Forrest Forrest's Medical History - Injuries

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Summary Medical History of NBF during the Civil War

I compiled this list for the CivilWarTalk Trivia Question of 7/13/16. My answer was incorrect based on the wording of the Question, but I thought those in this Forum would be interested in Forrest's medical history, so I am reposting the list here. It was compiled from two reliable sources that outline the complete (?) medical history of General N B Forrest during the Civil War.

Civil War High Commands, page 240.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Fs0Ajlnjl6AC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240&dq=1862+Forrest+wounded+Munfordville&source=bl&ots=QdMrlYxrlS&sig=n5uxkkukZbGrhC9gMRqobVziUOo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOrLul5vHNAhUHeSYKHd5vBo8Q6AEIWzAJ#v=onepage&q=1862 Forrest wounded Munfordville&f=false

Medical Histories of Confederate Generals, pp. 70-72.
https://books.google.com/books?id=1X1evZu45RcC&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=Forrest+wounded+at+Ebenezer+church+sling&source=bl&ots=MZzH4Ky3Ls&sig=QSFfTg94OVtAv8aluAPScYiEEEk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiur82mz_HNAhURfiYKHWaODdMQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=Forrest wounded at Ebenezer church sling&f=false


Note: The bold italics are quoted directly from "Civil War High Commands" page 240. The comments below each entry are mine.

1. w. when his horse collided with another, Sacramento, KY., 28 Dec 1861
Forrest was reportedly "bruised up but not disabled" when his horse collided with that of a Union Captain (Davis)
2. w. in the legs Fort Donelson, TN., 15 Feb 1862
Forrest was injured when a cannonball passed behind his legs and through his horse numbing his lower extremities
3. w. in the left hip and back, near Shiloh, TN., 8 April 1862
GSW during the Battle of Fallen Timbers when he was shot in the lower back, a wound that was initially thought to be mortal.
4. w. in the shoulder when he was unhorsed, 17 Sept 1862
During the Perryville Campaign, during the surrender of the Union Garrison at Munfordville, KY he was unhorsed resulting in a dislocated shoulder
5. w. when his horse fell, Fort Donelson, TN., 3 Feb 1862
Assault on Fort Donelson injured when his horse fell.
6. w. shot in the left hip during an argument with Lt. Andrew Wills Gould, C.S.A. who Forrest then mortally wounded, Columbia, TN., 14 June 1863
June 13, 1863 (?) GSW at close range by Lt Andrew Wills Gould (his former artillery officer)
7. w. Tunnel Hill, GA., 11 Sept 1863
GSW (?) prior to the Battle of Chickamauga (*no details in Civil War High Commands; maybe @diane or @Nathanb1 know the details?)
8. w. when his horse fell Fort Pillow, TN., 12 April 1864.
attack on Fort Pillow; bruised when his horse fell on him
9. Following the battle of Brice's X-roads he fainted, fell from his horse, and was unconscious for 1/2 to 1 hour. Evidently not the result of a wounding. (Note: not listed in "Civil War High Commands" but is included in "Medical Histories of Confederate Generals" page 71.)
10. w. in the right foot, Old Town Creek, MS., 15 July 1864.
GSW foot at the Battle of Tupelo; shot in the right foot travelling backward through the sole
11. w. in the head, arms and shoulders, Ebenezer Church, Ala., 1 April 1865.
Saber bruised arms, head and shoulders at Ebenezer Church where he was bludgeoned in a sword fight with a Union Captain
 
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That's a pretty good list! Thanks for going to so much work. At Sacramento, though, the bruising was a dislocated shoulder from going arse over teakettle over his horse's head past Davis (who was probably pretty surprised to see the rebel commander hurtle past!) and lit on his right shoulder. He rolled and came up on his feet. He dislocated that same shoulder at least three more times as well. At Ft Pillow, when the horse reared and fell backward, it rolled over Forrest who sustained two or three cracked ribs. And, at Ebenezer Church, Capt Taylor used his saber as he was trained to use it and may actually have broken Forrest's arm - he still had it in a sling when he gave his surrender address over a month later. (He should have sharpened the whole blade... As Forrest noted later, "If that boy had had the sense to give me the point, I should not be here to tell of it.")

One thing not mentioned, which I think was caused by the war, was migraine. Forrest developed them during the war and they got worse as he got older. He also had several fainting spells, which was probably the diabetes developing. At Bryces Crossroads, though, it was exhaustion. He had fallen asleep on his horse and there was quite a debate among his men as to which of them was going to have the unpleasant - and possibly dangerous - job of waking the general! Apparently his horse fell asleep as well - it left the road and walked into a tree, knocking Forrest off. He hit the dirt and didn't wake up.

