Click 👉Today in History (general history)
On This Day in Confederate History, July 13.
1861: Brigadier General Robert Selden Garnett became the first Confederate general to be killed in action at the Battle of Corrick's Ford, Virginia. The Federals, under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan had 20,000 men in the battle, and the Confederates only 4,500. Federal casualties were between 10 and 53, and the Confederates 20 killed or wounded and 600 missing.
1862: Confederate cavalry numbering about 1,400 troopers under Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest forced 900 Federals at the First Battle of Murfreesboro, Tenn., under Brig. Gen. Thomas T. Crittenden to surrender. Forrest's men wrecked the railroad tracks there and destroyed much of the supplies. Crittenden's career was ruined, and he resigned after being exchanged.
1863: A major draft riot began on this day and lasted three days in New York City, Troy, N.Y., Boston, Mass., Portsmouth, N.H., Wooster, Ohio, and Rutland, Vermont. The one in New York City was the worst, and the New York National Guard and the Federal Army had to be called in to quell it. Between 119 and 120 people were killed, including some blacks who were killed by the rioters.
Confederate General Birthdays
Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest was born in Bedford County, Tennessee. Rising from humble origins, Forrest had become a wealthy businessman and city councilman in Memphis, Tennessee, by 1861. Despite having no military training or experience, Forrest was given a commission of lieutenant colonel and was authorized to raise a battalion of mounted rangers. A natural-born warrior, Forrest's military genius soon became apparent, and he was given command of the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry. He refused to surrender at Fort Donelson and led some 4,000 troops to escape across the Cumberland River. He again distinguished himself at the Battle of Shiloh and then at Fallen Timbers, the First Battle of Murfreesboro on July 21, 1862, and was promoted to brigadier general on July 21, 1862. He then led a series of raids in West Tennessee, Dover, Brentwood, and Chattanooga. Then in 1863, more battles followed at Day's Gap and Chickamauga, following which he was promoted to major general on Dec. 4, 1863. In 1864, Forrest fought at the battles of Paducah, Ky., Fort Pillow, Brice's Crossroads, Tupelo, and a series of raids including Memphis, Johnsonville, and then Hood's Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. campaign. In 1865, Forrest fought heroically against overwhelming odds during Wilson's Raid in Alabama. During the war, Forrest was severely wounded at Shiloh (Fallen Timbers), in the foot at Tupelo, and was severely wounded by a man in his own command in a dispute. Following the war, Forrest tried to rebuild his lost fortune without success, and he actively promoted racial reconciliation. He died from complications of diabetes in his home in Memphis on Oct. 29, 1877. Controversy followed him to the grave, and he was initially buried in Elmwood Cemetery, then moved to Forrest Park in Memphis, beneath a magnificent equestrian statue. In the early 21st Century, local politicians demanded the statue's removal along with the mortal remains of Forrest and his wife. His descendants, with the help of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, moved the remains and statue to the national headquarters of the SCV at Elm Springs in Columbia, Tenn., where a beautiful new plaza is being constructed in his honor.
Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
The Battle of Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana, 6 May 1864, was a small but sharp battle between two Union gunboats, the U.S.S. Wave and the U.S.S. Granite City, and about 350 Confederates with four small cannons. The Confederates included a diverse group of Texas Germans, Mexicans, and Anglo-Celts. The battle was a complete victory for the Confederates. The book includes photos, maps, footnotes, bibliography, and index.
