Brigadier General Tyree H. Bell, C.S.A: Forrest's Fighting Lieutenant

Rating:
Summary: biography of Confederate general in Western theater of War
Review: The solid military biography follows Bell's advance in the Confederate Army from captain of a company of Tennessee Volunteers to brigadier general who was regarded as Nathan Forrest's "right arm." Bell's own exceptional military capabilities and leadership have been largely overshadowed by being a part of the exploits of the better-known and more colorful Forrest. But Hughes, author of previous books on lesser-known aspects and figures of the Confederate military, demonstrates these qualities of Bell by detailing activities such a troop placements, probing maneuvers, assaults and defenses, terrain, and the involvement of key officers of the opposing sides in numerous engagements of all sizes Bell was involved in. Bell was active mostly in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. The biography has a personal touch concerning Bell with the participation of Moretti and Browne, descendants of his. The journeyman military biography not only establishes the place of Bell in the military activities of the Confederacy in an area of its western theater, but is also an account of the conflict in this area.