As time went on, Forrest's injuries really took a toll. He needed a cane to walk and had several, and could not use his right arm very much. Usually his wife or son wrote for him. I'm not sure who mentioned it but someone suggested some of Forrest's health issues might have been from lead poisoning. He was carrying at least five lead bullets in his person - he got shot up some before the war, as well.
 
Thanks @diane So the bullet from Fallen Timbers was eventually removed. I assume the one (or more?) from the 1845 street shoot out was not? Which were the others that remained? And the wound at Tunnel Hill before Chickamauga....was that a GSW and where?
 
Thanks @diane So the bullet from Fallen Timbers was eventually removed. I assume the one (or more?) from the street 1845 shoot out was not? Which were the others that remained? And the wound at Tunnel Hill....was that a GSW and where?

The bullet from Fallen Timbers was a .57 minie ball - really a wonder it didn't kill him. Its nose, though, rested right up against the spine - which was why the field doctor at Fallen Timbers refused to remove it - and caused nerve shock. The right leg was useless for some time after that. Considering his brother John was crippled from just such an injury in the Mexican War, this must have been very, very disturbing for Forrest.

I think it was Bean who nailed Forrest in the left arm with his shotgun, but all he got was one shot as he'd already shot Uncle Jonathan. It's not certain whether it really was Bean or one of the Matlocks but it was Bean Forrest tracked down and dragged out from under a bed, saying he'd shot the uncle.

There was Gould's attempt - I'm not sure what pistol Gould used but think it may have been the standard Navy Colt. That bullet came in on the front hip bone and rolled around to the bum, where it stayed and Forrest decided to leave it just there.

The wound at Tunnel Hill is mysterious - it was bad enough to make Forrest lose enough blood to almost faint, but it's not certain if it was in the upper arm or lower back. I think it was the upper arm - there's a photo of Forrest taken after Chickamauga, and there is a neatly mended bullet hole in the left sleeve of his coat! That one, wherever it was, stayed put.

There may be two more but they are dubious. Possibly he was shot or shot at while constable of De Soto County before the war, and another somewhere along the retreat route after Selma - very dubious. But, if he was hit no one removed that or the surgeon's records were lost.

P S
It might be noted that Forrest was quite adverse to surgery and would keep the bullet rather than have it taken out. The reason he had surgery for the minie ball was that it was moving to a dangerous position, and then there was a second surgery to remove a bit of shirt that was causing infection. Neither of these was with anesthesia of any kind - Memphis was out of it and Forrest refused to take morphine.
 
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Neither of these was with anesthesia of any kind - Memphis was out of it and Forrest refused to take morphine.
I can't even begin to imagine this.

Furthermore, these men with wounds ~ and especially those with multiple wounds ~ must have been in various amounts of pain the rest of their lives. Noting how easily we in this house run to Advil or Tylenol for something as minor as a headache, how on Earth did these people cope? If there was tendency towards the abuse of alcohol or other substances, I could understand it.

I'm guessing Forrest touched nothing of the sort? He must have grit his teeth in pain for years.
 
The bullet from Fallen Timbers was a .57 minie ball - really a wonder it didn't kill him. Its nose, though, rested right up against the spine - which was why the field doctor at Fallen Timbers refused to remove it - and caused nerve shock. The right leg was useless for some time after that. Considering his brother John was crippled from just such an injury in the Mexican War, this must have been very, very disturbing for Forrest.

I think it was Bean who nailed Forrest in the left arm with his shotgun, but all he got was one shot as he'd already shot Uncle Jonathan. It's not certain whether it really was Bean or one of the Matlocks but it was Bean Forrest tracked down and dragged out from under a bed, saying he'd shot the uncle.

There was Gould's attempt - I'm not sure what pistol Gould used but think it may have been the standard Navy Colt. That bullet came in on the front hip bone and rolled around to the bum, where it stayed and Forrest decided to leave it just there.

The wound at Tunnel Hill is mysterious - it was bad enough to make Forrest lose enough blood to almost faint, but it's not certain if it was in the upper arm or lower back. I think it was the upper arm - there's a photo of Forrest taken after Chickamauga, and there is a neatly mended bullet hole in the left sleeve of his coat! That one, wherever it was, stayed put.

