Forrest Forrest Monument

[Belle Montgomery]

He's also on this Gadsden Alabama monument too...

Thank you Emma Sanson! Another brave female of the time!

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

He's also on this Gadsden Alabama monument too...

Thank you Emma Sanson! Another brave female of the time!

Emma has many threads within the Forrest forum.

Here are two:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/alabama-confederate-heroine-emma-sansom.77457/

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/east-texas-grave-of-confederate-heroine-emma-sansom.83292/

 

[Southern Volunteer]

I only wish I could have seen it in person

 

[nyarb60]

Streight's Raid and The Making of a Confederate Heroine
on you tube
good speech; speaks on Nathan Bedford Forrest and Emma Sansom from Gadsen, Alabama

 

[nyarb60]

delete

 

[dixie1861]

Thanks for posting. And yes, Forrest did have rather piercing eyes, even with the black and white, not perfectly-clear picture. What was he like in real life? No wonder people were intimidated by him. I'd be.

 

[Pat Young]

I wonder if David Waters would like to tell us about the Commercial Appeal's involvement with the slave trade- their ads for slave auctions, runaway slaves, etc?

Nothing about the slave trade on their marker. It seems they pick and choose where they want this "contextual balance."-

Or their role in the securing of **** after the war. Hopefully "historical markers" will be more historical in the future.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Hopefully "historical markers" will be more historical in the future.

Absolutely !

I would rather see a 'balanced' historical marker than no marker at all.

 

[Brendan]

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Yet another interesting find.

Thanks @Brendan.

I had no idea there was any controversy about which direction the statue would face.

 

[MattL]

Absolutely !

I would rather see a 'balanced' historical marker than no marker at all.

Agreed.

Yet another interesting find.

Thanks @Brendan.

I had no idea there was any controversy about which direction the statue would face.

Americans have always been able to create controversy out of anything.

 

[MattL]

I genuinely mean no offense by this. I say it with absolutely no judgement either way positive or negative... though White Southern Confederate heritage/culture is really bizarre to an outsider. Probably so for an Arizona boy without a Northern focus on the Civil War either, very little focus on it.

Things like "I Ride with Forrest" etc... It's just so different and foreign to me. It's no less bizarre to me than my first time visiting San Francisco, or Eugene, Oregon and the culture shock that hit me then.

I enjoy seeing it from a learning perspective, especially with great historical context like this. Just had to say that it's like watching a movie of an alternate reality for me (and I suspect others).

I mean every place has their cultural flavor, though I think the Arizona flavor is pretty dry and boring comparatively lol. The exception maybe being the Native American cultures that still persist which shines through in some sub-cultures (though not necessarily widespread).

 

[nyarb60]

For me, you have to be a southerner to understand the culture here and why the views by many are so strong regarding monuments and markers. Naturally, there are many markers and monuments that omit certain facts, whether due to space or otherwise, but when you have ancestor's that died for their cause here, on what is now municipalities of great density, you don't want their past forgotten, whatever the indication is that these battles did take place, regardless of whose viewpoints you favor or not.

History is still history, good or bad. The north is not innocent in any way, history tells us the copperheads of the north were strong in their beliefs as well, yet it would appear the target is the monuments in the south, and I feel that is just wrong.

 

[DixieRifles]

Things like "I Ride with Forrest" etc... It's just so different and foreign to me. It's no less bizarre to me than my first time visiting San Francisco, or Eugene, Oregon and the culture shock that hit me then.

I agree with @nyarb60 that you have to have grown up in this area that is covered with Civil War battle sites and monuments in every mid-size town to fully understand the importance of hitory in our culture.
After a several years out of my Mississippi home, I moved into the Memphis area. That is when I kept hearing the phrase "My ancestor ride with Forrest". For the most part, I ignored it. Afterall who cares what the Cavalry did— it was the infantry who won battles and gained or defended territory.
Then I found my ancestor's records in a cavaly regiment and began tracing the progress of his regiment over an 18- month period. He rode with General J. R. Chalmers. The more I studied the history for W Tenn and N Miss, the more cavalry battles I discovered. And eventually, General Forrest was promoted and Gen Chalmers was placed under his command. Now I sayy —"My ancestor rode with Forrest". I dont say this out of bragging but just to make the point that I have researched his records and understand the importance of the role of the Cavalry in this area at that time of the War. It took several years of reading sources and visiting sites of literally dozens of cavalry battlefield sites in this area before I really understood why I heard that phrase so often. General Forrest's operations had a wide ranging impact as he swept through this area and incorporated a large number of units within his command. Now I dont question or doubt others who make that statement—I just hope they know the real history of their ancestor and the actual battles in which tgey ride with Forrest.

 

[archieclement]

I genuinely mean no offense by this. I say it with absolutely no judgement either way positive or negative... though White Southern Confederate heritage/culture is really bizarre to an outsider. Probably so for an Arizona boy without a Northern focus on the Civil War either, very little focus on it.

Things like "I Ride with Forrest" etc... It's just so different and foreign to me. It's no less bizarre to me than my first time visiting San Francisco, or Eugene, Oregon and the culture shock that hit me then.

I enjoy seeing it from a learning perspective, especially with great historical context like this. Just had to say that it's like watching a movie of an alternate reality for me (and I suspect others).

I mean every place has their cultural flavor, though I think the Arizona flavor is pretty dry and boring comparatively lol. The exception maybe being the Native American cultures that still persist which shines through in some sub-cultures (though not necessarily widespread).

I've always thought the regional thing is somewhat overblown as a midwesterner, to me the biggest difference is rural to a large degree has deeper roots then urban. I understand many Americans haven't lived in one place long and may not even know their family history besides grandparents. On the other hand I'm 5th generation on our land, I grew up in a house full of antiques, heirlooms passed down generation to generation, I not only know my family history going back 6 generations but have tangible effects from them and oral histories passed down , So obviously there's a different level of awareness and respect. Think I have portraits of 4 of the 5 generations. I even benefit financially from what previous generations have handed down, so its rather hard to not be appreciative.

I know having deep roots is becoming less common, but it is normal to me, all I have ever known.

 

[nyarb60]

 

[BlueandGrayl]

Amazing.