Forrest's Fighting Preacher

Book excerpt: Every leader needs a trusted confidant. For Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the Civil Wars greatest military minds, that man was David Campbell Kelley. Kelley began adulthood in the clergy, serving for two years as a missionary in China and returning home just a year before the Civil War. He then raised a company of cavalry from his familys large congregation that became part of Forrests original regiment. Kelley quickly became Forrests second in command, assisting in some of his most daring engagements, offering support in key decisions and serving as his unofficial chaplain. Following the war, Kelley returned to preaching, helped establish Vanderbilt University and launched a campaign for governor of Tennessee. Now, for the first time, author Michael R. Bradley brings Kelleys dynamic life to the fore.