Forrest Battle Flag

Shortly after the end of the war General Robert E. Lee was asked who he thought his greatest general was. Lee replied, “Sir, a gentleman I have never had the pleasure to meet, General Nathan Bedford Forrest.”

Issued the 13-star battle flag, Forrest shortly after began using a 12-star pattern, with the center star removed, so that when his enemies saw it they would know it was Forrest on the field: psychological warfare, and it worked. His Color-bearer, Sgt Perkings, said his commander used the 12-star battle flag to strike fear into his opponent.

Forrest was so effective that Union General Sherman once wrote to Secretary of War Stanton: “Forrest is the very devil. If we must sacrifice 10,000 lives and bankrupt the Federal Treasury, it will be worth it. There will never be peace in Tennessee till Forrest is dead.” Sherman sent four successively larger armies after Forrest; Forrest defeated each one.