A true son of Tennessee, General Nathan Bedford Forrest grew to manhood in Memphis; and Memphis is where this great man breathed his last.  To preserve and protect his beloved South, Nathan Bedford Forrest volunteered as a private at the outbreak of the Civil War before deciding to raise and equip an entire unit at his own expense.  Fighting with valor and distinction, General Nathan Bedford Forrest became the single most-feared cavalry commander of the entire war.  Over the course of the War of Northern Aggression, General Forrest gave more than any man for the cause:  He had no less than 29 horses shot from under him, killed or seriously wounded at least 30 enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, and was himself wounded at least 4 times.  Certainly this hero son of Tennessee has earned his rest in the Memphis ground he so loyally defended:  Interred beside his beloved wife, his legacy of courage, valor, and self-sacrifice memorialized by the statue that now bears his name and likeness.  We humbly beseech you to keep the General Nathan Bedford Forrest statue where it now stands, in Health Sciences Park, and to refrain from desecrating the General and Mrs. Forrest's burial place, as well.  Please honor our Southern culture and heritage by avoiding intolerance, prejudice, and this month's fad for eradicating all traces of Confederate history to satisfy the passing whim of ignorant persons.  Your constituents, together with other concerned citizens from around the world, object most strenuously to any further attempts to remove General Nathan Bedford Forrest's statue, remains, and legacy from their present location.  This great Patriot and son of Tennessee is a treasure which our generation must pass with honor to future generations of US citizens and to the world.