NATHANBEDFORDFORREST

&theFortPillowcontroversy

REVIEWofTHECONFEDERACY'SGREATESTCAVALRYMAN byBrianSteelWills

 AfterreadingthisbookIamexpectingBedfordForrest'sSecondComingatany momentbecauseinthisworkheiscrucifiedthroughoutforthesupposedFort Pillow"massacre"andportrayedasifthisincidentwasthegreatesthorror perpetratedduringthewholeCivilWar.ThisvolumeisthebesthatchetjobI haveevercomeacrosssincetheLastoftheMohicans.Butitisappallinghistory

anddoesnotdeservethedescriptionasan'historybook'. Takingoneexample,hereiswhatWillssaysonpage191ofhischaracter assassination:"Tobesure,NathanBedfordForresthadmanyopportunitiesto expresshisracismanddidsowithavehemenceseldommatched,buthewasnot aloneinpossessingsuchattitudes."Withblatantanachronisticmoralisingina politicalcorrectnessvein,theauthortriestoblameForrestforjustbeinga Southernerinthe1860's.TosaythattheSouthhadinstitutionalizedslaveryis likesayingtheancientEgyptiansbuiltpyramids.Ofcourse,Forrestaccepted slaverybecausehewasbornandgrewupinasocietywhoseeconomywasbased onslavery.Totryandblamehimpersonallyforthatisjustludicrous.An historianmusttrytounderstandthetimeshissubjectwaslivinginandnot superimposehisownmoralityontopeoplewhodiedoveracenturyago. OnthesamepageWillsadmits:"ForrestdidnotmarchagainstFortPillowto obliterateitsgarrison.Obtainingthegarrison'ssurrenderwouldhavesufficed forhispurposes..."Onpage193hequotesaConfederatesoldierAchillesVClark whowrote:"OurmenweresoexasperatedbytheYankee'sthreatsofnoquarter thattheygavebutlittle.Thepoordeludednegroswouldrunuptoourmen,fall upontheirkneesandwithupliftedhandsscreamformercybuttheywere orderedtotheirfeetandthenshot.Thewhitemenfaredbutlittlebetter...Iwith severalotherstriedtostopthebutcherybutGen.Forrestorderedthemshot downlikedogsandthecarnagecontinued...Willsseemstobelievethatthisone 'witness'tellsthewholestory.InfactthelaststatementaboutForrestiseithera blatantlie,afabricationormisunderstandingorevenaddedforeffect. Onpage196Willssummarizes:"Foravarietyofreasons,FortPillowbecamea collectivereleaseofpentupangerandhatred.Itbecameinclinicalterms,a groupcatharsis.Andastheoverallcommanderofthetroopsonthescene,some ofwhomcarriedouttheseacts,NathanBedfordForrestwasresponsible."So nowWillsclaimstobeadoctorandpsychiatristaswellasan'historian'.He claimstobeabletotellwhatwasgoingthroughthemindsofdozensoffighting menonApril12th1864,duringtheconfusionofbattle.Wills,writingin1992

thuscan'readtheminds'ofmenwholived130yearsbefore.Quiteagift! Nowlet'slookatthebiographyofForrestbyJohnAllanWyethwhoactually didbecomeadoctorafterthewar.Wills'borrows'allWyeth'sphotosand illustrationsbutheignoreswhatWyethwroteaboutFortPillowonpages308 341ofhisbook.OnthecoverofWyeth'sbookitstates:"Firstpublishedin1899. ThatDevilForrestisbasedalmostentirelyonaccountsofthosewhoknew Forrestpersonallyandoncontemporarymilitarypapersandrecords.Itisthe singlegreatestsourceofprimarymaterialonNathanBedfordForrest."AndWills virtuallyignoresit. Onpage319WyethreproducesForrest'sdemandforthegarrisonto surrender:"BeforeFortPillow,April12,1864,MajorBooth,CommandingUnited StatesForces,FortPillow:MAJORTheconductoftheofficersandmen garrisoningFortPillowhasbeensuchastoentitlethemtobeingtreatedas prisonersofwar.Idemandtheunconditionalsurrenderofthegarrison, promisingthatyoushallbetreatedasprisonersofwar...Shouldmydemandbe refused,Icannotberesponsibleforthefateofyourcommand.Respectfully,"N.B. ForrestMajorGeneralCommanding. OnthisdayForresthadnolessthanthreehorsesshotunderhimwhilsthewas reconnoiteringthepositionindicatingjusthowdangerousitwasgoingtobeto stormthefort.AsWyethstatesonpage327:"Thegarrisonhadresolvedtodie NOTTOSURRENDER.TheConfederatesweretheretotakethefortordieinthe attempt.Nomarvelthelossoflifewasterrible."(Ihaveusedcapitalsforthe italicsoftheoriginal).Wyethalsomentionssomethingelsethatistotallymissing fromWills'biasedaccount,onpage323324"...theconditionofintoxication whichprevailedwithalargepartofthegarrison.MajorBooth,fromallaccounts andexcellentandbravecommander,wasdead.MajorBradford,evidently,as statedbyMajorGeneralS.A.Hurlbut,"withoutexperience,"hadsucceededtothe command,andhehadmadethefatalerrorofgivinghismenfreeaccesstothe liquorwithwhichthecommissaryofthefortwassupplied.Thesworntestimony ofalargenumberofhonorableandtrustworthymenestablishesthisfactbeyond contradiction.Tothosefamiliarwiththetwoclasses,blackandwhite,which composedthebulkoftheprivatesoldiersinthegarrisonatFortPillow,andtheir fondnessforintoxicatingdrinks,especiallysowithNegroesjustfreefrom slavery,itwillreadilybeacceptedthattheydidnotfailtotakeadvantageofthe opportunitiestodrinktoexcess.Theirconductduringthetruceandtheinsane

