What were some of the contributions that General Nathan Bedford Forest made in the Confederate war effort?

Answer 1

Sadly, the most remembered act of General Nathan B. Forest was the capture of Fort Pillow. This was in April of 1864. There he and his men slaughtered 229 Black Union soldiers who were attempting to surrender. Somehow, he escaped prosecution as a war criminal after the war. It's a shame that for historical purposes his other war efforts are recorded here. These are noted by bullet points:

1. At Fort Donelson he captured a Union artillery battery;

2. He escaped from the US Grant siege on that same fort;

3. He took command at Nashville and prevented at that time a Union capture of the city;

4. In July of 1862 he was promoted to brigadier general;

5. He severed Union supply lines and bought more time for Vicksburg;

6. He caused the surrender of 1,700 Union troops in May of 1863;

7. He was promoted to major general in December of 1863;

8. He was given his own command of cavalry and with 3,000 troops managed to capture Union war supplies;

9. Despite the commands of President Lincoln, Forest refused to treat Black Union soldiers as soldiers;

10. Somehow he was pardoned for war crimes by the US Congress;

11. He disrupted General Sherman's Southern campaign and defeated a Union army of 8,500 troops with his 3,500 cavalry force and captured huge Union supplies; and

12. Captured a Union gunboat in 1864 and continued successful raids on Union supplies until the end of the war.