There may be two more but they are dubious. Possibly he was shot or shot at while constable of De Soto County before the war, and another somewhere along the retreat route after Selma - very dubious. But, if he was hit no one removed that or the surgeon's records were lost.

P S
It might be noted that Forrest was quite adverse to surgery and would keep the bullet rather than have it taken out. The reason he had surgery for the minie ball was that it was moving to a dangerous position, and then there was a second surgery to remove a bit of shirt that was causing infection. Neither of these was with anesthesia of any kind - Memphis was out of it and Forrest refused to take morphine.


All of this may explain why Forrest wrote to Richmond after the Battle of Nashville stating that he needed a vacation.
 
Summary Medical History of NBF during the Civil War

I compiled this list for the CivilWarTalk Trivia Question of 7/13/16. My answer was incorrect based on the wording of the Question, but I thought those in this Forum would be interested in Forrest's medical history, so I am reposting the list here. It was compiled from two reliable sources that outline the complete (?) medical history of General N B Forrest during the Civil War.

Civil War High Commands, page 240.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Fs0Ajlnjl6AC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240&dq=1862+Forrest+wounded+Munfordville&source=bl&ots=QdMrlYxrlS&sig=n5uxkkukZbGrhC9gMRqobVziUOo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOrLul5vHNAhUHeSYKHd5vBo8Q6AEIWzAJ#v=onepage&q=1862 Forrest wounded Munfordville&f=false

Medical Histories of Confederate Generals, pp. 70-72.
https://books.google.com/books?id=1X1evZu45RcC&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=Forrest+wounded+at+Ebenezer+church+sling&source=bl&ots=MZzH4Ky3Ls&sig=QSFfTg94OVtAv8aluAPScYiEEEk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiur82mz_HNAhURfiYKHWaODdMQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=Forrest wounded at Ebenezer church sling&f=false


Note: The bold italics are quoted directly from "Civil War High Commands" page 240. The comments below each entry are mine.

1. w. when his horse collided with another, Sacramento, KY., 28 Dec 1861
Forrest was reportedly "bruised up but not disabled" when his horse collided with that of a Union Captain (Davis)
2. w. in the legs Fort Donelson, TN., 15 Feb 1862
Forrest was injured when a cannonball passed behind his legs and through his horse numbing his lower extremities
3. w. in the left hip and back, near Shiloh, TN., 8 April 1862
GSW during the Battle of Fallen Timbers when he was shot in the lower back, a wound that was initially thought to be mortal.
4. w. in the shoulder when he was unhorsed, 17 Sept 1862
During the Perryville Campaign, during the surrender of the Union Garrison at Munfordville, KY he was unhorsed resulting in a dislocated shoulder
5. w. when his horse fell, Fort Donelson, TN., 3 Feb 1862
Assault on Fort Donelson injured when his horse fell.
6. w. shot in the left hip during an argument with Lt. Andrew Wills Gould, C.S.A. who Forrest then mortally wounded, Columbia, TN., 14 June 1863
June 13, 1863 (?) GSW at close range by Lt Andrew Wills Gould (his former artillery officer)
7. w. Tunnel Hill, GA., 11 Sept 1863
GSW (?) prior to the Battle of Chickamauga (*no details in Civil War High Commands; maybe @diane or @Nathanb1 know the details?)
8. w. when his horse fell Fort Pillow, TN., 12 April 1864.
attack on Fort Pillow; bruised when his horse fell on him
9. Following the battle of Brice's X-roads he fainted, fell from his horse, and was unconscious for 1/2 to 1 hour. Evidently not the result of a wounding. (Note: not listed in "Civil War High Commands" but is included in "Medical Histories of Confederate Generals" page 71.)
10. w. in the right foot, Old Town Creek, MS., 15 July 1864.
GSW foot at the Battle of Tupelo; shot in the right foot travelling backward through the sole
11. w. in the head, arms and shoulders, Ebenezer Church, Ala., 1 April 1865.
Saber bruised arms, head and shoulders at Ebenezer Church where he was bludgeoned in a sword fight with a Union Captain
He was one tough cookie!!!!
Summary Medical History of NBF during the Civil War

I compiled this list for the CivilWarTalk Trivia Question of 7/13/16. My answer was incorrect based on the wording of the Question, but I thought those in this Forum would be interested in Forrest's medical history, so I am reposting the list here. It was compiled from two reliable sources that outline the complete (?) medical history of General N B Forrest during the Civil War.

