Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WAR ST Gren. IST. B. Korrest' Lost I Nathan Bedford Forrest was horn at Chapel Hill, in what is now Mar shall County. Tenn.. July IX, 1821. His paternal ancestors were of Kng lish descent, his grandmother being of Irish origin aud his mother of Scotch Irish stock. His boyhood was uneventful. Wil 1 :_ t.'_. i e .i_ T:".J ?l,fl. itaui j Uli. C31, 111.-1 JUliil'l, Uivii nnv.u young Bedford was only IC years old, leaving him at th. bead of thc family, which, besides his mother, consisted j of six brothers and three sisters. The j family, having moved to Tippah j Count}'. Miss., ?oro very poor when j thc father died, and thc support of 1 thc group fell on the oldest .son, as sisted by his mother. This noble wo- ' man, like Aurelia, thc great mother of CVsar, possessed a strong character, and ruled her family, including young Bedford, with an iron hand, but withal a kindly heart. Hy his 20th year young Forrest had ! achieved a competency fur his moth- '?? cr's family, and set out for Texas, j which was then engaged in a struggle ! with Mexico for liberty. Ile did not j succeed, however, in thus early grati fying his passion for war, and, re turning to thc States, engaged in busi ness al Hernando, Miss., and thou at Memphis, Tenn., with great success. While thus engaged at Memphis bc was elected as alderman for thc city. Soon after, at thc instance of thc mayor, he rescued a murderer from a mob of several thousand enraged citi zens, who were endeavoring to lynch him. In this exploit Forrest, alone, and armed only with a knife, pushed through the crowd and, cutting thc swinging wretch down, dragged him to thc jail near by, fighting off thc mob with his knife. People at once re cognized what manner of man he was and what overwhelming will power he possessed. Forrest then again re sorted to planting, and in 18G0 mude on his plantation 1,000 bales of cotton. Tho war having broken out, For rest, early in tho summer, having ar ranged his affairs, enlisted Juno 14, 18G1, as a private soldier in Company 1), Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, and he made a capital soldier, too. A few months later he was authorized by Governor Harris, of Teuncssec, to raise a regiment, which he quickly accom plished, going to Louisville in dis guiso to purohase and bring out thc arms and equipments for the men, and becoming its lieutenant-colonel. With this new command he did some bril liant fighting in Kentucky, and his great career now began in earnest. Soon after he won distinction by tak ing part in the battle of Fort Don el son, fighting for tho most part mount ed. When the garrison was surren dered by its oommandorshe refused to yield, and, in disobedience of orders, brought his regiment through thc Federal lines intaot and escaped. Forrest then rode to Nashville, where he rescued vast stores whioh had been abandoned and were boing looted by a mob. Going thence to Huntsville, Ala., he was there elected colonel of his regiment. Soon after he again distinguished himself at thc battle of Shiloh, where he was dan gerously wounded. After recovering Forrest was sent to Chattanooga, and was placed in command of a brigade of 1,500 effective men. With this force he moved on Murfrecsboro, gar risoned by a larger force than h?.s own, and captured thc place after a severe fight, taking 1,7G5 prisoners, includ ing their commander, Gen. Critten den. By this exploit bc earned his promotion to brigadier-general, his commission dating from July 21, 18t')2. Forrest soon after moved with Bragg's army to Kentucky, going as far as Bardstown, whence he was ordered baok to Murfrecsboro to take command of new troops there. In December, 1862, Forrest, with his new command, crossed thc Ten nessee Uiver and overran west Ten nessee, capturing towns, garrisons, forts, destroying trestles, bridges and trains, and bringing away safely im mense stores. On this raid he fought heavy engagements at Lexington and Barker's Cross Hoads, and captured Col. Robert Ingersoll, the famous orator of later years. Thc spring of 18G3 was spent in various operations in middle Tennessee, culminating March'Otb in the capture, in connec tion with Gen. Van Dorn, of Col. Co burne'8 force at Thompson's Station, Tenn., of 2,200 men. His next ex ploit was tho pursuit and capture o? the column of Col. A. D. Straight, May 3d, numbering 1,700 ?sen, ?iiur o rapid pursuit with a small force oi about 500 men from Courtland, Ala., r > Homo, Ga. On September li) and 20, 1863, For icai. took part in the great battle ol Chiv knmauga, commanding the ex treme right division of "the Confeder ate army, a cavalry command of 3,50( men. "\r:a be fought dismounted ai 'ORIES. s Daring Successes. Vi