James W. Forsyth
| James William Forsyth | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | August 8, 1835 Maumee, Ohio |
| Died | October 24, 1906 (aged 71) Columbus, Ohio |
| Place of burial | Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service/branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1856 - 1897 |
| Rank | Major General Brigadier General, USV Brevet Major General, USV |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
James William Forsyth (August 8, 1835 – October 24, 1906) was a U.S. Army officer and general. He was primarily a Union staff officer during the American Civil War and cavalry regimental commander during the Indian Wars.
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[edit] Early life
Forsyth was born in Maumee, Ohio, where he attended the local schools. He attended West Point from 1851 to 1856 and received a commission as second lieutenant in Co. D, 9th U.S. Infantry. He was instrumental in the completion of the frontier fort at San Juan Island and served as the company's acting commander when Captain George E. Pickett was away on leave. After serving in Washington Territory at Fort Bellingham and Camp Pickett, Suan Juan Island, Forsyth was promoted to first lieutenant in 1861 and returned to the East to command Union forces in the Civil War.
[edit] Civil War
Forsyth joined the Union Army as colonel of the 64th Ohio Infantry. He was temporarily in command of a brigade during Don Carlos Buell's march to the relief of Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant at Shiloh. However, the day before the battle began the brigade's regular commander, James A. Garfield, returned and Forsyth did not participate in the actual battle.
In 1862 he transferred to the Army of the Potomac where he served as the assistant U.S. inspector general during the Peninsular Campaign. During the Maryland Campaign he was assigned as aide-de-camp to Joseph K. F. Mansfield until the latter's untimely death at the battle of Antietam. Forsyth then became provost marshal to the Army of the Potomac at the battle of Fredericksburg.
In 1863 Forsyth transferred back to the Western Theater to serve as adjutant to Philip H. Sheridan at Chickamauga. Forsyth was brevetted to major in the Regular Army for his service Chickamauga. When Sheridan transferred to the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps, Forsyth followed as his chief of staff. He participated in this capacity during the Overland Campaign. He was subsequently chief of staff of the Army of the Shenandoah during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 and chief of staff to the Union Cavalries during the Appomattox Campaign. He received brevets to lieutenant colonel, U.S.A. for Cedar Creek, colonel, U.S.A. for Five Forks and brigadier general, U.S. Volunteers, for the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
On May 19, 1865, President Andrew Johnson appointed Forsyth a full grade brigadier general, U.S. Volunteers to rank from May, 19, 1865 and nominated Forsyth for this appointment on January 13, 1866.[1] The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on February 23, 1866, notwithstanding that Forsyth was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866.[1] On July 17, 1866, President Johnson nominated Forsyth for appointment to the brevet grade of brigadier general, U.S.A. (regular army) to rank from April 9, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.[2]
Forsyth served on the Sheridan's staff along with Wesley Merritt, Thomas Devin, and George A. Custer. Later, all of these men would become famous Indian fighters.
[edit] Promotions
- 1st Lieutenant 3/15/1861
- Captain 10/24/1861
- Major 9/20/1863 by Brevet (Chickamauga, Georgia)
- Major 4/7/1864 (Major & Asst Adjutant General)
- Lt. Colonel 4/19/1864 (Lieut Colonel & Asst Inspector General)
- Lt. Colonel 10/19/1864 by Brevet (Cedar Creek, Virginia)
- Brigadier General 10/19/1864 by Brevet (Cedar Creek, Virginia)
- Colonel 4/1/1865 (Five Forks, Virginia)
- Brigadier General 4/9/1865 by Brevet (for action at Five Forks)
- Brigadier General 5/9/1865 (for action in the Valley Campaign)
[edit] Indian Wars
Forsyth remained in the Regular Army after the end of the Civil War. He commanded a brigade of cavalry for two years and was a strong supporter of African Americans and buffalo soldiers. He then joined Sheridan again in 1867, and moved with him when he became commander of the Department of the Missouri in 1866. Forsyth served first as the department's secretary and then as inspector, with an appointment in the cavalry. He took part in military campaigns against the Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa Indians in 1868-69. Forsyth went to Europe in 1870 as an official observer of the Franco-Prussian War.
In 1878 Forsyth commanded the 1st U.S. Cavalry in the Bannock War, having considerable success in this role. In 1885 Forsyth was in command of Fort Maginnis, Montana where the army was monitoring the Crow, Cree, and the Gros Ventres (Atsina) Indians.
On July 11, 1886, alfer a leave of absence of two months, Forsyth was promoted to Colonel of the 7th U.S. Cavalry, assumed command of the regiment July 26, 1886, at Fort Meade, South Dakota and marched to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he arrived September 8, 1887, where he remained in command until Nov. 10th, 1890, during which time he organized and developed the system of instruction for light artillery and cavalry for the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry.[3][4][5] Forsyth was in command of the 7th Cavalry at the Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29, 1890.
On November 9, 1894, Brig. Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook was appointed major general of the United States Army to hold the rank vacated by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard and Col. Forsyth was promoted to the rank of brigadier general to succeed McCook and was appointed commander of the Department of California.
In 1897 Brigadier General Forsyth was promoted to major general to succeed Maj. Gen. Frank Wheaton.
Forsyth married the daughter of Ohio Governor William Dennison. The couple had four children. He died on October 24, 1906 in Columbus, Ohio, and is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.
[edit] Promotions
- Major 7/28/1866
- Lt. Colonel 4/4/1878 (1st Cavalry)
- Colonel 6/11/1886
- Brigadier General 11/9/1894 (Dept of California)
- Major General 5/12/1897
[edit] Memorials
- The Town of Forsyth, Montana (Rosebud County) is named in his honor.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 733
- ^ Memorials of Deceased Companions of the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: From July 1, 1901 to December 31, 1911, Volume 2 of Memorials of Deceased Companions of the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Commandery of the State of Illinois, 1912 .
- ^ Annual Reunion of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, at West Point, New York, June 12, 1908 , Saginaw, Mich., Seemann & Peters, Printers And Binders, 1908.
- ^ Lee, Robert, Fort Meade and the Black Hills, University of Nebraska Press, 1991.
[edit] References
- Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- James W. Forsyth Papers. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
- DeMontravel, Peter R., A Hero to His Fighting Men: Nelson A. Miles, the Kent State University Press
- "The New York Times": Col. Forsyth Exonerated
[edit] Archives
James W. Forsyth Family Papers, 1803-2004 6.82 cubic feet. At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
