THE CIVIL WAR: THE TRUE STORY BOOK 1

Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Hero in Fiction

Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Hero in Fiction

By Jane Brown on Nov 12, 2019

A review of None Shall Look Back (J.S. Sanders, 1992) by Caroline Gordon ( I own the book and it is SO good)

Thus far the War Between the States has failed to produce an epic like The Iliad, a narrative account of the four-year conflict that would include the exploits of all the heroes of both sides. In fact, few Southern novelists have written fictional accounts of Confederate warriors— possibly because not enough time has elapsed, possibly because there are many good histories and biographies that perform the chief function of the epic—to help a people remember their heroic past.

However, a few genuine literary talents have attempted to create epic portraits of Confederate heroes, and one of the best of these is Caroline Gordon, a novelist whose literary works are only now, after a half century, beginning to win the attention they've always deserved. Her portrayal of Nathan Bedford Forrest in None Shall Look Back, recently reissued by J.S. Sanders, Inc., should be read by every student of Confederate history, not merely because it accurately portrays the ebb and flow of battle, but also because it defines the crucial role of the military hero in a time when a nation and its people are in jeopardy.

Gordon's rendition of Forrest — like Andrew Lytle's in his history Bedford Forrest and His Critter Company — is one of admiration unmitigated by reservation or irony. A Southern woman of her generation, Gordon did not explore the politically incorrect side of Forrest, who not only owned slaves but was also in the business of buying and selling them. Instead, she gives her readers the pure image of the natural soldier, the larger-than-life leader who inspires his men to fight bravely and, if need be, to sacrifice their lives in defense of their country.

In order to show this heroic figure in action, Gordon tells the story of the Allard family, and particularly of the two Allard men—Fontaine I and Rives—who pursue opposite L courses in response to the War, Fontaine's out of weakness, Rives' out of strength. Fontaine stays at home, manages the plantation, and in so doing attempts to keep the family intact. Rives chooses to fight the enemy and ends up serving as a spy for Nathan Bedford Forrest.

As soon as Rives encounters his commander, he realizes he has found a figure larger than life. At this stage of the War, Forrest is still a colonel, but he already winning a reputation as an officer who exposes himself to great danger in the process of leading his troops and as a consequence wins unlikely victories against superior odds. Here is what Allard sees early in the narrative:

Forrest's horse had been shot out from under him. A shell crashing through the horse's body just behind the rider's leg had tom the already wounded animal to pieces. The rider, disentangling himself, went forward on foot. He was splashed with blood and his overcoat had fifteen bullets in it, but he was uninjured. Placing his hand on one of the bloody gun carriages he threw back his head and yelled with triumph. His men yelling too gave him back his own name: "Forrest! Forrest!" ( this was one the best part in the book because it was so dang heartwarming and emotional) Then still hysterical with joy they ran about over the field, gathering up the (weapons} of the enemy's dead and wounded.( again I loved the emotion and drama in this part of the book).

Thus Forrest is portrayed as an inspirational figure, a hero whose conduct in battle transforms his men from ordinary warriors into soldiers ready to risk all. In this respect, he is like Achilles, whose very presence on the battlefield meant the difference between victory and defeat.

But Gordon doesn't give her readers a pure portrait of Confederate heroism in combat. She also shows the dark side of the Southern military. At the Battle of Fort Donelson, Forrest confronts for the Confederate officers who later deny him and his men ultimate victory by undercutting every success he achieves. First among these is Braxton Bragg, who was trained at West Point and who commands and fights by outmoded rules. As a result, Bragg and those who follow in his path suffer a paralysis of indecision because they fear to depart from textbook solutions and address real tactical problems.