Facts about Civil War general

This letter is in response to a July 3 letter. Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate cavalry commander in the Civil War, was often described as a “born military genius.”

His rule of action — “Get there first with the most men” — became one of the most quoted statements of the war.

Forrest is also one of the most controversial figures from the Civil War era. His command was responsible for the massacre of African American Union troops stationed at Fort Pillow, Tenn., in April 1864, and he served as the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in the early years of Reconstruction.

“Black Lives Matter”

Jim LoBianco

Kihei