Unfortunately few of Forrest's men carried revolvers or swords. That made them (like other Southern horsemen) quite vulnerable to mounted attacks by Federal horsemen who carried sabres and knew how to use them -- well, most of the time anyway. Surviving an attack by a young Indiana captain on April 1, 1865, Forrest later remarked, if that boy had given me the point of the blade instead of the edge, I wouldn't have lived to tell the story!

Using those parts of his command armed with revolvers in limited attacks and counter-attacks, Forrest avoided any engagement which placed his men at a tactical disadvantage. For the most part Forrest employed the horse for mobility and sent his men into battle on foot with their Enfields whenever possible. Mounted charges worked best when Forrest could surprise and overwhelm a small and isolated Federal force. He certainly wouldn't have led the charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War!