Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealth as a cotton plantation owner, horse and cattle trader, real estate broker, and slave trader. In June 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and became one of the few soldiers during the war to enlist as a private and be promoted to general without any prior military training. An expert cavalry leader, Forrest was given command of a corps and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname "The Wizard of the Saddle". He used his cavalry troops as mounted infantry and often deployed artillery as the lead in battle, thus helping to "revolutionize cavalry tactics", although the Confederate high command is seen by some commentators to have underappreciated his talents. Although scholars generally ac
Nathan Bedford Forrest (13 de julio de 1821 – 29 de octubre de 1877) fue un destacado general del Ejército Confederado durante la Guerra Civil Americana y el primer gran mago del Ku Klux Klan de 1867 a 1869. Antes de la guerra, Forrest acumuló una riqueza sustancial como propietario de plantaciones de algodón, comerciante de caballos y ganado, corredor inmobiliario y comerciante de esclavos. En junio de 1861, se alistó en el Ejército Confederado y se convirtió en uno de los pocos soldados durante la guerra para alistarse como un privado y ser promovido a general sin ningún entrenamiento militar previo. Un líder de la caballería experto, Forrest fue dado el mando de un cuerpo y estableció nuevas doctrinas para las fuerzas móviles, ganando el apodo de "El mago de la silla".