Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest Reinterment

As their caskets were taken from Elm Springs to their resting spots, the Order of Confederate Rose ladies were carrying those photos.
Here's a pic of some of them.

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They are standing in front of Elm Springs. The historic home that Gen Forrest & Mrs Forrest, were lying in state.

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For those unaware, the remains of NBF, & his wife, were removed from Memphis earlier this year. This past weekend, a funeral was held for them at what should be, their final resting place forever. They were moved to the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Headquarters, in Columbia, Tennessee.

The SCV HQ is a huge property, with a historic home (Elm Springs), & museum. Gen Forrest & his wife's graves are prominently displayed between the two. At some point in the future, his monument will be reinstalled as well.

For myself, this was a must attend, once in a lifetime event. So, I headed out on my motorcycle, with a few of my closest friends, & made the journey to Tennessee. From my driveway to HQ is approx 600 miles. What a trip...! Here's a few pics, & such of the event. I hope y'all enjoy em.



** Please respect the fact that, this is not a debate the character or, actions, of NBF thread. **

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This next pic is of SCV HQ in Columbia:

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This next picture is super cool. The stone, & challenge coin, in my hand, were buried with Forrest.

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At the conclusion of the service, there were three volleys fired. Here's one of them:


This is the last volley followed by the bagpipes:



It's really hard to describe just how awesome this experience was. The service was heartfelt, & respectful. Attendance was by invite only, & was limited. I'm convinced that they could've handled, & would've received tens of thousands of guests if they had decided to make it open to the public. There were approx 2,500 of us there. It was great to see some old friends, & just as cool to make some new ones.

Down the road, I hope that more monuments make their way to this destination. They certainly have the space for em. I believe the museum will be worth visiting again in the future. They have a lot of space to display artifacts, & such. It's still in the early stages at the moment. I know I will definitely go back at some point.

The journey there & back was epic. Anybody who rides would've appreciated that aspect as well. The rain sucked but, it's part of riding. If you never get rained on, it's because you don't ride enough :cool:
Thank you for your photos, and thank you for being there and representing those of us that could not be there. God Bless.
 
Wow... I'm truly amazed and have enjoyed this. I'm not sure what's more impressive... the service or the 600 mile ride through the elements lol. I remember a previous thread about the possibility of a reinterment, and would have never guessed there would be this many in attendance. It honestly gives me a new perspective on how much respect the southern people have for their former soldiers who fought in the CW. I wonder if this was Sheridan, Hancock, or some other northern general, would there be a service of this magnitude...? Everything from the cannonade to the Confederate Rose Ladies was very interesting. I like the challenge coin as well. Again, very cool. Thanks for sharing with us.
 
Wow... I'm truly amazed and have enjoyed this. I'm not sure what's more impressive... the service or the 600 mile ride through the elements lol. I remember a previous thread about the possibility of a reinterment, and would have never guessed there would be this many in attendance. It honestly gives me a new perspective on how much respect the southern people have for their former soldiers who fought in the CW. I wonder if this was Sheridan, Hancock, or some other northern general, would there be a service of this magnitude...? Everything from the cannonade to the Confederate Rose Ladies was very interesting. I like the challenge coin as well. Again, very cool. Thanks for sharing with us.
Yeah man. Keep in mind, the service was limited, on purpose. It was not open to the public. If this had been open to the public, & or, not limited, I can assure you attendance would've been much higher. Possibly exponentially higher. I personally know multiple people who wanted to attend, but were unable to get a ticket before they were cutoff.
 
Could you explain the stone and challenge coin to me? I see that the stone is clear and I see the coin has the Mechanized Cavalry. I think the stone confuses me a bit more.:rolleyes:
Somebody I know, came to me & said, these items were going to be placed with Gen Forrest, & thought we might like to hold them before so. We were honored by the gesture.

Personally I think it's quite an honor to know, something I held in my hand is forever at rest with Gen NBF.
 
Could you explain the stone and challenge coin to me? I see that the stone is clear and I see the coin has the Mechanized Cavalry. I think the stone confuses me a bit more.:rolleyes:
The challenge coin is traditionally part of military culture.

As a civilian, I'm not qualified to even begin explaining the various uses of the coin.
But it's my understanding, the challenge coin is a "fun" symbol of proof that another is not an imposter in a specific regiment/group ect. Thus a challenge to the stranger claiming to be a member. ( kind of like a secret handshake) ???

But I think the coin's main function has something to do with who's buying the next round of drinks

:smoke:

But I will defer to our Veterans/Active Duty members to explain the details.

As far as the crystal, I have no idea .. but still an awesome thing for one to hold in their hand before being buried with a famous CW personality.
 
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Wow... I'm truly amazed and have enjoyed this. I'm not sure what's more impressive... the service or the 600 mile ride through the elements lol. I remember a previous thread about the possibility of a reinterment, and would have never guessed there would be this many in attendance. It honestly gives me a new perspective on how much respect the southern people have for their former soldiers who fought in the CW. I wonder if this was Sheridan, Hancock, or some other northern general, would there be a service of this magnitude...? Everything from the cannonade to the Confederate Rose Ladies was very interesting. I like the challenge coin as well. Again, very cool. Thanks for sharing with us.

