Forrest's Cavalry Corps

Forrest's Cavalry Corps
Gen. Forrest's battleflag
Active	1863–1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Allegiance	Nathan Bedford Forrest
Branch	Confederate States Army
Type	Army Corps
Role	Cavalry
Part of	Army of Tennessee
Engagements	American Civil War Battle of Chickamauga Battle of Fort Pillow Battle of Brice's Crossroads Second Battle of Memphis Battle of Johnsonville Third Battle of Murfreesboro Battle of Nashville Wilson's Raid
Disbanded	May 3, 1865
Commanders
Notable commanders	Nathan Bedford Forrest

American Civil War

Forrest's Cavalry Corps was part of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and commanded by Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Formed during the summer of 1862, it took part in the various battles in the Western Theater during the second half of the war. At first serving as part of the Army of Tennessee, both Forrest and the corps were then transferred to northern Mississippi and often launched independent raids into Union occupied western and central Tennessee.

In May 1863, Nathan Bedford Forrest was given the cavalry command of Earl Van Dorn, who had recently been murdered; the corps initially consisted of the divisions of William H. Jackson and Frank C. Armstrong but Jackson's division was soon sent to Mississippi, leaving Forrest with only Armstrong's division. On September 3, Braxton Bragg, commander of the Army of Tennessee, gave Forrest the division of John Pegram and placed him in command of all the cavalry north of Chattanooga. During the early stages of the Chickamauga Campaign, Forrest's corps served on the army's right as a rear guard during the retreat from Chattanooga, while Forrest himself was wounded during the fighting. The corps covered the right flank of D. H. Hill's corps during the Battle of Chickamauga, earning praise from Hill. On the morning of September 21, following the Confederate victory in the battle, Forrest rode towards Chattanooga with four hundred men and found that the Union army was still in chaos; he urged Bragg to attack the city immediately but Bragg instead settled in for a siege of the Union garrison.

"General Forrest, I wish to congratulate you and those brave men moving across that field like veteran infantry upon their magnificent behavior . . . No one can speak disparagingly of such troops as yours."