Forrest Takes a Hostage - War in the West by Bradley Schmehl ~ Shiloh, Tennessee, April 1862 While no official report of this part of the battle of Shiloh exists, Forrest's authorized biography notes that he was at hte head of a charge against Sherman on the final day. A zealous cavalryman, Forrest so outdistanced the rest of the Confederate attackers that he found himself surrounded by Union troops. Although wounded, he was able to haul a rather small Yank onto the rear of his saddle and hold him there for poretection while shooting his way out of the fray.