Forrest Sherman's comments about Forrest

[Stiles/Akin]

Sherman Comments on Forrest's offer​

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I'm not sure Forrest would have been of much use if the United States intervened in the Ten Years War. He was pretty much used up, the war, Reconstruction and the little war in Tennessee waged against Governor Brownlow were probably ruinous to Forrest's health.

This wasn't too long before he became diabetic. If it had come to pass he no doubt would have given it his all, but I think he would have had to defer to his subordinates, and not ever been able to perform the herculean feats he was famous for during the CW. Especially when its remembered how small a role cavalry had in the Spanish-American War, which was probably bigger than what they would have been able to do in the 1870's.

 

[Nathanb1]

I'm not sure Forrest would have been of much use if the United States intervened in the Ten Years War. He was pretty much used up, the war, Reconstruction and the little war in Tennessee waged against Governor Brownlow were probably ruinous to Forrest's health.

This wasn't too long before he became diabetic. If it had come to pass he no doubt would have given it his all, but I think he would have had to defer to his subordinates, and not ever been able to perform the herculean feats he was famous for during the CW. Especially when its remembered how small a role cavalry had in the Spanish-American War, which was probably bigger than what they would have been able to do in the 1870's.

Yes, too late; he'd tried to get in on the Mexican War, but arrived too late and got stranded in Texas...where he had to do quite a bit of manual labor to make the $$ to get home.

 

[leftyhunter]

I'm not sure Forrest would have been of much use if the United States intervened in the Ten Years War. He was pretty much used up, the war, Reconstruction and the little war in Tennessee waged against Governor Brownlow were probably ruinous to Forrest's health.

This wasn't too long before he became diabetic. If it had come to pass he no doubt would have given it his all, but I think he would have had to defer to his subordinates, and not ever been able to perform the herculean feats he was famous for during the CW. Especially when its remembered how small a role cavalry had in the Spanish-American War, which was probably bigger than what they would have been able to do in the 1870's.

True that the terrain in Cuba and the Philippines would be less then ideal for cavalry. The Spanish Army was equipped with the excellent 1895 7 x57 mm Mauser and from what I gather the Spanish Army was well trained and fought well but was out numbered.
Leftyhunter

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

True that the terrain in Cuba and the Philippines would be less then ideal for cavalry. The Spanish Army was equipped with the excellent 1895 7 x57 mm Mauser and from what I gather the Spanish Army was well trained and fought well but was out numbered.
Leftyhunter

This was in 1873...

Forrest and Sherman were both dead by 1898.

 

[leftyhunter]

This was in 1873...

Forrest and Sherman were both dead by 1898.

You got me there. By 1873 though myain point was that the terrain in Cuba and the Philippines was less then ideal for cavalry . I will have to look up the rifle used by the Spanish Army on 1873. Most likely it was some sort of roling block single shot rifle . Not to say cavalry or at least mounted infantry can't be effective but the era of a cavalry charge was a more risky proposition.
Leftyhunter

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

You got me there. By 1873 though myain point was that the terrain in Cuba and the Philippines was less then ideal for cavalry . I will have to look up the rifle used by the Spanish Army on 1873. Most likely it was some sort of roling block single shot rifle . Not to say cavalry or at least mounted infantry can't be effective but the era of a cavalry charge was a more risky proposition.
Leftyhunter

Mix of Rolling Blocks and Peabody rifles.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

And Cuba is not good for cavalry.

 

[leftyhunter]

This was in 1873...

Forrest and Sherman were both dead by 1898.

So I read a bit online from the book "A modern military history of Spain from the Napoleonic era". The Spanish Army actually in 1873 was in bad shape but it improved considerably at least in Cuba under General Wyler in 1895 . So in 1873 American regular troops would arguably been more successful then they would in 1898.
Horses could be used in the Philippines as the Japanese decades later did sucessfully use cavalry against Filipino guerrillas but using large bodies of horses might be cumbersome has its much hotter and the vegetation is thicker then the American South.
Leftyhunter

 

[leftyhunter]

And Cuba is not good for cavalry.

I am thinking really all the Americans would of had to do if they fought Spain in 1873 is just arm and some basic training for Filipino and Cubans opposed to colonial rule. The Spanish had some Filipino troops but not nearly enough to be effective against the Filipino anti Colonial Rebels. Most Cubans were opposed to Spanish rule and wished to live in an independent republic.
As the Americans would learn in the Philippines many if not most Filipinos didn't want to live under American rule either and also wanted to live in an independent nation although it's complicated on what kind of nation that would be.
Leftyhunter