Civil War High Commands, page 240.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Fs0Ajlnjl6AC&pg=PA240&lpg=PA240&dq=1862+Forrest+wounded+Munfordville&source=bl&ots=QdMrlYxrlS&sig=n5uxkkukZbGrhC9gMRqobVziUOo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOrLul5vHNAhUHeSYKHd5vBo8Q6AEIWzAJ#v=onepage&q=1862 Forrest wounded Munfordville&f=false

Medical Histories of Confederate Generals, pp. 70-72.
https://books.google.com/books?id=1X1evZu45RcC&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=Forrest+wounded+at+Ebenezer+church+sling&source=bl&ots=MZzH4Ky3Ls&sig=QSFfTg94OVtAv8aluAPScYiEEEk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiur82mz_HNAhURfiYKHWaODdMQ6AEIODAE#v=onepage&q=Forrest wounded at Ebenezer church sling&f=false


Note: The bold italics are quoted directly from "Civil War High Commands" page 240. The comments below each entry are mine.

1. w. when his horse collided with another, Sacramento, KY., 28 Dec 1861
Forrest was reportedly "bruised up but not disabled" when his horse collided with that of a Union Captain (Davis)
2. w. in the legs Fort Donelson, TN., 15 Feb 1862
Forrest was injured when a cannonball passed behind his legs and through his horse numbing his lower extremities
3. w. in the left hip and back, near Shiloh, TN., 8 April 1862
GSW during the Battle of Fallen Timbers when he was shot in the lower back, a wound that was initially thought to be mortal.
4. w. in the shoulder when he was unhorsed, 17 Sept 1862
During the Perryville Campaign, during the surrender of the Union Garrison at Munfordville, KY he was unhorsed resulting in a dislocated shoulder
5. w. when his horse fell, Fort Donelson, TN., 3 Feb 1862
Assault on Fort Donelson injured when his horse fell.
6. w. shot in the left hip during an argument with Lt. Andrew Wills Gould, C.S.A. who Forrest then mortally wounded, Columbia, TN., 14 June 1863
June 13, 1863 (?) GSW at close range by Lt Andrew Wills Gould (his former artillery officer)
7. w. Tunnel Hill, GA., 11 Sept 1863
GSW (?) prior to the Battle of Chickamauga (*no details in Civil War High Commands; maybe @diane or @Nathanb1 know the details?)
8. w. when his horse fell Fort Pillow, TN., 12 April 1864.
attack on Fort Pillow; bruised when his horse fell on him
9. Following the battle of Brice's X-roads he fainted, fell from his horse, and was unconscious for 1/2 to 1 hour. Evidently not the result of a wounding. (Note: not listed in "Civil War High Commands" but is included in "Medical Histories of Confederate Generals" page 71.)
10. w. in the right foot, Old Town Creek, MS., 15 July 1864.
GSW foot at the Battle of Tupelo; shot in the right foot travelling backward through the sole
11. w. in the head, arms and shoulders, Ebenezer Church, Ala., 1 April 1865.
Saber bruised arms, head and shoulders at Ebenezer Church where he was bludgeoned in a sword fight with a Union Captain
He was one tough cookie!! This is one of the many reasons why he is still admired by so many. :wub:
 
I can't even begin to imagine this.

Furthermore, these men with wounds ~ and especially those with multiple wounds ~ must have been in various amounts of pain the rest of their lives. Noting how easily we in this house run to Advil or Tylenol for something as minor as a headache, how on Earth did these people cope? If there was tendency towards the abuse of alcohol or other substances, I could understand it.

I'm guessing Forrest touched nothing of the sort? He must have grit his teeth in pain for years.

Forrest never drank after his unfortunate teenage experience with it! All I can say is those people then make us today look like a bunch of pansies! I can't believe what they survived and lived with. There were guys who had their faces shot off, the basket cases, the wounds that never healed. In fact, I believe these injuries were what took Forrest off earlier than he should have gone and maybe contributed to his diabetes. After he survived typhoid as a kid, he didn't seem to catch much else and was astonishingly healthy at the time of the war - even had perfect teeth. Four years later his health was a ghost of itself and steadily declined. As he himself mused to a friend, "I suppose I have killed myself."
 
