General Nathan Bedford Forrest Stickers

  Historical Background:Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the most polarizing figures of the Civil War era, was born July 13, 1821 in Chapel Hill, Tennessee – a small town on the Duck River.  When his father, a blacksmith, died when he was 16, Forrest moved to the Memphis Delta and eventually became a successful businessman – indeed a millionaire – dealing in cotton, land and slaves.  At the outbreak of the Civil War, Forrest volunteered as a private before deciding to raise and equip an entire unit at his own expense.  He was commissioned lieutenant colonel, and issued this call to arms in June, 1861: “I wish none but those who desire to be actively engaged.  COME ON BOYS, IF YOU WANT A HEAP OF FUN AND TO KILL SOME YANKEES” In February 1862, Forrest’s unit was stationed at Fort Donelson on the Cumberland when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant forced its surrender.  Rather than accept Gen. Buckner’s decision to capitulate, Forrest and his men slipped away, through the snow, and fought at the Battle