The Hodlems

662 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Civil War influence

Throughout American History there have been multiple defining moments and multiple defining figures. Arguably one of the largest is the American Civil war and the Confederate States of America’s fight for slavery. Confederate Army lieutenant general Nathan Bedford Forrest held and, a still holds, a strong negative influence on most Americans while others consider him a hero. His influence came mostly during the American Civil war as he won many key battles such as the Battle of Fort Pillow, and the battle of _______________, while leaving a more lasting impression on America by founding the Ku Klux Klan or the KKK.

The battle of Fort Pillow took place in Lauderdale County, Tennessee on April 12th 1864 at the Union fort named Fort Pillow. The Confederates previously controlled the fort but due to the pressing Union army, they had to abandon the fort in fear of being broken off from the Confederate Army. During March of the same year, Nathan Bedford Forrest launched a cavalry raid on Kentucky and Western Tennessee. During this month long cavalry raid Forrest and he squadron had lost many supplies and horses, "There is a Federal force of 500 or 600 at Fort Pillow, which I shall attend to in a day or two, as they have horses and supplies which we need," in this quote we see the initial cause for his attack is strictly for the supplies. This applies proof that Forrest did not go into fort pillow looking for a massacre.

The Union was at a disadvantage during this battle even though the fight was being brought to them. They were heavily out numbered with only 500-600 soldiers compared to the compared to the confederates with 1500-2500 soldiers. Forrest was also interested in making the Yankees prisoners so he ordered Capt. Charles...

... middle of paper ...

...it would be expected that the children would become casualties. Klan member Catherine Dee Adams stated, “I hate to be that way, but if it has to be…” (Implying that if the children had to die it was ok and had to be done for the cause). This is not just a one time isolated case, acts of prejudice and racism have been continuing under the name on the Ku Klux Klan

Works Cited
Wikimedia Foundation. "Battle of Fort Pillow." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Pillow#cite_ref-Eicher657_1-0 (accessed April 28, 2014).
Wikimedia Foundation. "Ku Klux Klan." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan#First_KKK (accessed April 27, 2014).
"Ku Klux Klan -- Extremism in America." Ku Klux Klan -- Extremism in America. http://archive.adl.org/learn/ext_us/kkk/crime.html?LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=4&item=kkk (accessed April 28, 2014).

Show More
Related

  • Comparing the Military Leaders of the Civil War

    1558 Words  | 4 Pages

    McDowell’s opponent at Manassas was General Beauregard, commanding the 22,000 troops facing McDowell, while at the same time General Joseph Johnston commanded the Army of the Shenandoah with some 10,000 troops. When Beauregard determined that the Union forces were on the way toward Manassas, he asked for help, at which time the Confederate Government sent Johnston east via the “Manassas Gap Railroad,” to act as reinforcements for Beauregard. Their arrival at Manassas at a critical time turned the tide in favor of the South,...

    Read More

  • Pickett's Charge And The Failure Of The Civil War

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the best commanders in the Confederate army was Lee still; the Union stood at a better standpoint during the battle. “Perhaps the most significant lesson from July 3, 1863, concerns the method of decision-making. Though he may not have seen it as such, Lee’s decision to attack was at best a close call.” (Gompert 2006, pg.7). The battle of Gettysburg did not happen intentionally, planned however Lee did an astounding job and his best to defeat the Union army. Ultimately Robert E. Lee was responsible for the South’s loss

    Read More

  • General James Longstreet

    450 Words  | 1 Pages

    crutial mistake. Many things caused the outcome of the battle like Longstreets soldiers and officers got confused and were backtracking for half the day. Longstreet saw the union position as nearly impregnable. Lee saw

    Read More

  • Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, And Daniel Webster And Their Differing Vi

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Perhaps the three most influential men in the pre-Civil War era were Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster. These men all died nearly a decade before the civil war began, but they didn’t know how much they would effect it. States’ rights was a very controversial issue, and one which had strong opposition and radical proposals coming from both sides. John C. Calhoun was in favor of giving states the power to nullify laws that they saw unconstitutional, and he presented this theory in his “Doctrine of Nullification”. Daniel Webster strongly disagreed with this proposal and showed this by giving powerful support to President Jackson in resisting the attempt by South Carolina to nullify the ‘tariff of abominations’, as they called it; a shipping tax passed in 1828 that they saw as unfairly favoring the industrial North.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Stonewall Jackson And Robert E. Lee

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are best known for their careers in leading the Confederate Army. Few people know anything about them beyond battles fought and wars lost. History is written by the victors, and the victors have essentially extinguished all perceived importance of these two fallen leaders. However, both were not only soldiers fighting for a lost cause, but also educators. Both taught many of those who would fight alongside and against them in the war that ripped the United States of America in half. While the two had similar backgrounds and military careers, their careers in education were vastly different.

    Read More

  • Battle Of Little Round Top Essay

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Confederate Lt. General Richard Ewell’s corps charged the Union line in their right flank. General Robert E. Lee seeing this as a attack ordered an attack along the entire line. The Union troops were quickly overwhelmed and fled. In response Union General Howard ordered a retreat to higher ground on Cemetery Ridge. Lee quickly realized that the Union retreat to Cemetery Ridge and where in an excellent defensive position and suggested that Ewell to take control of it. However, despite the urging of his subordinates Ewell decided against it. Meanwhile on the Union side, General Hancock had arrived, calmed down the troops, and decided they were in an advantageous defensive position. It was this knowledge that led to the Union to decide to stay put. And with this decision day one of the battle of Gettysburg came to a close.

