May 16th, 2012 – Our 98th Meeting!

The next meeting of the Clarksville (TN) Civil War Roundtable will be on Wednesday, May 16th at the Bone & Joint Center, 980 Professional Park Drive, right across the street from Gateway Hospital. This is just off Dunlop Lane and Holiday Drive and only a few minutes east of Governor’s Square mall. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and is always open to the public. Members please bring a friend or two – new recruits are always welcomed.

OUR SPEAKER AND TOPIC: “The Staff and Escort of Nathan Bedford Forrest”

Nathan Bedford Forrest was probably the finest cavalry commander of the Civil War. With only six months of any education and no formal military education, Forrest soon learned to rely on his staff for the day to day operations of his commands. These officers were brought in to handle weapons and ammunition, shoes and uniforms, horses and much more leaving Forrest free to handle the tactical and strategic operations of his campaigns. These men were devoted to Forrest and he relied on them to get his men where they needed to be. It was a powerful relationship that lasted even after the war.

Additionally, as with many general officers, Forrest had a personal escort of company strength. These were probably the toughest fighters of his command and riding alongside Forrest was not only a place of honor but also one of danger. Forrest used his escort for a variety of missions including as his own Old Guard, which, like Napoleon’s famous command, often helped tip the scales to victory or helped cover any retreat. At Parker’s Crossroads, they charged a full brigade of Union infantry stopping them in their tracks and forcing them to deploy into line of battle. These men, too, remained devoted to their commander after the war.

Telling us about these men will be Dr. Michael Bradley, a retired professor of history from Motlow College in Tennessee. Forrest’s staff and escort was the topic of one of his recent books, which Dr. Bradley will have for sale at this month’s meeting. He is an accomplished historian, past commander of the Tennessee Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and a noted author. Some of his books include; Forrest’s Fighting Preacher: David Campbell Kelley of Tennessee; Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Staff and Escort; Tullahoma: The 1863 Campaign FFor the Control of Middle Tennessee; With Blood and Fire: Life Behind Union Lines in Middle Tennessee, 1863-1865; and his most current book, Murfreesboro in the Civil War. Dr. Bradley also had the cover article for Blue & Gray magazine on the Tullahoma Campaign. He is very much in demand as a speaker.

Please join us as Dr. Michael Bradley tells us much more about the staff and escort of Nathan Bedford Forrest.