une. infantry, and thus added tu hi? re nown. When the Federal army re treated from the Acid Forrest followed them to within half a mile of Chatta nooga, all thc time urging his supe rior? to make au atUck on the retreat ing Federals, which, he believed, would complete their ruin, but which Waa HOI UJ??c. A few days later Forrest went on a .successful expedition into east Ten nessee about London. .Soon after ho was, by Gen. Bragg, deprived of his commuud, except ono brigade, and re signed his commission, but was in duced by President Davis, then with thc army, i>> reconsider his action and take command of affairs in a district composed of North Mississippi and West Tennessee. Ile was only given his old regiment as a nucleus for his new command, and at once proceeded to North Mississippi. Here his great est career as a cavalry leader, unham pered by thc orders of others, began. At once, December 5. loG'i. he threw his small command cf about 500 men into West Tennessee with a view of recruiting thc abundant war mate rial in that quarter. This he accom plished safely after many adventures, reaching Panola. Miss., on his return, January 1, 1864, with il,000 recruits -hardy, young Tcnncssecans-and a large train of supplies, with several hundred head of beef cattle, hogs, etc., and running the gauntlet of more than 10,000 Federal troops. His suc cess brought with it a commission as major-general and material from which to construct a new and splendid cav alry command, never excelled by any army in thc world. Forrest's successes now followed each other with a rapidity which caught not only the attention of thc two warring nations, but thc whole civilized world. In February Gen. William Sooey Smith, with about 8,000 cavalry, made a rapid movement from Memphis to thc prairie region of eastern Mississippi, in order to destroy thc immense supplies of grain stores and incidentally to co-operate with Gen. Sherman, moving from Jackson to Meridian. Encountering these troops north of West Point February 21st, they were rapidly driven back past Oklahoma and finally routed at Prairie Mound, February 22d, and driven back pell mell to Momphis. March 15th ho again crossed into West Tennessee with a considerable force, capturing Jackson and Union City, and oven reached the Ohio Uiver, attacking heavily the city of Faducah, March 25th. Remaining in West Tennessee and recruiting Forrest at tacked and captured thc strongly for tified post of Fort Pillow, April 12th, with 500 prisoners. After this he again rotircd into North Mississippi. In June tho Federal Commander at Memphis again sent a great expedi tion into Northeastern Mississippi, consisting of 8,700 men, of which 5,400 were infantry, under Gen. S. I>. Sturgis. Forrest encountered these at Brice's Cross Hoads, not far from Tupelo, Juno 10, 1864, with only 3,400 men, and after a desperate bat tle utterly routed the whole com mand, scattering them over thc coan try, and taking all their artillery and trains and placing hors du combat nearly a third of thc whole command. Such annihilation had not overtook any command in the whole war. In July a largo force of 13,000 men, under Gen. A. J. Smith, sot out from Memphis to avenge Sturgis. . This was encountered by Forrest and Gen. S. D. Leo, nt Harrisburg, Miss., July 14th, and a desperate battle followed. The Confederates *7?re repulsed in their attack on Smith's fortified posi tion, but the Federal commander at once abandoned his expedition, and rapidly retired to Memphis, followed by Forrest, who harrasscd his com mand fiercely until over thc Talla hatchie River. In August General Smith, directed by Gen. Sherman, again moved into North Mississippi, this time in thc direction of Oxford, with 14,000 men. Forrest, unable to check this groat army, loft Gen. Chalmers at Oxford to confront Smith, and, making a wide detour of eighty miles, fell upon Memphis August 21, 1804, at daylight, with about 1,800 men, overrunning the city and oarrying consternation throughout the whole Federal command. Tho Federal com mander, Gen. Washburnc, was chased from his quartors in thc city at early dawn and fled undressed to the fort below town on the river, leaving tho i family and papors in tho hands of tho ' Confederates. This caused Gen. i Ilurlbut to remark, as narrated by Gen. Chalmers, * 'There it goes again. . They removed mc because I could not t koep'Fqrrest out of West Tennessee, - and Washburnc cannot koop him out - of his bedroom." This movement 1 had the effect intended by Gen. For ; I rest, who allowed A. J. Smith to he i ri formed of his capture of ?he city und then cut the telegraph lines. The latter commander at once abandoned his expedition and hurried back to Memphis. Forrest thus having effectually re lieved North