If Tennessee had a Mt. Rushmore or Stone Mountain type memorial dedicated to the states favorite sons, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest surely would be represented as one of the men depicted.  Much has been written on Forrests life in efforts to both celebrate & try to defame his rightful place in history, but no one can doubt the absolute military genius that the man possessed which led to his nickname as the 'Wizard of the Saddle'.  Many of the battle-scarred men that fought under General Forrest were of the most noble character & rightfully wore their service under his command during the war as a badge of courage.  Their memories of the battlefield continue to amaze historians to this day which state personal accounts of their commanding general, his quotes & stories that are sometimes hard to differentiate between fact or fiction.  Much like another one of Tennessees favorite sons, Davy Crockett, N. B. Forrests legacy contains its share of tall tales throughout Southland as well.

Tennessee Division SCV Commander Ed Butler whos great grandfather & a few great uncles were Confederate Veterans serving under Forrest states, 'I do not think my dad was ever told by his father about the hardships of campaigning, the horror of battle, or the sight of mangled and bleeding men.  The theme of all he was told by these men was the degree that General Forrest cared for his men, and the respect and love they had for The General.  General Forrest did not just command men ~ he led them.   There were a number of commanders in this great struggle that cared no more about the loss of an entire regiment than General Forrest thought of the loss of one man.  

Fortunately, due to the efforts of the Sons of Confederate Veterans & many who have contributed to the cause, there currently is a monument to the man other than that of his massive grave in downtown Memphis or the heavenly pointed spire that stands overlooking his one of a kind victory at Johnsonville on the Tennessee River near Camden.  This monument in question is much more than bronze or granite & takes researchers back to his Middle Tennessee roots to help them understand what the man was all about based on his upbringing.

According to an article written in 1999 Vol. 4 issue of the Confederate Veteran by Past-Chairman Anthony Hodges of the S. C. V.s Forrest Boyhood Home Committee, Nathan Bedford Forrest was born July 13, 1821 in Chapel Hill, Tennessee.  The home of his birth was torn down in the nineteenth century.  His grandfather, Nathan, had moved into Marshall County in 1808, then part of Bedford County, when his father William was ten years old.  In 1830, William Forrest acquired a tract of land from a Mr. W. S. Mayfield, upon which Mr. Mayfield had built a log home circa 1825.  Young Nathan Bedford Forrest lived in the log and frame house on this property for three years.  In 1833, William Forrest sold the property and moved the family to Mississippi.  Of all the subsequent homes the General would occupy over the years, only this early boyhood structure survives.  Oral tradition in Marshall County says that General Forrest returned during the War and held recruiting barbecues at his old home which was the inspiration behind Tennessee artist David Wrights recent print 'Forrest Comes Home'-(Recruiting for the Cause).  For more info on this fundraising print please contact Carolyn Kent of the Southern Cross UDC Chapter 2578 at 615-226-6151.  Remains of the barbecue pits are said to be visible on property adjacent to the S.C.V.s current holdings.  A granite spire monument in honor of General Forrests birthplace was dedicated not far from the home in the heart of Chapel Hill on July 13, 1928.  Mrs. J. A. Hargrove, then President of the U.D.C. Chapter at Chapel Hill, worked untiringly to its completion and with the help of other U.D.C. members, secured an appropriation made by the State of Tennessee to thus honor a son who had honored his native State by his great services in time of war and in the days of peace.  A splendid tribute was paid to Forrest that day in the address of local district Congressional Judge Ewin L. Davis, to him not only as a soldier, but as 'a man of unimpeachable integrity, high moral courage, and constructive citizenship'.        

The property and house were continually occupied until the 1970s when the State of Tennessee acquired the historic site.  Plans called for its restoration and association with nearby Henry Horton State Park. Finances and politics prevented the completion of the project and the house lay idle until it was transferred to the S.C.V. in 1997.

The property consists of 50 plus acres, a circa 1825 two story log and frame house, a double crib log barn, a log corn crib, and the remnants of a frame smokehouse.  A stone-lined well and limestone fence are still in existence.  Between the house and barn is the remains of a small rectangular growing plot that was possible the Forrest family garden.  A limestone cavern is located nearby.  An amazing number of the houses architectural details, which are contemporary to Forrests occupation, are still intact.  These included the mantles over the two fireplaces, staircase and railings, windows and doors.   The site is an excellent representation of a mid-nineteenth century rural Tennessee or Southern farmstead with amazingly little or no intrusion from the twenty-first century.  There is no electricity or running water currently available and access is attained over a two thousand foot gravel road of off Pyles road in Chapel Hill. 

Contact N.B.F. Boyhood Home Chairman Gene Andrews at (615) 833-8977 or call 1-800-MY DIXIE

The home is not currently open to the general public & individuals interested in visiting the home should make prior arrangements with S.C.V.~I.H.Q by calling 1-800-380-1896.  A caretaker lives on site of the securely guarded & constantly monitored facility, but he must be contacted by headquarters.  We invite your visit with prior arrangement as the restoration goes on.