The River Was Dyed with Blood: Nathan Bedford Forrest and Fort Pillow

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The narrative centers on the controversial actions of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest during the 1864 Fort Pillow incident, which has been labeled a "massacre." Brian Steel Wills, a renowned biographer of Forrest, contends that while atrocities occurred post-battle, there was no direct order from Forrest for a systematic execution of Union defenders. Instead, Wills argues that Forrest's significant failure was his inability to maintain control over his troops during the chaotic aftermath of the attack.