Attack On General Forrest  "Tempers Exploded"  June 13, 1863

On July 13, 1862, at the Battle of Murfreesboro, Col. Nathan B. Forrest and his men captured four Union artillery pieces. But on April 30, 1863, while attacking Col. Abel D. Streight at Sand Mountain, Ala., artillery lieutenant Andrew Wills Gould abandoned two of Forrest's prize guns after almost all the artillery horses had been shot and some became entangled in the gearing. Viewing Gould's action as an unforgivable offense, Forrest requested the lieutenant's transfer to another command.

Gould considered Forrest's request an affront to his honor and asked for an interview with the general. On June 13, 1863, the two men met at the Masonic Building in Columbia, Tenn. Gould found Forrest unwilling to reconsider the transfer, and tempers exploded. Reaching into his overcoat, Gould tried to pull a pistol out of the pocket. He fired through his coat, striking Forrest above the left hip.

Grabbing Gould's wrist as he exposed the gun, Forrest aimed the weapon at the ceiling; at the same time Forrest opened a pen knife with his teeth and stabbed Gould in the side. Gould ran into the street, where two doctors happened by. They helped him into a tailor shop and began to examine the wound, which spurted blood with each breath.

Meanwhile, an enraged Forrest started to follow Gould, but officers brought the colonel to a nearby doctor's office. Thinking his own wound was fatal, a vengeful Forrest yelled, "No damned man shall kill me and live!" He grabbed two pistols off horses and rushed to the tailor shop, cussing and waving the guns. As Gould ran into a back alley and collapsed in high weeds, Forrest fired a shot that wounded a bystander in the leg. Forrest pushed Gould with his foot and returned to the tailor shop, where he demanded the doctors accompany him and tend to his wound. Once Forrest found his own wound was not life threatening, he sent the doctors to tend to Gould, saying, "Spare nothing to save him." Gould died a few days later.

Fascinating Fact:  It is reported by some that Forrest went to Gould's bedside and the two reconciled before Gould died.


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