As far as a hodgepoge of humanity or melting pot, the people that rode with Forest came from every creed and race there was.
You did not want to be Forest's horse if you were a horse and wanted to live to a ripe old age. He had many a horse shot from under him.
You didn't want to be Lieutenant Gould, either.
'Course, he shot at Forrest first. Dumb idiot, I coulda told him how that would turn out.
Note that Forrest brought the knife to the gunfight, but won anyhow. Nerve and determination trumps gunpowder . . . doesn't happen all that often.