| Forrest's Escort |
Organized September, 1862, at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Paroled at Gainesville, Alabama, May 10, 1865.
Captains
Montgomery W. Little,
John C. Jackson
Lietenants
1st Lieutenants-Nathan Boone (Commanded from March 6, to October 1, 1863), Matthew Cortner.
2nd Lieutenants-Daniel Dunaway, George L. Cowan
3rd Lieutenants-Daniel Dunaway, John Eaton
This company was recruited at the instance of Nathan Bedford Forrest shortly subsequent to his promotion
to brigadier general, by Captain Montgomery Little, a native of Bedford County who had been before the war
a planter and business man in Memphis. It was made up mainly of men from Lincoln County, Bedford
County, part of which is now Moore County, who were assembled in Shelbyville in September and moved
from there to Murfreesboro just before the town was temporarily occupied by a Federal raiding force. They
were integrated into Forrest's command in time to participate in the confused fighting around Lavergne on
October 7, 1862.
There after, the combat record of this company is the record of battles in which Forrest was himself
engaged. After taking part in the demonstration against Nashville on November 6, they moved with Forrest to
his West Tennessee Raid, and from there to the frequent fighting around Spring Hill, Thompson's Station,-
where Little was killed-College Grove, Franklin and Breutwood; they also participated in the pursuit and
capture of Streight during the early Summer of 1863. They then moved south and east, screening Bragg's
withdrawal in the Chattanooga Campaign, to take part in the Battle of Chickamauga. From here they were
transferred, a part of the nucleus of Forrest's new command, to West Tennessee.
In West Tennessee, they took part in the operations incident to Forrest's mobilization of a force from the
stragglers hiding in that area and North Mississippi, and gathering supplies. The mobilization having been
accomplished, they took part in the Battle of Okolona, the raid to Paducah, the capture of Fort Pillow, the
Battles of Brice's Crossroads and of Harrisburg and the Memphis Raid. Following the Middle Tennessee
Raid and the destruction of Johnsonville, they moved with their commander to the screening action ahead of
Hood on his invasion of Tennessee, which was followed by coverage of the retreat. During all these
operations, they were frequently mentioned favorably in orders. It would not be unusual for the general
commanding to make favorable mention of his Escort, but the facts are that all these commendations were
richly deserved.
It is significant to note that, whereas the Escort had numbered 90 men at its first muster, and had been 65
strong on its arrival in West Tennessee, it had, when paroled at Gainesville, Alabama on May 9, 1865,
mustered a strength of 119. Part of this increase may be attributable to the gathering in of stragglers from
other units, but a part is also due to the fact that the Escort, from its first organization to the final surrender,
had an incomparable morale.
This unit history came from the Tennesseans in the Civil War, Vol 1. Copyrighted © 1964 by the “Civil War
Centennial Commission of Tennessee”
| Also known as Forrest Guards, Tennessee Cavalry. Records filed under "Captain J. C. Jackson's Company, Tennessee Cavalry." |
| Speeches Reports and other bits of interest |
| Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Farewell Address To His Troops |
| Report of Maj. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, C.S. Army, Commanding Cavalry, Of Operations In North Alabama and Middle Tennessee Relating to The Battle of Nashville |
| Reunion of Forrest's Guard in Lynchburg TN. |
| Click to enlarge, Can you ID any of them. 1. Freelin Hice Moore more information here |
| ESCORT AND STAFF OF GENERAL FORREST [Source: Confederate Veteran, September, 1906] Forrest's staff and escort held their annual reunion at Fayetteville, Tenn., Sept. 6, 1906. Doubtless no company in the Army of Tennessee was more widely and favorable known or did more perilous service than Forrest's escort. It was organized in Oct., 1862, ninety strong, by Capt. Montgomery Little of Bedford County, Tenn., who was killed at Thompson Station, Tenn., in March, 1863, and who was a warm personal friend of General Forrest before the war, and had been with him after the fall of Fort Donelson. Though often depleted, this company received many recruits, so that it numbered over one hundred men at the surrender at Gainsville, Ala., May 10, 1865. About 30 are still living. Those present at Fayetteville, were DR. J.B. COWAN, Staff Chief Surgeon; Escort T.C. LITTLE, President; W.L. SHOFNER, G.W. FOSTER, JOEL REESE, O.W. McKISSICK, J.B. PEARSON, GEO. DAVIDSON, G.W. ENOCHS, H.T. CHILDS, E! .M. McCLURE, E.G. MONTGOMERY and Col. D.C. KELLEY, who commanded Forrest's old regiment. The officers elected for next year are; O.W. McKISSICK, President; J.N. TAYLOR, Corresponding Sect.; G.L. COWAN, Recording Sect.; TOM CHEAIRS, Tresurer; T.C. LITTLE, Chaplin. |
| FORRESTfS CAVALRY CORPS MAY 26,1864 From Inspection Report of George B. Hodge. AAIG. Report taken about May 20th - 24ft, 1864, |
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