Nathan Bedford Forrest
1821 – 1877

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Confederate States Army general (1821-1877)

Brigadegeneralarmy officerslave traderreal-estate agentpolitician
Born
1821-07-13, Chapel Hill
Died
1877-10-29
Birthplace state
Tennessee

Biography

Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on July 13, 1821, in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, and died on October 29, 1877. During the American Civil War, he served as a Confederate general and was noted for aggressive cavalry tactics and a rapid rise from private to general. After the war, he was inaugurated as the first Grand Wizard of the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan.

Occupation

Nathan Bedford Forrest is recorded as a Brigadegeneral, a army officer, a slave trader, a real-estate agent, a politician and a military personnel, born in Tennessee (1821–1877).

Connections to Tennessee

Nathan Bedford Forrest was born in Chapel Hill, Tennessee in 1821. Explore other notable figures from Tennessee, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Nathan Bedford Forrest came from Chapel Hill. A full Aubrey report on Chapel Hill pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Nathan Bedford Forrest

Who was Nathan Bedford Forrest?
Nathan Bedford Forrest was Confederate States Army general (1821-1877), born in Tennessee (1821 – 1877).
When and where was Nathan Bedford Forrest born?
Nathan Bedford Forrest was born on 1821-07-13 in Chapel Hill.
When did Nathan Bedford Forrest die?
Nathan died on 1877-10-29.
What was Nathan Bedford Forrest known for?
Nathan Bedford Forrest is recorded as a Brigadegeneral, a army officer, a slave trader, a real-estate agent, a politician and a military personnel.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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