resistancebeneaththebluffbearouttheallegationthatmanywereintoxicated." StrangehowWillsneveralludesoncetothisfact! So,fullofDutchcourageandsecureintheirverystrongpositioninsidethefort, thedefendershadlittlethoughtofsurrenderingandderidedandtauntedtheir opponents.Furthermore,thishelpsexplainthefactwhytheirbelatedattempts tosurrenderoncetheforthadbeenstormedweresoconfused.AsWyeth explains,onpage327328evenwhentheConfederateshadscaledthewalls: "THEYHADNOTHOUGHTOFSURRENDERTHEN,ANDINDEFIANCEOF FORRESTTHEYLEFTTHEIRFLAGFLOATINGFROMTHESTAFF."(Ihaveused capitalsfortheitalicsoftheoriginal).Afederalgunboatwasclosebyandthe Unionsoldiershadbeenpromised"safetyfrompursuitoncebelowthecrestof theriverbank.Nomansurrenderedortriedtosurrenderabovethebluff."Wyeth continues:"TheConfederatesliningtheembankment,andthoseoftheground withintheforttwelvehundredinallfrompistolandmusketpouredintothem adeliberateandconvergingfireastheyretired,andwithfearfulexecution..."For manyofthecoloredsoldiers,itwastheverylastthingtheywereexpecting: "someofwhom,eitherinsanelyintoxicatedorconvincedfromtheslaughterthat hadtranspiredthatnoquarterwouldbeshownthem,anddeterminedtosell theirlivesasdearlyaspossible,stillofferedresistanceandcontinuedtofireat theConfederates."Noonehadthoughttostriketheflagasanobvioussignof surrender! Wyethexplainsonpage329whathappenednext:"Anumberwhohadthrown theirgunsaway,holdinguptheirhands,ranuptowardtheConfederatesonthe crestofthebluffandwerespared,whileotherswhodidthiswereshotdown. Butfortheinsaneconductoftheirdrunkenanddesperatecomrades,agreat manyofthosewhoperishedwouldhaveescaped."EvenWillscannotblame ForrestforthefactthatalotofhisopponentswereblinddrunkonApril12th 1864.WhatdidForrestactuallydo?"Thisfrightfulsceneofcarnagewas fortunatelyofshortduration.GeneralForrest,fromhispositionfourhundred yardsdistantfromthefort,assoonashesawhismaingaintheparapetandleap inamongthegarrison,rodeatoncetothesceneandorderedallfiringtocease." FortPillowwasnotliketheDroghedaandWexfordmassacresunderCromwell, anditwasclearlyamilitarytargettheforthavingbeenbuiltbythe Confederatesthemselves!WhenShermanmarchedthroughGeorgia,hewas consciouslymaking'totalwar'againstthecitizensoftheSouth.Thereisawhole

