To the editor:
Failure of Americans to increase their knowledge and seek out truth by challenging what they’ve been taught creates a citizenry easily manipulated and led. In short, they’ve been indoctrinated, sometimes intentionally, but usually the result of a well-meaning educational system. In every country in our world, that country’s history as offered in their text books will invariably show their actions, militarily or otherwise, over the years to be honorable. It’s natural for those vested in that county to have a certain pride in it. But if that pride is based upon false premises, it’s self-serving and often leads to going too far in sustaining that pride.
One example of going too far is the removing of General Nathan Bedford Forrest and wife, Mary Anne from the Forrest Park in Memphis, Tennessee. This couple was moved from the city’s Elmwood Cemetery to Forrest Park in 1904 to honor Forrest. To prevent the unceremoniously exhuming of their remains, the descendants of Forrest and Mary Anne, with the aid of the SCV, (Sons of Confederate Veterans), will take charge of the reburial. They will finally, we trust, rest in peace on SCV Headquarters property in Columbia, Tennessee, on May 23rd. This will be their third interment and many will be paying their respects; good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise, I’ll be among them.
In October of 1877, Bedford Forrest passed away, and at his funeral were over 10,000 mourners, of these, an estimated 3,000 were black citizens. Probably one of these black mourners was Napoleon Nelson, 1846-1934, who Forrest recruited as a slave to serve in his 7th TN Calvary. Given his freedom by Forrest, he rode and fought in many battles alongside Forrest. When Pvt. Nelson passed away in 1934, the Confederate flag draped his casket. His grandson, Nelson W. Winbush, is today the proud owner of that flag. This grandson was asked: why would a black southerner fight for the Confederacy? He replied, “For the same damn reason a white southerner did.”
Before throwing, or allowing to be thrown, your ancestors under the bus give them a balanced, fair and unbiased hearing. This requires research on your part and hopefully you’ll forego any justification of them and seek out all pertinent facts. Your results will be an honest evaluation and lead you to your own conclusions.