- Joined
- Jul 23, 2017
- Location
- Southwest Missouri
We left Mobile on the 13th and arrived at Montgomery on the 25th, and stayed there ten days on account of the death of President Lincoln. While here, I rowed some of our boys across the Alabama River in a dug-out. About 2 p.m. I saw some of our command come over the hill toward the river and, at the same time, two men in gray uniform rode toward me. One of them dismounted and the other held his horse. The one who had dismounted came to me on foot and asked who had ferried the men across the river.
I told them that I had; whereupon he asked me whether or not I would take him across the river. I told him I would if he was not afraid I would drown him and asked him who he was. He said nothing, but unbuttoned his coat and I saw the stars on his collar. He was General Forrest.
I took him across to our side and he asked me to take him to our headquarters. I took him to our Colonel’s headquarters and introduced him to Col. Heath, who gave me two men; with them I escorted Gen. Forrest to Department Headquarters in Montgomery. He stayed there for a while and then I took him back across the river. As he started to leave, he shook hands with me and thanked me very kindly for the small courtesies I had shown him.
Sgt Frederick Bantrup of Montineau County
Company B 33rd Missouri Volunteers
(Our Forrest experts can advise if this is a soldier's tale or historically factual)
I told them that I had; whereupon he asked me whether or not I would take him across the river. I told him I would if he was not afraid I would drown him and asked him who he was. He said nothing, but unbuttoned his coat and I saw the stars on his collar. He was General Forrest.
I took him across to our side and he asked me to take him to our headquarters. I took him to our Colonel’s headquarters and introduced him to Col. Heath, who gave me two men; with them I escorted Gen. Forrest to Department Headquarters in Montgomery. He stayed there for a while and then I took him back across the river. As he started to leave, he shook hands with me and thanked me very kindly for the small courtesies I had shown him.
Sgt Frederick Bantrup of Montineau County
Company B 33rd Missouri Volunteers
(Our Forrest experts can advise if this is a soldier's tale or historically factual)