Question: Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first leader of the Ku Klux Klan,
Options:
- was a former Confederate general who killed African American soldiers at a fort in Tennessee.
- was a former Union general who killed proslavery Confederate soldiers at a fort in Tennessee.
- was a former Union general who came to the South for personal gain and was called a “carpetbagger.”
- was a Republican who had served in Congress and supported Radical Reconstruction policies.
Answer: The correct answer is: was a former Confederate general who killed African American soldiers at a fort in Tennessee.
Step-by-step explanation: Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate general during the Civil War of 1861. He is also known for his involvement in the Battle of Fort Pillow in Tennessee, during the month of April, 1864. He and his troops reportedly murdered over 200 Union soldiers, many of them black former slaves who had become soldiers. It was said by survivors that the Union soldiers had surrendered but Forrest’s men had ignored their surrender and murdered unarmed troops. Later this was investigated and it was discovered that indeed, Forrest’s men were guilty of an unjust slaughter. When the Civil War ended, Nathan Forrest worked as a planter and railroad president. Later in the 1860's, he served as the first leader of the Ku Klux Klan.