Forgotten Battle of Fort Pillow and the Birth of the Ku Klux Klan
In 1864 Conferderate General Nathan Bedford Forrest gave orders to his all white army battalion to pursue and kill retreating African American troops from the Union north at Fort Pillow, Tenn. The massacre triggered a Congressional Investigation after the war ended. After the war Forrest became the first Grand Wizard of the newly formed Ku Klux Klan. This documentary explores the details of this little remembered battle and massacre, as well as Forrest's rise to power in the KKK during the Reconstruction. It also explores Forrest's bizarre change of heart on race issues later in his life.
- Rated
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 1h 23m
- Released
- 2000
Details
Release year: 2000
Storyline
In 1864 Conferderate General Nathan Bedford Forrest gave orders to his all white army battalion to pursue and kill retreating African American troops from the Union north at Fort Pillow, Tenn. The massacre triggered a Congressional Investigation after the war ended. After the war Forrest became the first Grand Wizard of the newly formed Ku Klux Klan. This documentary explores the details of this little remembered battle and massacre, as well as Forrest's rise to power in the KKK during the Reconstruction. It also explores Forrest's bizarre change of heart on race issues later in his life.