    Read More

  • 1984 Hate-Based Society Essay

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    This group is the Ku Klux Klan. This group of people were known primarily for their very Nazi-based ideologies, which in turn, they ended up murdering many who were not white, or even burning down the homes and business’ of those who weren’t. They were strongly against the progressive movement of the American Government toward the African American people. Although today this group has lost many in numbers, there are still a surprisingly large amount of people who are part of

    Read More

  • FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the Confederate side General Johnston reinforced General Beauregard forces while General McDowell was enroute to Manassas. General McDowell’s plan was to surprise the south with a fast attack on Manassas Gap Railroad in order to keep General Johnston from reinforcing Beauregard. This plan was excellent but the timing was to slow. Over all the battle started what was going to be a hard long fight while laying out the foundation from modern military training.

    Read More

  • Virginia’s Importance During the Civil War

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas was significant because it was the first major land battle of the Civil War. The battle was sparked on July 21, 1861 at approximately 5:15 A.M. During this particular battle the commanders of the Confederate and the Union were not the individuals commonly associated with the Civil War. In fact, the Union was commanded by Irvin McDowell and the Confederate forces were commanded by Joseph Johnson and PGT Beauregard. Initially, General Irvin McDowell and his troops were order by Abraham Lincoln and the Federal government to advance south of Washington into Bull Run which would bring them closer to the Confederate capital which was Richmond, Virginia. Lincoln thought that an early victory amongst the Confederates would force them to end their rebellious acts in a quick battlefield. The Confederate army gained insight on the attack the Union forces were ...

    Read More

  • The Battle of Paducah

    3054 Words  | 7 Pages

    On March 1, 1864 three Kentucky regiments received orders from General Forrest asking them to join his force around Columbus, Mississippi. The Third, Seventh, and Eighth Regiments immediately went up the Tombigbee River and joined Forrest's forces. These Kentucky regiments had been badly damaged in the many hard fought battles they had already experienced. Word that they were going back to their home state of Kentucky came as a great comfort. Upon arriving, some of the men found that they would have to walk because of the lack of mounts; not a complaint could be heard. One may ask why Forrest would want such a worn and tattered regiment. To put it simply, he wanted to advance into West Kentucky and who knew th...

    Read More

  • Robert E. Lee

    1415 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history, there have been people whose names and faces have become synonymous with the time periods in which they lived. For example, Julius Caesar is synonymous with the late Roman Republic and George Washington is synonymous with the American Revolution. Just like these two men, the name Robert E. Lee has become synonymous with the American Civil War. Not only did Lee rise to become the most important and recognizable person in the Southern Confederacy, but his honor and virtuous acts during and after the war made him a hero to modern-day Americans. Even though he fought for what many consider the morally erroneous side of the war, the virtues of his character have made him a figure in American history that should be honored and remembered.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Herman Melville And Shiloh

    1982 Words  | 4 Pages

    On the Morning of April 6, 1862, General Albert Sidney Johnson lead 40,000 Confederate soldiers through a forest in southwestern Tennessee near Pittsburg Landing, The Shiloh church, and the Tennessee River, until they came upon their destination, a Union camp. The Union soldiers were taken by surprise as it was early in the morning. Some men were still sleeping, eating breakfast, or just emerging from their tents. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his men were driven out of their camps back towards the river and the church. Grant refused to lose. He ordered his men to not move an inch at all costs and to form a battle line, which became known as the “Hornets Nest.” The Confederate general Johnson was killed the first day of battle, and Pierre GT Beauregard took his place the next day. The counterattack and the higher Union majority of troops forced the Confederates back, and the “Hornets Nest” remained intact. As the battle came to a close, it was a Union victory. However, it came at a high price: about 23,746 casualties in total were estimated. Approximately 13,047 Union, and 13,724

    Read More

  • The Contested Image Of Nathan Forrest Sparknotes

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the civil war. He served as the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan postwar. Many had different views and opinion about him later at the turn of the century. After Forrest died, he was remembered in different ways. In Court Carney’s article, “The Contested Image of Nathan Bedford Forrest”, the purpose of it was to show the many different perceptions of Forrest throughout the century, during the war and after his death.

    Read More

  • The Confederate's Defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...as the turning point of the American Civil War. The battle proved to show the most casualties of any battle throughout the war and resulted in a crushing and demoralizing defeat of the Confederates. Coming off of his “perfect battle”, Lee’s overconfidence proved to be a downfall as his expectation for his men greatly exceeded the reality of his army. Added to this, his disorganization and lack of coordination led to numerous disjointed attacks that failed and in turn exhausted his men. Finally, Lee ultimately knew less about his opponent throughout the entire battle, which was a huge switch from previous meetings between the two sides. He was forced to fight arguably the most important battle of the Civil War with insufficient intelligence of the enemy, its positions and its intentions. All of these factors are what caused the Confederates to fail at Gettysburg.

    Read More

  • Robert E Lee

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lee is very quick; he organized scattered confederate troops into the famed Army of Northern Virginia in just three weeks. Lee’s wisdom urged him to keep the Union as far away as possible from the armament producing center of Richmond and far away from the northern part of the state where farmers were harvesting crops. Lee knows that defeats of such decisive sports will weaken our will to continue the war, and he prevented this at all costs.

    Read More

More about The Hodlems

Open Document