. My answer was incorrect based on the wording of the Question,

Laura, I think that scoring was very unfortunate as even the source that was quoted said his third combat wound was received in the Battle of Tupelo and after that, if you read further on in that excellent book "Medical histories of Confederate Generals", it states another fourth combat wound from a saber at Ebenezer Church. Quote: "These wounds were painful but not incapacitating". The question was not about the amount of wounds he received from Federal hands, but about how many combat wounds he did receive, which per definitionem implies facing Federal forces. Without enemy present, there is no combat situation.
But the referee has spoken and all reasoning will be in vain.
We must accept that our answer, correct as it was, was not what was requested as reply to that Trivia question.
 
Laura, I think that scoring was very unfortunate as even the source that was quoted said his third combat wound was received in the Battle of Tupelo and after that, if you read further on in that excellent book "Medical histories of Confederate Generals", it states another fourth combat wound from a saber at Ebenezer Church. Quote: "These wounds were painful but not incapacitating". The question was not about the amount of wounds he received from Federal hands, but about how many combat wounds he did receive, which per definitionem implies facing Federal forces. Without enemy present, there is no combat situation.
But the referee has spoken and all reasoning will be in vain.
We must accept that our answer, correct as it was, was not what was requested as reply to that Trivia question.

I don't play the trivia - curious, though! By this definition, Forrest was only wounded twice, wouldn't it be? Shiloh and Tupelo only - Ebenezer Church wouldn't count because it was not a battle but a running fight.
 
"bludgeoned in a a sword fight with a Union Captain"

Gee, there must an interesting story there! Has the Captain been identified? Anybody know the story?

The book "Yankee Blitzkreig" has a good account - it's a good telling of Wilson's Raid. Captain James D Taylor of the 17th Indiana was the guy who walloped the daylights out of Forrest with his sword. The Hoosiers were led by Col White, whom Wilson proudly described as being a 'berserker of the Norsemen breed' and they were intent on taking Forrest down. He was surrounded by about a dozen soldiers, all attempting to kill him, and they had succeeded in isolating the general from his escort. The escort did manage to get in - Col Galloway killed two and Capt Jones killed two more - but Forrest was pretty much on his own. Someone knocked the saber from his hand and someone else mangled the hammer on his pistol so that it was useless. Forrest was riding King Philip, and they made a really spectacular leap over a wagon - Forrest went pelting down the road toward Selma when he encountered Captain Taylor and his men, who tried to block the road. Taylor was young, 21, and he was using his saber to whack and club Forrest, hoping to knock him off his horse or otherwise incapacitate him, and Forrest was warding off the blows with his arms - he had several wounds in the head and around his shoulders as well as his arm. His reserve pistol hung up on his belt but he finally got it loose and shot the captain dead. Taylor was the last of 31 men Forrest killed in personal hand-to-hand combat.
 
The book "Yankee Blitzkreig" has a good account - it's a good telling of Wilson's Raid. Captain James D Taylor of the 17th Indiana was the guy who walloped the daylights out of Forrest with his sword. The Hoosiers were led by Col White, whom Wilson proudly described as being a 'berserker of the Norsemen breed' and they were intent on taking Forrest down. He was surrounded by about a dozen soldiers, all attempting to kill him, and they had succeeded in isolating the general from his escort. The escort did manage to get in - Col Galloway killed two and Capt Jones killed two more - but Forrest was pretty much on his own. Someone knocked the saber from his hand and someone else mangled the hammer on his pistol so that it was useless. Forrest was riding King Philip, and they made a really spectacular leap over a wagon - Forrest went pelting down the road toward Selma when he encountered Captain Taylor and his men, who tried to block the road. Taylor was young, 21, and he was using his saber to whack and club Forrest, hoping to knock him off his horse or otherwise incapacitate him, and Forrest was warding off the blows with his arms - he had several wounds in the head and around his shoulders as well as his arm. His reserve pistol hung up on his belt but he finally got it loose and shot the captain dead. Taylor was the last of 31 men Forrest killed in personal hand-to-hand combat.

Astonishing! I know Forrest is a real popular figure around here but I have never taken the time to read up on his personal exploits. Maybe I should tackle a full-scale biography. Any suggestions?
 
Astonishing! I know Forrest is a real popular figure around here but I have never taken the time to read up on his personal exploits. Maybe I should tackle a full-scale biography. Any suggestions?

For a good, quick read I'd suggest Jack Hurst's bio. He goes into a lot of detail that other biographies don't and is the most recent. For the military campaigns, Jordan and Pryor is an oldie but goodie - it's the one Forrest himself edited and he was generous about letting them have his papers. Brian Steel Wills, A Battle from the Start is also good.

I think you'll enjoy reading about Forrest - he's very controversial and people either love him or hate him!
 
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