Formed celluloid letter opener with a blade that meas. approx. 6.75 inches long topped with a 3.50 inch bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Blade has gold lettering on one side that reads “N. B. FORREST CAMP NO. 215 / U. S. C. V. / CONFEDERATE REUNION, MEMPHIS, 1909.”

The bust is of Forrest in uniform and is very nicely detailed for a molded celluloid bust.

Item has some light surface dirt but is in otherwise very nice condition.

One of the more colorful and controversial characters in the Civil War Forrest is described in an on-line biography as follows:

Forrest is one of the war's most unusual figures. Although less educated than many of his fellow officers, before the war Forrest had already amassed a fortune as a planter, real estate investor, and slave trader. He was one of the few officers in either army to enlist as a private and be promoted to general officer and corps commander during the war. Although Forrest lacked formal military education, he had a gift for leadership, strategy and tactics. He created and established new doctrines for mobile forces, earning the nickname The Wizard of the Saddle.

Forrest was accused of war crimes at the Battle of Fort Pillow for allowing forces under his command to massacre hundreds of black Union Army and white Southern Unionist prisoners. Union Major General William T. Sherman investigated the allegations and did not charge Forrest with any improprieties.

A leading Southern advocate in the postwar years, he was a pledged delegate from Tennessee to the New York Democratic national convention of 4 July 1868 and he served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, but later distanced himself from the organization.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!