Nathan Bedford Forrest Flag

Confederate Battle Flag in Premium Cotton

Collectors Item, 52 x 52 inches, 4’3″ x 4’3″

This heavy cotton flag is fully sewn. The stars are sewn on with embroidery on the edges. This flag is about heritage and history.

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. Confederate Lt. General Joseph Johnston has said: “…if Forrest had been an educated soldier no other Confederate general would have been heard of.” Fierce and incredibly brave in battle, he was perfectly willing to be at the front of his men, leading them into the fray. Forrest was wounded eight times and had 35 horses shot out from beneath him.