My favorite story of Bedford Forrest and West Point: One day a Confederate Column commanded by Forrest was moving down a road and they came across a creek, and as they were crossing, one of the laden down Wagons got stuck in the creek bed. So some passing Infantry tried unsuccessfully to pull the Wagon out of the creek.------ What they needed was more manpower, but presently the only men nearby happen to be 3 young Confederate Officers, all on horseback, all graduates of West Point. They impassively sat in their saddles on the creek bank, watching the men struggle in the water---- that is until Gen. Forrest happened upon the scene. Forrest flew into a rage, and ordered the 3 young Officers into the creek to help the enlisted men.
All the while he berated the 3 young Officers in an enraged blue streak of curses and foul language, and said they were typical "worthless graduates of West Point", who were afraid of "getting their hands soiled" to help in the war effort. And that West Pointers thought they were "too good to help out an enlisted man."
This story spread like wildfire through Forrest's command, and made them respect him even more. |
