- Joined
- Aug 25, 2013
- Location
- Hannover, Germany
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.
That could be proven if evidence of Forrest’s note to Emma exists. Or if other first hand accounts exist.And here is a glimpse of the inevitable discussion if Emma deserves her monument...
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!That could be proven if evidence of Forrest’s note to Emma exists. Or if other first hand accounts exist.
I only have to go about forty or fifty miles so it's really a nice drive out in the country for me!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.
James are you saying Emma gave Weyth the note written by Forrest?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!
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.)James are you saying Emma gave Weyth the note written by Forrest?
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??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.)
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.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??
I believe I own a copy of that book. I’ll have to have a look. Thanks James, that’s good info.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.)
Even if you do, I brought it with me today just to quote the entire footnote:I believe I own a copy of that book. I’ll have to have a look. Thanks James, that’s good info.
It is the only specimen of the general's war-time writing so far obtained.
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.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”.
That was a fascinating read James. I am particularly pleased that my OP was very close to Emma’s actual memory. Thank you for sharing.Emma's account in her own words as taken from John Allan Wyeth's The Life Of General Nathan Bedford Forrest:
Yeah once you hear that sound you never forget it. Still thinking about it makes chills go up my spine.That has been my experience. Most people, thank God have never heard those sounds. Thank you for your reply.
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.