Forrest The Wizard Of The Saddle And His Unlikely Accomplice

That could be proven if evidence of Forrest’s note to Emma exists. Or if other first hand accounts exist.
In this case, as far as the monument is concerned the critics take it for granted that she helped Forrest. And we all know, Forrest was a slaveholder. So Emma helped a slaveholder. Now I leave it to your imagination to draw your conclusions what the discussion is about ...
 
That could be proven if evidence of Forrest’s note to Emma exists. Or if other first hand accounts exist.
As I recall it's reproduced and certainly discussed fully in J. A. Weyth's biography That Devil Forrest. At any rate, she not only provided it to him for publication, she let him keep it as well!
 
No, I did not realize what you were saying. I thought you meant you didn’t realize she was buried so close to you. For what’s its worth I’d drive a considerable distance to visit Emma. :smile:
I only have to go about forty or fifty miles so it's really a nice drive out in the country for me!
 
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James are you saying Emma gave Weyth the note written by Forrest?
According to a footnote in the book, yes. (I really should get around to writing a review of it I suppose - reading it was another "project" I accomplished during all the CV-19 BS this spring while the library was closed.)
 
According to a footnote in the book, yes. (I really should get around to writing a review of it I suppose - reading it was another "project" I accomplished during all the CV-19 BS this spring while the library was closed.)
She shouldn't have done that. She should have kept it as a keepsake, as Forrest had intended. I would be interested to know her motives why she let that author have her precious note. Did it mean nothing to her??
 
She shouldn't have done that. She should have kept it as a keepsake, as Forrest had intended. I would be interested to know her motives why she let that author have her precious note. Did it mean nothing to her??
The book was published in the early 1900's and if you'll notice on her gravestones she died in 1900 before its publication. Possibly she was in poor health and had no one in particular to pass it along to and thought Confederate veteran Weyth who was doing so much research on Forrest would at least appreciate it, which he certainly did considering the attention he gave to her and it.

Edit: I suppose it's also possible that she died suddenly - after all, she was only 53 - before he returned it to her.
 
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According to a footnote in the book, yes. (I really should get around to writing a review of it I suppose - reading it was another "project" I accomplished during all the CV-19 BS this spring while the library was closed.)
I believe I own a copy of that book. I’ll have to have a look. Thanks James, that’s good info.
 
I believe I own a copy of that book. I’ll have to have a look. Thanks James, that’s good info.
Even if you do, I brought it with me today just to quote the entire footnote:

CHAPTER IX

10 The foregoing account is taken from the manuscript of Mrs.
[Emma Sansom] Johnson, in possession of the author. Miss Emma Sansom married Mr. C. B. Johnson, of Company I, Tenth Alabama regiment, October 29, 1864. They moved to Texas in 1876, where her husband died in 1887, leaving her with seven children-five boys and two girls. If they inherit the courage of their mother the world should be better for their coming. The Legislature of Alabama in 1899 voted her, as a token of "admiration and gratitude," a gift of six hundred and forty acres of land, commemorative of her heroic action. The note of thanks written by General Forrest in lead-pencil on the stained leaf of an old pocket memorandum or account book was presented to the writer [Weyth] by Mrs. Johnson, and is doubly treasured by him as coming from such a woman and written by such a man. It is the only specimen of the general's war-time writing so far obtained.
 
It is the only specimen of the general's war-time writing so far obtained.

Wow!

So this is it:
1595524239678.png


Source: http://www.algenweb.org/cherokee/wisdom.htm

And thanks to @War Horse 's opening post, we know what it says:

“Headquarters in saddle May 8, 1863. My highest regards to Mss Emma Sansom for her gallant conduct while my forse was skirmishing with Federals across Black Creek near Gadisden, AL”.
 
Wow!

So this is it:
View attachment 367247

Source: http://www.algenweb.org/cherokee/wisdom.htm

And thanks to @War Horse 's opening post, we know what it says:

“Headquarters in saddle May 8, 1863. My highest regards to Mss Emma Sansom for her gallant conduct while my forse was skirmishing with Federals across Black Creek near Gadisden, AL”.
Yes; I wanted to scan it and post it here but unfortunately my home computer (not connected to the internet) has "decided" to not work again, so my printer/scanner is likewise out-of-commission. As can be seen, the supposedly "illiterate" Forrest actually had pretty nice handwriting, though his spelling as might be expected was atrocious, though probably not worse than many of his contemporaries, especially others coming from frontier conditions like he did.
 
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Emma Sansom Johnson has another monument, this one here in Texas, that I pictured in my thread on her grave but that was only in thumbnails so may have been missed. During the Civil War Centennial in the 1960's many large pink granite markers were erected for the occasion in various locations. This one is titled UPSHUR COUNTY C.S.A. on the front and stands in front of the county courthouse in Gilmer, Texas. However, the back pictured below, though likely impossible to read because of the shadow, says, EMMA SANSOM JOHNSON and gives her story, including the fact she is buried within Upshur County. This was how I happened to find her grave - after reading the marker I walked across the square to the Upshur County Historical Museum and asked for directions!

1595527212940.png
 
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Thanks to James N. who had posted a paragraph from Wyeth's book "The life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest" I became aware that this fearless teenage girl Emma Sansom held the vigils by the body of one of Forrest's fallen men, Robert Turner.
And obviously the next day she and her sister buried him on the Sansom Family Cemetery in Gadsden. AL.
On the way I met General Forrest again, and he told me that he had written a note for me and left it on the bureau. He asked me again for a lock of my hair, and as we went into the house he said: "One of my bravest men has been killed, and he is laid out in the house. His name is Robert Turner. I want you to see that he is buried in some graveyard near here." He then told me goodbye and got on his horse, and he and his men rode away and left us all alone. My sister and I sat up all night watching over the dead soldier, who had lost his life fighting for our rights, in which we were overpowered but never conquered.

Also, I was not aware that she had named her first daughter Mattie Forrest Johnson after General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Unfortunately, the little girl lived only until the age of 5 (1866-1871). She is also buried on the Sansom Family Cemetery:

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