How did Nathan Bedford Forrest's prestige help the early Ku Klux Klan grow?

Nathan Bedford Forrest’s role in the early Ku Klux Klan was significant due to his status as a prominent Confederate cavalry commander. While the extent of his influence within the organization is sometimes debated, it is clear that his prestige as a celebrated military figure served to expand the Klan's membership rolls during the early years of Reconstruction.1

By 1867, Forrest had become the first grand wizard of the original Klan, a secret hate organization that utilized terror to pursue a white supremacist agenda. His involvement provided a level of notoriety and authority that helped the group grow into a potent force, which was instrumental in the violent restoration of white rule in several Southern states. Forrest eventually ordered the organization disbanded in 1869, citing the group's excessive violence, though local chapters continued to operate.213