John F. Fore writes of Forrest

Confederate Veteran
Volume 6, Number 1, Page 24-25
January 1898

John F. Fore, Pine Apple, Ala., writes of Forrest:
I was mustered into service September 15, 1861, at Montgomery, Ala. Our company was soon ordered to Memphis, Tenn., and camped about four miles out of town with a squad of cavalry commanded by N. B. Forrest, who told us that he had orders to raise a regiment, and we joined it. He had us drilled every day for about a month, during which time several other companies joined. There were five companies each from Alabama and Tennessee, and known as Forrest's Cavalry, later it was "Forrest's Old Regiment."

Our four days' siege at Fort Donelson and the way Forrest brought us out when the fort was surrendered proved our merit as soldiers and his generalship.

During that campaign I was one of twenty five men selected to go down on the north and east side of Cumberland River, under Capt. Bradshaw, as independent mounted rangers, to watch the movements of the Federals. On Saturday night, February 15, 1862, we reached the ferry on the opposite side of the river from Fort Donelson, and tried to get the ferryman to put us across the river into the fort, but he refused to do so, and it was lucky for us. About four o'clock Sunday morning a man came to our camp, awoke us, and said that Fort Donelson had surrendered, and that we must flee for safety. We mounted, and left for Nashville and farther south.

In the battle of Shiloh we did hard fighting. After that Maj. D. C. Kelley took about two hundred men and, leaving Corinth, went near the Tennessee River to find out about the enemy. When we found them he attacked them, although they were about eighteen thousand strong. In a short time part of the command was completely cut off. Coot Maxwell, F. M. McKenzie, and I were the last to leave the battle ground. Maj. Kelley told us that we were cut off and to make our way out. He sprang off on his big sorrel horse, and we followed. We were shot at, but escaped unhurt. Maj. Kelley would fight with us when there was fighting to do, and then preach to us at leisure hours. He was a good and brave man.

We fell back from Corinth to Tupelo, where we reorganized and enlisted for four years or during the war. We were then ordered to Guntersville, Ala. During the summer the Federals came up on the opposite side of the Tennessee River and opened fire on Guntersville, across the river, with their artillery. I was ordered to take a posse of men out to a cross roads south of town (now known as Wyeth City), to keep the enemy from coming into town on that side. The citizens had to leave town during the fight. A lady was brought through my lines who had been struck with a cannon ball. It was a horrible sight. Our men got on an island in the river with their small guns and drove the enemy back and held the town.

Later on Gen. Bragg started on his march into Kentucky, and we were ordered to Chattanooga, where we were made his advance guard. Making our way to the front, we drove the Federals into Nashville, then we withdrew, went up the Cumberland River, and forded it, keeping between the two armies until Gen. Bragg got ahead of the enemy, and then we became his rear guard. We had to keep a sharp lookout day and night and had much skirmishing and some heavy fighting. On one occasion we were crossing Green River at Mumfordville and I was sent with a squad of men a half mile down the river to guard a ford to keep the Federals from crossing and cutting off our forces at Mumfordville. I held the ford until one regiment crossed the river and opened fire upon us. I was then cut off, if they had known it, but we got back without the loss of a man or a horse. On another occasion, a few miles south of Elizabethtown, Col. Wharton, who was at that time colonel of the Texas Rangers, gave me a posse of men, and told me to hold Red Mills until he released me, and if any Federal troops came down from Elizabethtown, to report to him at once. He took his regiment and fell in with Forrest's Cavalry and went back about a mile and attacked the Federal forces, and held them in check until Gen. Bragg moved on in the direction of Louisville, but when Col. Wharton fell back, instead of returning by the Elizabethtown road, he took the New Haven road, and left me to confront the whole Federal forces. I held my post until a blue streak of Federal soldiers, four deep and half a mile long, marched up to within about two hundred yards of me. Col. Wharton had not sent any orders to me, so I told my men that we would evacuate Red Mills and make our way across the country to New Haven, a distance of about ten miles. Before reaching that point we had added to our squad until there were about seventy five. We made the trip without loss of men or any damage and joined our old command at New Haven. None of us were ever punished for disobeying Col. Wharton's orders in leaving Red Mills. I never saw him afterward.

When we had reached Bardstown, Col. Forrest, for his gallantry, received orders to go back to Murfreesboro, Tenn., and raise a brigade. We made one day's journey in that direction, passing through Springfield, at which place I spent the last night that I camped out during the war. Sunday, September 28, 1862, we reached Lebanon. On that day and at that place I received a wound in my foot, which caused my leg to be amputated. That was a few days before the battle of Perryville. After I received the wound Forrest stood over me and made a speech, saying that I was one of the first men that joined his regiment at Memphis, and had always been true to him and to our Southern cause, that he had seen me tried in many dangerous conflicts, and always found me at the front. Turning to some ladies who had gathered around me, he said to them: " I am going to call on you to volunteer. Who among you will take this gallant young soldier to your private home and take care of him till he gets well? " Three noble hearted ladies responded at the same time, claiming me for their guest. Col. Forrest then turned to me, and asked me if I had any money. I told him that I had but very little, and he took from his pocket $25 and gave it to me, saying: "I give you this for your gallantry. It will do to buy your tobacco till you get able to travel, then report to me, and I will give you a furlough home." Gen. N. B. Forrest was one of the greatest and bravest men in the Southern army. He was a tender hearted man, though firm in all his commands. The ladies who volunteered to take me to their homes were Mrs. Judge Kavanaugh, Mrs. Hood, and Mrs. Hogue. Mrs. Kavanaugh being the first to send conveyance for me, I went with her. I was placed under Dr. Shuck, who tried faithfully for about a month to save my foot, but failed. Then Drs. Braidy and Morris, of the Northern army, took charge of me and treated me kindly and successfully. On October 24, 1862, my leg was amputated. I remained with Mrs. Judge Kavanaugh till January 14, 1863, then reported to the Federal authorities, who sent me to St. Louis, Mo., and kept me till April. I was very well treated while in the Northern prison, and made friends everywhere I traveled. I was sent from St. Louis to City Point, Va. and exchanged about the 1st of May, 1863. Thus ended my war career.