Defending N.B. Forrest
Your semi-annual SPLC update…
SPLC sent their ridiculous update around yesterday, and failed to let us know how Alex’s A.H. was doing in the Case of the Magic Coin. Frankly, I am devastated, since their lawyers seem to have such a fantastic grasp of the law and Newtonian physics I figured Alex A.H. would be elected Sheriff of the county by now or something.
Nonetheless, one of their articles of note was about a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest being moved from the TN State House to a different location. Why this is huge news is beyond me, but that SPLC feels it is kind of cracks me up. However, GEN Forrest history is a bit of a hobby with me. In fact, my friend Brown Neck Gaitor got me the Nathan Bedford Forrest Biography for Christmas. (BNG gives me damn awesome gifts, I gotta tell you.)
Anyway, I’ve always liked stories of Forrest. During the Civil War he killed 31 Yankees, and had 30 horses shot out from underneath him. Sayeth he: “I was a horse ahead at the end.” Forrest hated West Pointers and advocated maneuver warfare, also things I love. One time he got shot in the hip, and the shooter rode off. Although grievously wounded (in fact, he thought the wound was mortal), Forrest demanded a horse be brought so he could go after the guy. Sayeth he: “No damned man kills me and lives.” Point here is that he was a badass.
But, he will always be remembered as “the founder of the KKK.” Mind you there is significant evidence to the contrary, nonetheless, that’s what history will record. But at the time, the KKK wasn’t what it would become later. Not going to go into all that now, because it would take too long. Two years after the founding, whether he was involved or not, he urged and accomplished the complete dismantling of the Klan. The current band of misfits and inbred idiots is from a 1920 revival of the Klan, started in Indiana, you know, NOT A SOUTHERN STATE.
My question here though is about redemption. Everyone knows that Senator Byrd was in the Klan. He has subsequently renounced them, and largely seems to have been successful in doing so. And yet Forrest repudiated them a long time ago, and closer in time to the events, and no one forgives him. Strikes me as completely unjust. And just how much did he repudiate them? Well, on July 5, 1875 Forrest was invited by the “Jubilee of Pole-Bearers” to give a speech. They were an all black Southern organization. Here is his speech:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the Southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God’s earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. (Immense applause and laughter.) I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man, to depress none.
I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going. I have not said anything about politics today. I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office. I did not come here to make you a long speech, although invited to do so by you. I am not much of a speaker, and my business prevented me from preparing myself. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment. Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I’ll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand.
After the speech, he did the unheard of for his time, he publically kissed a woman there. In the 1940’s we still had segregated water fountains, and here was NBF 60 years earlier kissing a black woman. Why is it that we seem to have forgiven Byrd, and yet not NBF?
Category: Politics
I have no answer for your question.
At the Battle of Okolona (MS), Bedford watched his brother die (allegedly dying in his arms) and he then lead 2,500 cavalry “exacting revenge” from the front and chased 7,000 union cavalry off the field.
I feel that he would have not been allowed to have as great a career in the East as he did not have the “proper military pedigree”, but that is another conversation.
Holy crap! I had no idea. I knew only that he was one heck of a Cav officer.
An indictment on the sad condition of the so called “US History” taught these days. Revisionist History. I’ve long advocated that the full and complete History of the Republic be taught, warts and all, so that we all would have a better and more full understanding of the National character.
One problem is he wore the wrong color during the war. I am sure, even with the KKK stuff, he would be a man of much higher repute if he had fought for the northern agressors. You also have to consider the climate following the war that was prevalent in Tennessee. Ex-Confederates were libeled and many times had property confisctated out of hand by the northern selected reconstruction state gov’t. Because of this toxic atmosphere, the near veneration of a Tennessee Confederate verteran could not be allowed or tolerated. Much like Longstreet, Forrest had to be brought low, only Lee proved to be immune from this campaign.
Good points, Finrod. One other thing might be that SPLC is full of jackholes who, like pretty much every drooling moonbat leftist on the planet, has their own version of history. Take for instance their dogged grasp of the myth that democrats have been the party of oppressed blacks, when in fact, the republicans were the frontrunners in signing up blacks to vote and were supporters and marchers along with MLK. Don’t forget that Charleton Heston was a very vocal advocate of civil rights and marched side by side with MLK. Granted, the left only wants you to remember that he was the President of the evil NRA, oh, he was also a conservative.
With that in mind, they have to place the stigma of evil on someone and instead of looking for truth, they look for what they think looks good.
Mark Potok is a poor example of someone who seeks the truth, because he is so twisted in hatred and bias (plus a splash of white guilt) that he sees things totally different from actual truth, but his view is truth in his mind.
I meant primarily in the greater context of history about NBH. But you are absolutely right about the current Left. They conviently forget which party did what in historical terms. Reconstruction was designed and implimented by a group of Republicans refered to as the “Radical Rebublicans”. The radicals had such a choke hold on congress that Johnson was powerless to stop them from implementing some really draconian measures against the south after the war. Those measures, largely contributed to the economic and social stagnation of the south for many years after the war and to some historians, didn’t end til the 1930s. Hell, some folks say it, socially, has yet to end.
But those are just details and facts and shit. We can’t let that sort of thing get in the way of good ole bashing republicans and conservatives.
errrr NBF, no idea who the hell NBH is
That was interesting I didn’t know that much aobut Forrest untill just now.
Damn, I knew he repudiated the Klan, but I never read that speech. Learned something new today, thanks.
Forrest also owned a number of slaves prior to the war. IIRC, when the war broke out, he freed several of them, then took 2 or 3 with him into the military, drafting his will, and giving them written confirmation, that they should become freemen upon either the end of hostilities, or his death, whichever came first.
The Original KKK was also known as the “Knights of the Golden Circle”, and they weren’t there to keep the black down or anything like that. They were formed to protect ALL southern people from the ravages of financial carpetbaggers, northern politicians, and others set of profiting through the South’s loss in the war.
The entire anti-black KKK thing was from the later rendition, long after Forrest had disbanded the original organization.
Actually Forrest was a slave trader in Memphis before the war.