passelofbiasfromNortherncriticsofForrest.Sherman,SheridanandGrant werealsoresponsibleforthegenocideofNativeAmericansandtheNorth's foremostcavalryofficerGeorgeArmstongCusterwasresponsibleforthe massacreofBlackKettle'speacefulCheyennevillageagreat'victory'against mainlywomenandchildren.ForcriticsofForresttomakeoutthathewasthe devilincarnateisludicrouswhenthecountlessdeadIndiansareputintothe scalesofjustice.RedheadedSherman'shandswerecoveredinIndianblood. HereisaquotefromShermaninAngieDebo'ssuperbhistoryoftheIndiansof theUnitedStates:"WemustactwithvindictiveearnestnessagainsttheSioux, eventotheirextermination,men,women,andchildren."(Page252.)Whata charmerwasthisgreatestandmostfamousselfconfessed'madman'inthe UnionArmy.(HeoncesaidthathelookedafterGrantwhenGrantwasdrunkand Grantlookedafterhimwhenhewasmad).In1866therewastalkofanew railroadintheDenverregionoverseenbyGeneralShermanwhentheIndian tribesasawholewerefightingfortheirverysurvivalandhestated:"Godonly knowswhen,andIdonotseehow,wecanmakeanexcuseforanIndianwar." (page228)HisdilemmacamefromthefactthattheIndiansintheareaatthe timewerepeaceful!WillsharpsonaboutForrest's'racism'whenonlyafew yearslaterShermanwasconcoctinganextirpationofawholepeople.Itiseasyto seejustwhoreallywasthebetterman. InhismasterfulthreevolumehistoryoftheCivilWar,ShelbyFootehasalotto sayaboutthesupposed'massacre'atFortPillow.InVolumeThreepages110 111hestatesthatafterthewallshadbeenbreached:"Others,droppingtheir gunsinterror,ranbacktowardstheConfederateswiththeirhandsup,andof thesesomeweresparedasprisoners,whileotherswereshotintheactof surrender."Noquarter!Noquarter!"wasbeingshoutedatseveralpoints,and thiswasthoughtbysometobeatForrest'scommand,sincehehadpredicted andeventhreatenedthatwhatwashappeningwouldhappen.Butthefactwas, hehaddoneandwasdoingallhecouldtoendit,havingorderedthefiring stoppedassoonashesawhistroopersswarmintothefort,eventhoughitsflag wasstillflyingandagoodpartofthegarrisonwasstilltryingtogetaway.Heand othersmanagedtoputanendtothekillingandsortoutthecaptives,wounded andunwounded." AsFootedescribes,therewasthenabigtodointheNorthtogather testimonyinregardtothemassacreatFortPillow...whichresultedina

voluminousprintedreportthattherebelshadengagedin"indiscriminate slaughter"ofmen,womenandchildren,whiteandblack,andafterwardshadnot onlysetbarracksandtentsafire,roastingthewoundedintheirbeds,buthad also"buriedsomeofthelivingwiththedead,"despitetheirpiteouscriesfor mercywhiledirtwasbeingshoveledontheirfaces...Southernersmightprotest thatthedocumentwasa"tissueofliesfromendtoend"asindeeditlargelywas, buttheycouldscarcelyarguewiththecasualtyfigures,whichindicatedstrongly thatunnecessarykillinghadoccurred,althoughitwasinfacttheoppositeof 'indiscriminate."Forexample,ofthe262Negromembersofthegarrison,only58 justovertwentypercentweremarchedawayasprisoners;whileofthe295 whites,168justundersixtypercentweretaken.(Page111).Footethen quotesthesameConfederatesergeant'stestimonyasWillsbutthenaddson page112,unlikeWills:"ThiswasnottosaythatForresthimselfhadnotdoneall hecould,firsttopreventandthentoendtheunnecessarybloodshed.Hehad, andperhapsthestrongestevidenceofhisforbearancecamenotfromfriendsbut fromhisenemiesofthehighestrank."Becausewhen"LincolntoldStantonto investigatewithoutdelay'theallegedbutcheryofourtroops.'Stantonpassedthe wordtoGrant,whowiredShermanthatsameday:"Ifourmenhavebeen murderedaftercapture,retaliationmustberesortedtopromptly.Sherman undertooktheinvestigation,asordered,butmadenosuchrecommendation: proofinitselfthatnonewasjustified,sincenoonedoubtedthatotherwise,with Shermanincharge,retaliationwouldhavebeenaspromptasevenGrantcould havedesired." So,foratruerpictureofNathanBedfordForrestreadWyeth'sbiographyand ShelbyFootesthreevolumestounderstandthewiderbackgroundtotheperiod. AsforBrianSteelWillsheisadisgracetotheprofessionofhistorianandabigot whopreferstoseethepastthroughbloodtintedspectacles.Shameonhim! JohnTarttelinB.Ed.(History),M.A.(History), FellowoftheInternationalNapoleonicSociety(LegionofMerit). 2013 ASOULADREAMPRODUCTION