Mississippi from Federal menaces, assumed the aggressive him self, and organized another expedition into middle Tennessee on Sherman's lines of supply. Moving rapidly and crossing the Tennessee September 21st, he captured Athens, Ala., Sep tember 24tb, with surrounding block houses and 1,000 prisoners, and on September 25th captured tho redoubt at Sulphur Trestle, with 82? prisoners and thc guns. On thc 27th he feinted on Pulaski, then moved toward Fay etteville and Tullahoma, turning thence he sent Buford back to thc Tennessee Uiver with his ?anturn?. and himself went over to tho Nash ville and Devatur railroad, about Spring Hill, in which vicinity he de stroyed more block houses and tres tles, and, turning southward, rejoined Buford at Florence, where he escaped safely across thc Tennessee October Otb, though surrounded at thc time by 12,000 Federal troops, who sought his destruction at tho river. During this expedition Forrest had captured or disabled 3,500 Federal troops, eight pieces of artillery, 3,000 stands of small arms, and ten block houses, which he dismantled, besides bring ing out 1,000 recruits. He also bad destroyed 100 miles of railroad. Almost without pausing Forrest then, marching around by way of Jackson in West Tennessee, roached the Tennessee Uiver again in the vicinity of Paris, and blockading it with artillery, captured several gun boats and transports. Ho then fell upon Jacksonville, tho Federal depot of supplies, shelling it from the west bank with such effect that several more boats were destroyed with stores on the bank valued at more than $3, 000,000. The expedition, besides the supplier destroyed, captured and burned four gunboats, thirteen tran sports and twenty-four barges, "a feat of arms," declares Gen. Sherman, "which, I must confess, excited my admiration." Gen. Forrest now repaired to Flor ence, Ala., where he joined Gen. Hood on his march to Nashville. He was placed in command of all the cav alry, about 5,000 men, and with these led the advanoe to Nashville, fighting numerous battles with the 7,000 Fed eral cavalry in front and brushing them out of thc way of the army. He besieged Murfreesboro for eight days, looking up there a force double his own, and covered with tho assistance of Gen. Waith all, and a few infantry, the retreat of Hood's beaten army to the Tennessee Bivcr, saving it from utter destruction. In this campaign be waB fighting every day from No vember 20th to December 28th, in the bitterest of winter weather, his move ments embracing Borne of the grandest cavalry operation of modern times, a description of which, however, the limits of this artiole forbids. After the return from Tennessee he received his commission as lieutenant-geueral of cavalry, dated February 28, 18G5-, and was soon after engaged in the final operations of the war, in combating Wilson's great cavalry raid through Alabama. Here his work was moiO heroic than over, much of it bloody, and hand to hand, but without avail from disparity of numbers. He sur rendered finally at Gainesville, Ala., May ll, 1865. Forrest was 40 years old when the war commenced. Ho was 0 feet li inches tall, and weighed 198 pounds, without surplus of flesh. He had broad shoulders, expansive chest, and a massive head. His countenance was stern and strong, tho features singu larly handsome and intellectual, thc eyes a steel gray, and exceedingly luminous when he was aroused. Thc man was grave and dignified, and j would attract attontion in any group. I His address was good, and his diction olear and flowing when engaged ic public speaking. His moral life wac singularly clean, and his rospect foi woman extreme. His affection foi his aged mother and devotion to hie faithful wifo were among the brightest features of this strong man's life. In fine, Forrpst was one of tho mosl remarkable men of modern times. FRANK C CASSIDY. A Soldier in Prison, Who Sacrificed Fila Affection to his Sense of Honor. For an. introduction to my hero, ] must take my readers to a Northen prison towards tho close of our lati civil war. Among the Confederad prisoner) there hold was a youn) Irishman, whether an officer or not] don't know, whoso name was Frank G Cassidy. -Bis name I must givo, fe it is worthy to live. He had left hi parents in New York just before th outbreak of tho war to come and liv* with an unolo in Beaufort distiict, ai it was then called, South Carolina South Carolina was to bo his home and when the war began he espouse* Ithe cause of tho Irish heart and vol unteered in the 11th South Carolin infantry, and at this time being a mer boy. His intelligence, high mora character, wit uud humor characters tic of his race, and kind heart equally HO and his youth won for him the love and friendship of