What did Forrest fight for after the war was over? You may not believe it, but Forrest was probably the ‘first white man’ to fight for and promote equality and civil rights for blacks.
Many people ignorant of history say that Bedford was the founder of the KKK. The #Klan had already been in existence for a year and a half when he was asked to assume the leadership because the people looked up to him as their hero and proven leader.
The KKK of the late 1860’s bears no resemblance to the thugs and racists of the new Klan formed at the turn of the century. The Klan Forrest rode with was to fight against the Yankee scalawags and carpetbaggers who were raping the south after the war. US. Army occupation forces committed innumerable atrocities, which today would certainly be classified as international war crimes, much of it against the free blacks. General Forrest joined a citizen militia then called the Klan to protect the citizens of the #South, black and white alike, from these vicious atrocities.
Under the ‘true’ history of the time, one of the first outings that Forrest went on with the Klan was to a black man’s house who was accused of beating his wife. The black man, holding an axe, told Forrest that he ‘owned’ his wife and could beat her anytime he wanted to.” Wherein Bedford took the axe from the man, taught him some southern manners on how to treat a lady (black or white), then told him that he had better never see a mark on the woman again.
Forrest disbanded the Klan in 1869 because its mission had been achieved. Union appointed Governor Brownlow and the viscous carpetbaggers had been defeated. Primarily because Forrest told the #President of the United States that if they didn’t stop stealing land and goods from Southern US citizens, abusing them, and molesting free blacks, he had the capability to start the Civil War over again. The US government was well aware that he could do exactly what he threatened to do with half a million white and several hundred thousand black soldiers standing firmly behind him.
At a time when the northern states were passing laws ‘forbidding’ blacks to live in their territories, #NathanBedfordForrest publicly, and at great personal risk defended the civil rights of the black people.
Forrest said there was no reason black people could not be doctors, store clerks, bankers, or in any other jobs ‘equal’ to whites. He said they were skilled artisans and needed to be employed in those skills so that successive ‘black’ generations would not be dependent on a welfare society. (Forrest was a man of vision).
To prove his point, when he organized the #Memphis & #Selma Railroad, Forrest took it upon himself to hire blacks as architects, construction engineers, foremen, train engineers, conductors, and many other high level jobs, not just laborer positions. (The first affirmative action).
The Independent Order of Pole Bearers Association (a forerunner of the #NAACP), invited General Forrest, the first white man ever invited, to speak at their convention on July 5, 1875. During his speech, too much applause, Bedford said: “I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man - to depress none. (Applause.) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going.” Forrest went on to say, “I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment. Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I’ll come to your relief.”
Whereupon N. B. Forrest thanked Miss Lewis for the bouquet of flowers and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Such a kiss was unheard of in the society of those days, in 1875, but it showed a token of respect and friendship between the general and the black community and did much to promote racial harmony among the citizens of Memphis.
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