nathan Bedford Forrest was 56 years old.
He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann, and his son, William.
In a strange turn of events, although black Americans were not
allowed to attend the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln, who
has long been touted, "The Great Liberator" thousands of
African-Americans flocked to pay their respects
to the alleged, "notorious slaver" Nathan Bedford Forrest,
whom many of the mourners regarded not only as a
gallant hero of the Confederacy, but a true American patriot.
To this day, "I'll Ride With Forrest" remains a popular
slogan across the South.
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Fort Donelson, Tennessee
February 16, 1862
Mort Kunstler
"Contrary to Yankee myth, the Confederacy was not destroyed by Lincoln
and his War. It was never even officially dissolved by the North or the South.
More importantly, the Confederacy and the ideas for which it stands
(strict constitutionality, states rights, state sovereignty, the right of succession,
the right to bear arms, God, tradition, and family) live on in the
hearts of the people. Not just in the South, but in the hearts of
liberty-loving individuals everywhere: South, North, East, and West,
even in other nations around the globe."
-Lochlainn Seabrook
Lynchburg, Tennessee
(Circa early 1890's)
After the war ended, Forrest agreed to let his 200 black employees,
all freedmen, out of their work contracts. Only eighteen of the men decided
to leave; one hundred and eighty two chose to stay working for him,
remaining very productive as well as loyal employees.
Meanwhile, many former slaves, who once worked on his plantation,
Green Grove, in Mississippi returned there after the war
and were also given employment by the man that
they once called, "Marse Bedford".
Unlike some slave-holders who abused their slaves, or, sold
them away from their families, Nathan Bedford Forrest was noted for
his fair-mindedness in regards to the slave trade, and refused to
separate slave families, keeping them together on his plantations.
Although far from perfect, Nathan Bedford Forrest was said to be
both a devoted husband and father. Therefore the assertion,
according to the author, that his ancestor was a cruel slaveholder,
an unfaithful spouse, and a debaucher, who carried on
in an affair with one of his female slaves, resulting in the
births of several illegitimate children, is patently false.
In the research he has gathered on his famous cousin,
Lochlainn Seabrook traced the origins of these scandalous
rumors to a northern newspaper, which printed the unfounded
allegations against General Forrest in attempt to sully his
reputation, not only as a man of integrity, but, as a
gallant freedom fighter for the Confederacy, not to mention
to further inflame northern hatred towards the South.
.
Because he was a slave owner, General Forrest is today
portrayed by revisionist historians as a racist.
While we can look back to the slave trade
and slavery in America and cringe in horror and disgust
at the thought of human beings owning other human beings,
with the latter having little or no rights under the law,
I have to wonder how many of our predecessors in 19th
century America would shudder with absolute revulsion
if confronted by the reality of the equally abominable,
21st century practice known as partial-birth abortion?
Personally, I see no difference between the horrible cruelty
of slavery in centuries past, and the cold-blooded murders
of nearly full-term babies being half way, or partially
delivered, from their mother's birth canal, only to be stabbed
with a surgical instrument at the base of the neck so their
tiny brains can be ripped out and their stem cells removed,
to be sold to the highest bidder for the purposes
of 'medical' and 'scientific' research.
As far as Nathan Bedford Forrest's notorious association with
the Imperial Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the original "Invisible Empire"
which was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee bares no resemblance
to the far right-wing hate group of today.
The original group can be likened to a neighborhood watch,
only well-armed, and constantly on guard in the aftermath of the war.
Many Southern survivors were now homeless, wandering the
destitute landscape looking for food and shelter.
Others, whose homes and properties had remained intact, were
now being victimized once again, this time by renegade Union forces
like Stoneman's Calvary, which led a savage campaign of mayhem
and murder across several southern states, not long after
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant in Virginia.
However, according to Forrest's biography, the courageous
efforts put forth by the original KKK in regards to defending
all Southerners regardless of race, creed, or skin color,
were continually challenged by disgruntled blacks in the South,
and by agencies like the Freedman's Bureau and the Loyal Leagues,
which advocated a violent uprising against white former slave
owners which resulted in a wave of anti-white hate crimes.
Angered whites within the Klan began to retaliate against these
violent insurrectionists, and their numbers started to grow along with
the increasing chaos in ruined towns and cities across the South.
As the Klan became increasingly alienated from its original purpose
to defend and protect all Southerners, while increasing it's membership
roster with bigoted white men committed to exterminate all black men,
women, and children, a disturbed Nathan Bedford Forrest called
for the disbanding of the group.
In 1871, the US government investigated Forrest's involvement with
the KKK, however, he was found innocent of any misconduct associated
with the original group. He later regretted any involvement with the Klan,
perhaps sensing that his initial support of them would one day
come back to haunt him.
As he grew older, Forrest became more introspective about his life.
He regretting many of his actions before, during, and after the war.
He sought to apologize to those he felt he had wronged in life,
even dropping several lawsuits against certain people,
though his lawyers claimed his cases were all winnable.
But perhaps the greatest renewal of this man's mind came
about as a result of his surrendering at the foot of the cross and
accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
In the last years of his life, Forrest became a strong supporter
of equal rights for black Americans and worked tirelessly to help
them in establishing their own businesses and obtaining the right to
vote in political elections in the South. He also generously
donated to many charities, especially those concerned with
aiding Confederate war veterans, widows, and orphans.
He donated most of his estate to them.
On October 29, 1877 this fearless warrior and proud son of the South
was called home to be with his Lord after a valiant last battle against the
ravages of exhaustion, war wounds, and diabetes.
Nathan Bedford Forrest was 56 years old.
He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann, and his son, William.
In a strange turn of events, although black Americans were not
allowed to attend the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln, who
has long been touted, "The Great Liberator" thousands of
African-Americans flocked to pay their respects
to the alleged, "notorious slaver" Nathan Bedford Forrest,
whom many of the mourners regarded not only as a
gallant hero of the Confederacy, but a true American patriot.
To this day, "I'll Ride With Forrest" remains a popular
slogan across the South.
Fort Donelson, Tennessee
February 16, 1862
Mort Kunstler
"Contrary to Yankee myth, the Confederacy was not destroyed by Lincoln
and his War. It was never even officially dissolved by the North or the South.
More importantly, the Confederacy and the ideas for which it stands
(strict constitutionality, states rights, state sovereignty, the right of succession,
the right to bear arms, God, tradition, and family) live on in the
hearts of the people. Not just in the South, but in the hearts of
liberty-loving individuals everywhere: South, North, East, and West,
even in other nations around the globe."
-Lochlainn Seabrook
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