his comrades ant made him a favorite with all. Indeed it was not long before he was the pe of his company and his regiment After following the Confederate Maj for nearly four years, and always i brave and trusted soldier, he was mad? a prisoner, with others of his company and carried to the North and put ii prison. But in prison he was th< same jolly, irrepressible Irishman tha bc was in camp and on the march. Like Joseph in his Egyptian prism he soon made friends o? his fellow prisoners, and the prison guard an1 thc colonel commanding the prison With the artlessness and simplicity o a child, and a childlike joyousnes that was forever bubbling up he ha an "open sesame" that unlocked al hearts to him. Ile was the life of th prison as he had been of the cam] He was always stirring about arnon the prisoners, and everyone had smile and good word for him as li always had for them. Ono day tb commandant, of thc prisou came in an called for "Cassidy" who was vei quickly there. "Cassidy," he sai< "I have some good news for yoi Your father and mother have come c from New York, and are at the prise gate waiting to see you and take ye with them." He was wild with d light. It had been seven or eigl years since he bad left them, a boy como to his uncle in South Carolin and in all that time had never se? thom, nor did he know whether thi I were dead or living, and only a she ! time before that had written to the I that ho was alive and a prisoner, whe I do not remember. Loving son th he was there could have been no mc welcome news to him than that I I father and mother still lived, and we I waiting at thc prison gate to carry hi j home to see his brothers and sisters they still lived. "Oh, Colonel," I said, "I must go to my father a j mother." "That is with you, Cas I dy. You know it is not allowed I prisoners to go to the prison gate j talk with anybody, not even to t and talk with father and mother, you'll take thc oath of allegiance the Union I'll carry you to them, a be next glad to you and to your fatl and mother." "Is taking the oath i only chance to see them?" "Y< only chance. It is not with mc to aside the strict orders under whio am aeting. If you are not willing take thc a th I'll go and tell them t they will go oil without your see I them." Here- Cassidy broke do I and wept aloud like a heart-brol J child, saying: "Oh, my father i I mother, must it be so that you ar( near tue, and have to go back with j seeing your long absent son! W j would be sweeter to my eyes am I my heart than to sec my father j my mother?*' An awfnl struggle was going 01 I bis soul between love of father mother on one side and what he fe] bo his honor on the other side. M I of his fellow prisoners and some of j prison guard who stood around \ deeply moved. It was a seem I toueh the hardest heart, and to u I eyes grow moist unused tc- w I There were other tears shed bes j his own. "Take the oath, Frat said one of his fellow prisoners, I mother is more than country." " j not more than honor," said Fr j ''Take the oath, Frank," said ano! I "for you have been a good sol? I and have fought and suffered enough to quit the warnow." "Tl the very reason," said Frank, "tl I havo been a good soldier, that I sh continue one. It doesn't bcloi I my blood nor to my race, to des I friend, or my country, in the di their misfortune and when they J need me." Others said "Take II oath, Frank, for the war will so? . I over, and then we'll have to tak oath and go home." "Yes," II Frank, "and when it docs end, let 1 be soon or late, I want it to find i 1 this prison or filling a soldier's g . j or living cn honored and hone . I man, with thc proud feeling 1 1 I had done all that I could do ft cause I believed to be right." The agony was over. His de> ' was mado. Brushing the tears his honest face, he taid: "Co go tell my father and mother can't see them now-that I can' the oath." The oolont? look him and said: ' Cassidy, you ' noble fellow and may we live happier times," and straightway to announce his deoision to his [ and mother, who were all thi i waiting anxiously at the pris o i i> It matters little on whiob sid* a a man fought. Whether his sit I right or not, who oan deny t [ was right, and that ho was a he . unsurpassed by any of Oree r Rome? When the flag under a he fought was furled to vravc no a still a hero with a bravo and ol 9 heart, he began poor tho strnj 3 life to mako an honest living . help to build np the wasto ph , h?B country. It is such as h i and women, who hold what th< - eeivo to be their duty and theil a clear, that constitute the tra 9 sud greatness pf a State andJi 1 May their number bo greatly plied, for heroes arc needed even inore in peace than in war. It is said that "truth is stranger than fiction," aod it could bc aaid* with equal truth that fiction is more interesting and takes a stronger hold on roost people thar? "truth"-the reality-for which rea son I fear that the true stories of my "Two Heroes," which I got in both cases from eye-witnesses, will be less interesting if they were the pure crea tion of some story writer. Over the grave of Frank Cassidy, in Barnwell County, there ought to be a monument raised, and on it inscrib ed: "Go, Colonel, tell my father and mother that I can't see them now that I can't tako the oath." JOHN G. WILLIAMS? Allendale, SK C. /.