Traditional Southerners and educated American patriots have long been aware of the greatness of the Confederate general fondly known here in Dixie as the "immortal Forrest." What is far less well known are the identities and personal stories of the men who fought with and under him.
Years in the making, award-winning Southern historian and Forrest scholar and cousin Colonel Lochlainn Seabrook, who holds the world record for writing the most books on Forrest, has compiled an informative yet riveting work that solves this dilemma. Entitled, I Rode With Forrest! Confederate Soldiers Who Served With the World's Greatest Cavalry Leader, this well-researched, heavily illustrated reference provides entries on nearly 500 (of the 50,000) military personnel who at one time or another fell under the auspices of the "Wizard of the Saddle." This distinct body of boys and men, who varied widely in age, background, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and education, referred to themselves as "soldiers on the horse," a title they were proud to own, as those who were granted the privilege to ride with Forrest (even for one day) were envied above nearly all others. Though diverse, all shared two common interests: an undying affection for the U.S. Constitution and an unshakeable faith in their larger-than-life commander Nathan Bedford Forrest, "the thunderbolt of war"!
As Col. Seabrook's A to Z book demonstrates, Forrest's army was not made up merely of white Southerners, as our Left-wing biased history books disingenuously claim. Among his soldiers there were also blacks (a number who served as the General's personal armed guards), Yankees (from as far North as Massachusetts and New Jersey), foreigners (representing much of Europe), and Indians (including one Native-American who became a Confederate officer and lived to be 107). This, however, is not just a dry roster of names and dates. Both historians and genealogists, for example, will find this book invaluable as many entries include not only little known military facts, but birth and death dates, names of ancestors, wives, children, and various relations and descendants (some quite famous). The book serves another vital function as well: with their impeccable reputations, sterling characters, high morals, and strong work ethics, Forrest's men are ideal role models for adults and youth alike.
In describing his subjects, the author-editor utilizes biographical sketches, obituaries, stories, and reminiscences as told primarily by fellow Confederate veterans, but also by close friends and family members (all who wrote during the late Victorian Era and early 20th Century). Other biographies Col. Seabrook has created from a host of disparate sources, weaving them into his own unique narratives. We are treated thus to a cornucopia of rare historical data that is seldom found between the covers of a single volume. I Rode With Forrest! is, in fact, the chronicle of an important but lost chapter in American history: the legacy of the rough and ready Conservatives who served under the veritable "God of War," the same Southern officer U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt called "the most remarkable man produced in either the Union or Confederate armies."
Along with their individual histories (some recorded in great detail), the reader is treated to various adventures of Forrest's men as well as the many highs and lows that came with being a Confederate soldier. In essence Col. Seabrook's encyclopedia tells the story of, as one Confederate veteran put it, "the patriotic and chivalrous spirits who made the name of Forrest so famous in American history." Includes copious endnotes, a bibliography, an index, and a bonus appendices section. This American classic in the making is Col. Seabrook's eleventh book (of 12) on the beloved general! Available in paperback and hardcover.
