Forrest generally fought mounted when he could gain an advantage or overrun an adversary, but dismounted in most major battles. These would include actions such as Brice's Crossroads, Tupelo, Athens and Pulaski, as well as Fort Pillow. Another useful example might be Forrest's pursuit of Streight, in which he and his men pursued on horseback and fought on foot. No sense in risking a good horse!

Forrest and his men preferred the use of handguns to sabers. At Ebenezer Creek, April 1, 1865, the 17th Indiana was in hot pursuit of Roddey's men, sabering laggards, when they came upon Forrest's defensive line, drawn up where the road passed beneath a low ridge on the left and a stream on the right. The Indianans rode right into it, one horse and rider colliding with the wheel of a cannon, hereby disabling the gun. Forrest engaged in a personal duel with a Captain Taylor of the Indiana regiment in which he barely escaped with his life. Some time later Forrest described the incident to General Wilson and his staff. Taylor had hacked at Forrest several times before being killed by a pistol shot. "If that boy had given me the point of the blade instead of the edge," Forrest explained, "I would not be here to tell you about it."

As far a weaponry, an ordnance report filed with records of Roddey's 10th Alabama Cavalry during 1864 shows fewer arms of all kinds (Enfields, Navy Colts, etc.) then men present for duty. When Confederates who had surrendered at Vicksburg were rearmed, about three hundred members of Pettus' Brigade received smoothbore weapons with a .75 caliber. Fortunately these had been replaced by more modern arms by January of 1864.