*-!_- W\_.J-...- ri..II T_4L. ...??I. ?l,aia viiiiicsc iscuuaia iuu iceni TTIIII Misti' Fingers. A novel account of the manner in which Chinese dentists operate on their nationts ls contributed by a German naval surgeon who has just returned from Pekin. They use, he says, neither pincers nor any other surgical instruments such as arc used in Europe, employ ing instead their lingers for the pur pose of extracting teeth. This diffi cult operation they perform with a dexterity and skill that might well excite tho envy of their American and European colleagues; The tooth which is to be extraotcd is grasped by the thumb and index finger and is en pulled out, the force necessary for such work equivalent to 100, 150 and sometimes 190 kilogrammes. The Chinaman who decides to be come a dentist practices this feat from his sixteenth year by pulling out from an ebony plank ivory pegs off various sizes, which have been firmly fixed in it. In this way he ac quires a surprising knack, so that it becomes easy for him to draw out a olar or a wisdom tooth without ever being obliged to mako a second at tempt. That his patients suffer dur ing the operation is admitted, but it is claimed that their pain is of very brief duration. For the purpose of cleaning his pa tients' teeth the Chinese dentist uses powder made from the boues of cuttle fish, which he applies by means of small bamboo instruments. His cure for toothaohe is a pill of opium and Borne oil of mint, which is to be rub bed on the jaws. Of the art of filling teeth with gold or any other metal ho is profoundly ignorant, and whenever he has to deal with a decayed tooth which he cannot remove he satisfies himself by filling it with a paste made of ordinary pow der.-*SV. Louis Republic. A Son and $100,000. Senator Dolliver is quoted in Suc cess assaying: 'Money making is the cheapest kind of success. It doesn't indicate the highest kind of development by any means. I will give you a simple illustration: A friend of mine, a pro fessional man of high mental attain ments, had been offered a salary of $10,000 a year by a corporation engag ed in transportation. He was strong y tempted to take it, for he is working for tho government at a salary of only $5,000. He admitted to me, however, that he is capable of far greater use fulness in his present work than he would be in the employment of the railroad. Thereupon I strongly advis ed him to rejeot the larger offer, and he has done so." "But money is a helpful factor in life," the writer urged, "ai.d is con sidered indispensable nowadays in climbing up the ladder." "Well," he replied, "if I had a son and $100,000, I would keep them apart."_ . . Cough, Cough, Night and day, until the strength is entirely exhausted, and that dreaded word n Con8Ktnj>tionn begins to be whis pered among friends? That's a common story, familiar to the people of every town and village. There'o another story which ought to be as widely known as the story of dis ease, and that Is the story of the cores effected by the nut of Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery. Bronchitis, asthma, obstinate, deep-seated coughs; bleeding of the lungs, and other forma of disease which affect the respiratory organs, are Srm anent ly cured by the use of n Golden edical Discovery." "Only for Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Dls m?re T { MnV T -bi i= SS StSVC to-day ?? writes M.. Moats Mlle*, of Hilliard, Ulnta Co.. Wyoming. "I had asthma so bed ? could not sleep at night and -was compelled to Rive np ?work. It affected my lungs so that X couched nil the time, both night and day. My friends ell thought X had consumption. My wile in sisted on my trying Dr. Pierce's Ooldea Medical Discovery-which X did. X have taken four bottles and-am now a well man, weighter 185 poonda, thanks to Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery.? ?Or. Pierce's Common Sense Medical Adviser is sent free on receipt of stamps to pay expense of maning only. Sendai one-cent stamps for book in paper covers or 31 stamps for cloth-bound. Address Dr. R. V. rierce, fcuiiato, N. Y. - or jLman^? ana unudren. 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