If Grant and Lincoln were not printed on currency, todays kids would not know who they were or what part they played in the CW. The civil war is not covered in depth in public schools; (I just queried children and grandchildren who attend public school) only that a war was fought over slavery and the south lost. I think you would get more CW reenactors for any reinternment for northern generals than the general public. Here in San Diego we have Memorial Day at Mt Hope cemmetary for all the veterans North and South (placing flags on their graves as well) and the attendance decreases year after year as those who come get older.
 
As far as the crystal, I have no idea
The stone buried with General Forrest was a clear quartz crystal. In ancient times, people believed quartz had magical powers and that was formed from the breath of a white dragon and represented perfection. Since the middle ages, Quartz has been used for crystal balls -- you know, to predict the future.

Today, people who believe in such things and in the use of crystals :unsure: value quartz crystal as the most powerful healing stone and believe it can work on any condition. Because of its many uses, it is sometimes called the "Universal Crystal" and is beneficial for manifesting, healing, meditation, protection and channeling. It is supposed to clarify emotions. Due to its ability to balance energy, quartz is used to harmonize and stabilize one's environment. It is said to enhance spiritual growth, relationships, spirituality, and wisdom..... if you believe in that kind of thing.

There was probably a reason someone selected quartz as the stone of choice to be buried with the General. Whether that reason had anything to do with the implied meanings and transcendental uses described above, I have no idea.
 
I hope so too.

No one can deny that Forrest's Memphis monument has been called one of the best equestrian statues within the USA.

https://www.greenevillesun.com/news...cle_f533d474-79df-568b-aea6-06c3990763af.html
His statue is going to be re-installed at his new final resting spot. I would think there will be a dedication event when that happens.

The link you've included is an absolutely fantastic article about Forrest. It's amazing the fake news, & propaganda that folks still stick to NBF. Haters doing anything they can to prevent him from being praised, or respected as a hero, or man to be looked up to. That article would make for a great thread starter, debunking the negative propaganda folks still attach to one of the greatest cavalry leaders ever.
 
His statue is going to be re-installed at his new final resting spot. I would think there will be a dedication event when that happens.
I was hoping that statue would "come out of hiding", and eventually be re-installed.

While I knew it would take a few years, it looks like everything is on track.

And I also understand ( for obvious reasons ) the SCV can't announce everything to the public ... but keep us posted
as best you can !

:thumbsup:
 
Due to its ability to balance energy, quartz is used to harmonize and stabilize one's environment.
I'm guessing that this was likely the reason the quartz crystal was selected to be buried with the General. If my grave had been disturbed and my earthly remains had been removed (twice), I'd appreciate someone dropping a clear quartz crystal in with me to harmonize and stabilize my grave. Or come to think of it, even if it was the first time I was buried.
 
Wow... I'm truly amazed and have enjoyed this. I'm not sure what's more impressive... the service or the 600 mile ride through the elements lol. I remember a previous thread about the possibility of a reinterment, and would have never guessed there would be this many in attendance. It honestly gives me a new perspective on how much respect the southern people have for their former soldiers who fought in the CW. I wonder if this was Sheridan, Hancock, or some other northern general, would there be a service of this magnitude...? Everything from the cannonade to the Confederate Rose Ladies was very interesting. I like the challenge coin as well. Again, very cool. Thanks for sharing with us.
I sincerely doubt it, as Forrest has become an iconic figure from the war for various reasons. You dont see people walking around with Sherman t-shirts, but will see people with NBF t-shirts. I suspect you also would not have seen such a crowd if they reinterred Hood or J. Johnston. Lee or Jackson, on the other hand....
 
I took my family and we attended the re-interment service as well. How could I miss the opportunity to attend an actual funeral for a Confederate general and his wife? We drove up Friday and drove back Saturday, which in retrospect I probably would not do again, I would stay another night. It was 380 miles through SC, Georgia and up into Tennessee, and while Friday was a beautiful day for a drive, Saturday was pouring buckets of rain, with flooded yards, swollen creeks and lots of water on the road for much of the drive back. At least we weren't on motorcycles like Viper!

They did a good job keeping the service solemn and respectful, as it should have been. It was good to hear a great great grandson of Forrest speak, and to hear Forrest's final address to his men, among other things. It was a good turnout, and as Viper says, if it had not been limited, I'm sure it would have been even larger. I am very glad to see the care and respect that was given to Forrest and his wife, and I hope they can finally rest in peace and remain undisturbed.

I didn't take a lot of pictures since we were there mainly for the service, when it wasn't appropriate, but I have a few to add to the thread. I still have mud on my poor Corolla that I have not yet washed off from parking in the grass, and I enjoyed seeing a good crowd of reenactors as honor guard, and hearing the bagpipes.

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This is the statue of Davis that used to be in Memphis, so when Forrest's equestrian monument goes back up, he'll have some familiar company nearby. :smile:
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This is the program for the service, which I'm keeping with my copy of a Nathan Bedford Forrest biography I've been reading the past few weeks and which I took with me so I could learn more about the man before the service. I didn't know a lot about him beforehand, but I can see why he's held in such high regard. The man seemingly did not lose a battle he chose to fight, not unless someone else was in command or until the war was nearly over and the Union numbers and resources were so much greater than his. He was an incredibly effective fighter and leader.
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