If you’ve ever driven down I-65 near Nashville, you probably remember seeing it. It was hard to miss. A towering, silver, bug-eyed figure on a horse, surrounded by a ring of Confederate flags. Honestly, it was one of the most bizarre sights in Tennessee. For years, it sat there on private land, a lightning rod for protests, lawsuits, and a lot of late-night jokes.
Then, one morning in December 2021, it was gone.
People often talk about "the" Nathan Bedford Forrest statue as if there were only one. In reality, Tennessee has spent the last decade grappling with several high-profile likenesses of the man. From the "ugly" roadside statue to the bronze bust in the State Capitol and the massive equestrian monument in Memphis, the story of these landmarks is basically a crash course in Southern history, legal loopholes, and changing culture.
The Roadside Eyesore That Everyone Mocked
The I-65 statue was different. Most Confederate monuments were built during the Jim Crow era or the Civil Rights movement to project power and "dignity." Not this one. This thing was made of fiberglass and stood 25 feet tall. It was sculpted by Jack Kershaw—the man who, interestingly enough, was once an attorney for James Earl Ray.
Kershaw wasn't exactly Michelangelo.
The statue featured a face so distorted and frantic-looking that even some Confederate sympathizers thought it was an embarrassment. Locals called it "Ugly Forrest." It looked more like a cartoon villain than a military general. Bill Dorris, the eccentric millionaire who owned the land, didn't care. He famously said that if the city tried to block the view with trees, he’d just build a taller pedestal.
When vandals covered it in pink paint in 2017, Dorris refused to clean it. He thought the pink paint actually made people look at it more. He was probably right. But after Dorris died in 2020, the land passed to the Battle of Nashville Trust. They didn't want the headache. They pointed out a simple fact: Forrest wasn't even at the Battle of Nashville. He had no historical connection to that specific patch of dirt.
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On December 7, 2021, a crane finally hauled it away. It was damaged during the removal, and as of now, it’s sitting in pieces in storage. It won't be coming back.
The Memphis Maneuver: Selling a Park to Remove a General
The situation in Memphis was way more intense. In Health Sciences Park, there was a massive, legitimately high-quality bronze statue of Forrest on a horse. Unlike the Nashville fiberglass version, this one was a "fine art" piece from 1905. It also sat directly on top of the graves of Forrest and his wife.
The city wanted it gone. The state said no.
Tennessee has something called the Heritage Protection Act. It makes it nearly impossible for a city to remove a historical monument from public land. Memphis got creative. In 2017, the City Council sold the entire park to a private non-profit called Memphis Greenspace for just $1,000.
Because the land was now private, the state law didn't apply.
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Within hours of the sale, cranes were in the park under the cover of night. By morning, the pedestal was empty. It was a massive legal gamble that eventually paid off, though it led to years of litigation with groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Eventually, in 2021, the remains of Forrest and his wife were exhumed and moved to a private site in Columbia, Tennessee.
The Capitol Bust and the State Museum
While the Memphis statue was being moved, a different fight was happening inside the Tennessee State Capitol. Since 1978, a bronze bust of Forrest had sat in a prominent alcove between the House and Senate chambers.
For decades, Black lawmakers had to walk past the likeness of a man who was a pre-war slave trader and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
The push to move the bust lasted years. It wasn't until 2021 that the Tennessee Historical Commission finally voted 25-1 to relocate it. It wasn't destroyed, though. It was moved to the Tennessee State Museum, just a few blocks away.
This is a key distinction in the "statue wars." While some monuments were torn down by crowds, the Capitol bust followed a strict legal process. Now, it sits in a museum where people can learn about Forrest’s military tactics alongside the reality of his involvement in the Fort Pillow Massacre, where his troops killed hundreds of Black Union soldiers after they tried to surrender.
Why Nathan Bedford Forrest Still Sparks Arguments
You can't talk about these statues without talking about the man himself. Forrest is a complicated figure, and people usually fall into one of two camps.
- The "Military Genius" Perspective: Supporters point out he was one of the few soldiers to start as a private and end as a general. He was a self-taught cavalry leader whose tactics are still studied. They argue the statues are about "heritage, not hate."
- The "Symbol of Terror" Perspective: Critics point to his wealth built on the slave trade and his leadership in the early KKK. To them, these statues aren't about history; they were tools of intimidation.
Interestingly, towards the end of his life, Forrest made a few speeches calling for racial harmony. He even spoke at a meeting of the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers, an early Black rights organization. Some people use this to "redeem" him. Others say it was too little, too late, especially after the violence his name inspired for generations.
What Actually Happens to the Statues Now?
So, where are they?
The Memphis equestrian statue is in a private, secure location. The "Ugly" I-65 statue is disassembled and effectively retired. The Capitol bust is behind glass in a museum.
The trend in Tennessee has clearly shifted toward moving these items from "places of honor" to "places of history." It's a subtle but massive difference. When a statue is in the middle of a city park or a government building, it’s seen as an endorsement. In a museum, it’s an artifact.
Actionable Next Steps for History Buffs
If you're interested in the actual history—beyond the headlines—there are better ways to learn than looking at a statue on the highway.
- Visit the Tennessee State Museum: You can see the Capitol bust and read a balanced, peer-reviewed history of Forrest’s life and the Civil War in Tennessee.
- Research the Fort Pillow State Historic Park: Go to the site of the actual battle. It’s about 40 miles north of Memphis. Seeing the terrain helps you understand the military reality and the tragedy that occurred there.
- Read the Heritage Protection Act: If you're curious about why some statues stay and others go, look up the T.C.A. 4-1-412. It explains the legal "red tape" that cities have to navigate.
- Explore the Battle of Nashville Trust: Since they now own the land where the I-65 statue stood, their website offers a lot of context on the actual battle and why they chose to remove the monument.
The era of Nathan Bedford Forrest statues standing in the public square is mostly over in Tennessee. Whether you see that as a loss of history or a gain for progress, the physical landscape of the state has permanently changed.
Next Steps for You: If you want to understand the legal side of this better, I can look up the specific details of the 2023 Tennessee court rulings regarding the Memphis Greenspace sale. Or, if you're interested in the artwork itself, I can find more information on the other Civil War monuments designed by Charles Niehaus.