Nathan Bedford Forrest was one of the best Confederate generals of the American Civil War. He was noted for his effective cavalry tactics and a bold military strategy that worried his enemies. Forrest successfully created confusion and chaos on the battlefield, which often led to victories.
He is well known for leading the Confederates in contests where he was substantially outnumbered. Forrest was also responsible for several other significant military achievements. As a cavalry commander, he often outmaneuvered his Union opponents and struck at their supply lines. One of his most famous victories was the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads, where he defeated a much larger Union force with a daring cavalry charge.
Forrest was known for leading his troops on surprise attacks and using hit-and-run tactics to wear down the enemy. He was also skilled at using terrain to his advantage, often setting up ambushes in wooded areas or using high ground to gain a strategic advantage. In addition, Forrest was well-known for his bold and aggressive tactics, which often caught his opponents off guard.
Here are some of Forrest’s most famous tactics.
1. Mobile Cavalry Warfare
He was a master of guerrilla warfare. Forrest and his troops did more than
gather intelligence and destroy rail lines. The men were used as mounted infantry. He actively engaged Union troops. He was able to charge his way out of traps like the one at Parker’s Crossroads. Forrest was able to disrupt important Union initiatives, such as the Vicksburg Campaign, and hampered the logistics of his enemy.
2. Bait and Switch
Nathan Forrest would lure Union cavalry into a trap by allowing them to think they had the advantage, then attacking when they were fully committed. This tactic worked time and time again for Forrest.
3. Practicing to Deceive
Faced with an enemy force twice his size, Forrest deceived the opposition at Cedar Bluff on May 3, 1863. He repeatedly paraded the same soldiers around the top of a hill, giving the impression that he had more men and bluffing the Union commander into surrender.
4. The Art of the Ambush
Forrest would allow Union troops to advance on his position, then suddenly retreat as if in disarray. The pursuing Union troops would then be caught in an ambush by Forrest’s men, who would emerge from hiding and attack from all sides.
5. Attack with the Most.
Nathan Bedford Forrest’s quotes were legendary, but he never said, “git thar fustest with the mostest.” However, he would seek to engage the enemy with whatever forces he had at his disposal, although he was careful operating against superior numbers. What was really meant by that phrase was that Forrest would find the weak point of an opposing force and attack it with more men than the other side had there. This aggressive approach often surprised Union troops and led to many Confederate victories.
6. Superior Intelligence
While it may appear that Forrest was flying by the seat of his pants, the Wizard of the Saddle relied on excellent scouting. His enemy might not know where he was, but Forrest knew where they were, following a rule of “know where they ain’t—as to know where they are.”
By employing these tactics, Forrest achieved success for the Confederates during the war.
He was not invincible, however. Forrest lost a fight at Tupelo, Mississippi, and he could not stop James H. Wilson from destroying Selma in the last days of the war. Moreover, his victory at Fort Pillow is tarnished by the war crime committed there. Nevertheless, Forrest was a force to be reckoned with. He passionately believed that “war means fighting and fighting means killing.”
His tactics earned him a reputation as a master strategist and the best cavalry commander of the American Civil War. As a result of his military prowess, Forrest became one of the most respected generals in the Confederacy, and his battle tactics are still being studied today. 
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