Face Off Stuart, Forrest, & Sheridan who?

[larry_cockerham]

Originally Posted by 5fish

Somebody,


Where's the love for J.E.B. Stuart? Is there not at least one Virginian to come to his defense as the best cavalry man of the 19th century.

I believe J.E.B.!!

My Momma was born in Virginia. I love J.E.B. Stuart (in a sense). The question, however, was attempting to identify the best calvaryman. To paraphrase Lee, 'that would be a man I've never met, Bedford Forrest of Tennessee'...... On the gates at the entrance to his boyhood home in Marshall County,TN, the plague reads: 'he rode from here into legend'. That pretty much sums it up.

[5fish]

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

My Momma was born in Virginia. I love J.E.B. Stuart (in a sense). The question, however, was attempting to identify the best calvaryman. To paraphrase Lee, 'that would be a man I've never met, Bedford Forrest of Tennessee'...... On the gates at the entrance to his boyhood home in Marshall County,TN, the plague reads: 'he rode from here into legend'. That pretty much sums it up.

Larry,

Well! If the venerable Lee would say anything like that about Forrest then maybe I should reconsider my opinion of that Highwayman.

I also makes me wonder if Lee may not have been a non-drinker after all---(LOL)

[ole]

It may be true that Forrest raised more hob in Tennessee and points south than Stuart ever did in Virginia and points north. But their missions were different. Stuart operated under Lee's thumb and behaved like a cavalry ought. Forrest was just pointed (sometimes) and turned loose.

Kinda, "Y'all might consider, general, that there is a buildup over there. If you have a moment, would you look into that?"

I'm sure there were other times, but it seems like Forrest acted like a legitimate cavalry only during the Tennessee Invasion.

ole

[larry_cockerham]

Ole, in much of his 'spare' time, ole Bedford was acting like a major general. Maybe you and he are related. Course his name was spelled Ol',

[ole]

Not a chance, Larry. Bedford was given his ranks only because his work was much appreciated; not because he was in charge of an army. Maybe he should have been.

ole

[5fish]

Originally Posted by ole

Not a chance, Larry. Bedford was given his ranks only because his work was much appreciated; not because he was in charge of an army. Maybe he should have been.

ole

Did not Bedford buy his way into being an officer in the first place? I think he bought some uniforms and horses but I could be wrong...

I will admit the Confederate army leadership never use Forrest to his full capabilities. He should have fought a the type of war the Arabs did against the Turks in WWI. He should have lived behind the union lines causing Havoc...Daily!

[larry_cockerham]

5, this is the way I perceive that period of history on Nathan Bedford Forrest.

He, being a successful Memphis alderman and a man with several thousand acres of prime cotton land from which his reportedly near $2 million in assets were derived (along with the labor of a few hundred slaves) stated his support for the Union and his opposition to secession by Tennessee. His slave trading establishment had been closed around 1859, probably from lack of business and profits. When the war broke, he and his brothers Aaron and Jeffrey along with brother William Hezekiah joined the Confederate army, much like Robert Lee, they were defending Tennessee and standing beside their brothers and kin in Tennessee. It's said that he feared brother William Hezekiah because he was a real fighting man. Nathan originally joined as a private. Hearing of this, the governor, knowing of his wealth, requested that he form a regiment. Yes, Old Bedford did buy the horses and guns up in Louisville at considerable risk and was able to 'smuggle' them back into Tennessee where he went about forming his first regiment. At that point he was an officer, a real colonel, by Confederate standards. Forrest was battle hardened having fought in a brawl in the main street of Hernando, Mississippi where he uncle was killed and Forrest took out a couple of combatants. Was he an officer? not in the sense of having the discipline of his West Point opponents. He was a natural leader of men, proven many times over. He did some exceedingly dumb things such as charging the group of Union officers at Sacramento, KY. He got too close to several other battles at the wrong places and times only to survive. He lost some men unnecessarily early in the war. He didn't make the same mistakes twice. His survival for the entire war must have been altered by Divine guidance and hardheadedness on Forrest's part. By the time he made lieutenant general in Feb. 1865, the war was essentially over. Serving as a colonel and major general, his service was a huge boost in morale to the Southern cause many times over. He made few contributions to major battles in the sense that Lee, Grant, Sherman, Jackson, Thomas and the others did. His value was in giving southern folks something to cheer about. He also gave Sherman and Thomas something to focus on to break up their otherwise boring routines of trying to win a war. Forrest trained James Harrison Wilson who became a great cavalry commander. He should get some points for that.

[milhistbuff1]

Frankly, The Russian Cossack cavalry were the best. They, and they're commanders showed Stuart's elán, Forrest's unpredictablity, and Sheridan's ruthlessness. Many a foe experienced this in the 19th-20th century not least of which were the Whites in the Russian Civil War and the Nazis. No one general among the ACW cavalry embodied everything.

[larry_cockerham]

Originally Posted by milhistbuff1

Frankly, The Russian Cossack cavalry were the best. They, and they're commanders showed Stuart's elán, Forrest's unpredictablity, and Sheridan's ruthlessness. Many a foe experienced this in the 19th-20th century not least of which were the Whites in the Russian Civil War and the Nazis. No one general among the ACW cavalry embodied everything.

You may well have a point there. I doubt the Cossacks ever really developed the compassion of their fellow man nor the love of their country exhibited many times over by our Civil War lads. Could Forrest have taken the Cossacks in battle? Thank Providence that never happened. Many a fine man rode with Forrest and others who didn't really need that challenge. My 5 ft 5 inch power farrier with the 10th TN US cavalry would have been no match for a Cossack. Looking at the photo of gg Grandmom, I expect she was all or more than he could handle without cooperation.

[Lancer]

Forrest: not a cavalryman.
Sheridan: a dolt who compiled a 1-12-1 record as commander of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps.

I guess that leaves Stuart, although my vote would be for Wade Hampton if it was a choice.

Eric