"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!"

I agree that this is correct, and I think that what I wrote earlier is in accord with this. However, I would maintain that Forrest participated in more "hit and run" skirmishes on horseback than in actual battles where he [and his men, of course. This is another of those things that would be very hard to quantify...but it could be done.

"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.' "

I do recall that incident, however, I don't think that this is the same one that I was talking about. This incident that you write about resulted in quite a bit of controversy, with the story being told very differently by the Union troops from the Confederate troops. In this encounter with a sabre, Forrest simply shot the attacker...who some described as a madman. And, yes, I agree that Forrest, in particular, preferred the pistol to the sabre. Several of his kills during the war came as a result of his having shot the sabre wielding attacker.

"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."

I have found this to be the rule, rather than the exception.

"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."

Interesting. London Tower design, hollow conical concave base, .75 caliber bullets for an English smoothbore are M&M 611. As far as I know, their application is not known [my guess is for a "Sea Service" carbine]. The Brown Bess was .75 caliber, but used a .69 ball. I don't know of any other modern (to the period) weapon that would have been .75 caliber, except perhpas the .75 caliber 1809 Prussian Musket made in Potsdam. I don't *think* that these would have been in use as they were antigues at the time...but who knows.