Opinion of Nathan Bedford Forrest

[hawkeye59]

HP.

[useful idiot]

Certainly one of the "great men" of the Civil War, and completely interesting, especially when taken in contrast to the Southern aristocracy that largely made up the Confederate generals. I wouldn't call him an FF by any means though. I don't think anyone could.

[minionofmidas]

Certainly one of the "great men" of the Civil War, and completely interesting, especially when taken in contrast to the Southern aristocracy that largely made up the Confederate generals.

Most of those "aristocratic" people of the Inner South differ from him only in generation - their fathers or grandfathers were exactly like him.

[useful idiot]

Certainly one of the "great men" of the Civil War, and completely interesting, especially when taken in contrast to the Southern aristocracy that largely made up the Confederate generals.

Most of those "aristocratic" people of the Inner South differ from him only in generation - their fathers or grandfathers were exactly like him.

I wouldn't disagree with you there. Although he was a slave trader, something that was always seen as being a profession that polite society shouldn't have anything to do with. They didn't mind owning slaves, but generally slave trading was considered a dirty business and it was very hard for a trader to break into that world.

[minionofmidas]

There's a major difference between the South Atlantic and the Inner South, I think. Your typical Virginia or South Carolina's gentry family had been planters in the same general area for up to two centuries. Southern Louisiana is special, of course, but apart from that the Interior gentry is basically fairly brutish selfmade men aping the gentry. Most of Mississippi and Alabama was Indian country until 1820, and the less commercially appealing parts (the zone to the immediate south of the modern Black Belt especially) were still a perfect wilderness in 1860.

[useful idiot]

There's a major difference between the South Atlantic and the Inner South, I think. Your typical Virginia or South Carolina's gentry family had been planters in the same general area for up to two centuries. Southern Louisiana is special, of course, but apart from that the Interior gentry is basically fairly brutish selfmade men aping the gentry. Most of Mississippi and Alabama was Indian country until 1820, and the less commercially appealing parts (the zone to the immediate south of the modern Black Belt especially) were still a perfect wilderness in 1860.

Well are we considering Natchez, Vicksburg, and Memphis(where he made his fortune)? Those areas were largely made up of aristocratic transplants. Other than those three cities and a couple others, again I'm in agreement with you.

[Bo]

Masssive HP, duh.

[Derek]

Contrary to what we learn at our public schools, the klan actual restored order in Tennessee for the years following the Civil War. It wasn't until later that they targeted blacks. Most people on this forum don't even know that the reason Tennessee is called the volunteer state is because after the war, people would volunteer to keep the state in order with the law. Those volunteers became the Klan.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Contrary to what we learn at our public schools, the klan actual restored order in Tennessee for the years following the Civil War. It wasn't until later that they targeted blacks. Most people on this forum don't even know that the reason Tennessee is called the volunteer state is because after the war, people would volunteer to keep the state in order with the law. Those volunteers became the Klan.

When you display ignorance such as this, it is no wonder that no one takes you seriously.  A simple google would easily have let you avoid putting your foot in your mouth again.  Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State because of the large number of volunteer soldiers from Tennessee that fought in the War of 1812.

[??????????]

FF, had 25 horses shot from under him. Falsely accused of a "massacre" at Fort Pillow and ordered the klan disbanded.

[minionofmidas]

There's a major difference between the South Atlantic and the Inner South, I think. Your typical Virginia or South Carolina's gentry family had been planters in the same general area for up to two centuries. Southern Louisiana is special, of course, but apart from that the Interior gentry is basically fairly brutish selfmade men aping the gentry. Most of Mississippi and Alabama was Indian country until 1820, and the less commercially appealing parts (the zone to the immediate south of the modern Black Belt especially) were still a perfect wilderness in 1860.

Well are we considering Natchez, Vicksburg, and Memphis(where he made his fortune)? Those areas were largely made up of aristocratic transplants. Other than those three cities and a couple others, again I'm in agreement with you.

Natchez is ancient (and originally Louisianan) and I don't know enough on the other two.
Would just like to point out for any other readers, though, that Jefferson Davis himself is a case in point. This particular Southern Gentleman was the youngest son of a Philadelphia born frontier trader - and grandson of recent Welsh immigrants - who made the transition to gentry planter when Mississippi was "opened up" (at which time his youngest son was an infant - ie, Jefferson was raised as a member of the gentry class, his oldest siblings weren't).
No idea if Samuel Davis ever traded in slaves, though. Certainly wasn't ever his main occupation.

[hawkeye59]

41% FF!

[Bo]

41% FF!

Actually, 42%. And there are a lot of neo-Confederates here.

[??????????]

Roch, I'd doubt we have any real neo-confederates here.

[Eraserhead]

Absolute scum. Seriously, we are talking about the bottom of the humanity barrel here.

[cpeeks]

Great military leader I believe he rose from being a private to a general. Had only a second grade education. When asked how about being a great tactician he relied "get there the firstest with the mostest".

[Ameriplan]

Killed around 20 guys as a general.

[The Dowager Mod]

Roch, I'd doubt we have any real neo-confederates here.

Dunno bout that.

[Derek]

It's hard to know without deciphering through all that's written about him both good and bad.

[feeblepizza]

It's hard to know without deciphering through all that's written about him both good and bad.

He was one of the founding members of the KKK. I think that's bad, Derek

[cpeeks]

but at that time the klan was more about keeping order than being a hate group.

[??????????]

but at that time the klan was more about keeping order than being a hate group.

Correct and when they turned violent he ordered the group disbanded and cut all ties with them.

[Derek]

Great military leader I believe he rose from being a private to a general. Had only a second grade education. When asked how about being a great tactician he relied "get there the firstest with the mostest".

Just goes to show that you don't need government run education to make a difference. I'm glad I learned this.

[??????????]

Go read John A. Wyeth's book "The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest" if you want to learn a lot about him in a very well written book. It's a long read but very informative.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-General-Nathan-Bedford-Forrest/dp/1161656456/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279428290&sr=8-3

[feeblepizza]

but at that time the klan was more about keeping order than being a hate group.

No it wasn't. They burned down barns and terrorized the black community. In 1876, the U.S. Congress recognized them as a terrorist organization.