Behind The Battles | Nathan Bedford Forrest

We profile Nathan Bedford Forrest, a polarizing figure who rose from a Tennessee slave trader to a Confederate cavalry general and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Before the Civil War, Forrest amassed wealth through slave trading, real estate, and cotton plantations. Enlisting as a private in 1861, he became a general, earning the nickname "Wizard of the Saddle" for innovative cavalry tactics. His role in the 1864 Fort Pillow Massacre, where surrendered black and Unionist troops were killed, remains highly controversial. As Klan leader (1867–1869), he led violent efforts to suppress black voting rights but later disbanded the group and supported racial harmony. Forrest died in 1877, leaving a legacy tied to slavery and violence, prompting the removal of his monuments today.

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