Biography:

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate lieutenant general during the Civil War and the first leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Born and raised poor in rural Tennessee, Forrest was one of the richest men in the state by the outbreak of the Civil War, with millions in livestock, real estate, cotton, and slaves. Forrest entered the Confederate Army as a private but quickly gained renown—and notoriety—for his inventive and often brutal tactics. In 1864, General Forrest was accused of leading a massacre of African American Union soldiers at Fort Pillow as they attempted to surrender. “Remember Fort Pillow!” became a rallying slogan for African American troops.
 
Following the end of the war, Forrest became involved with the newly formed Ku Klux Klan and is widely believed to have been the secretive organization’s first “grand wizard” or highest ranking leader, leading groups of men in attacks intended to terrorize and intimidate African Americans and Republicans. Forrest ordered the organization disbanded in 1869, but the violence continued. When asked to testify about the KKK’s activities before Congress in 1871, Forrest denied membership in the organization. He died in 1877.