James W. Forsyth
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James William Forsyth (August 8, 1835 – October 24, 1906) was an U.S. Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and cavalry regiments during the Indian Wars.
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[edit] Biography
Forsyth was born in Maumee, Ohio, where he attended the local schools. He attended West Point from 1851-56 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 was to serve 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
CAMPAIGNS: Peninsula Campaign, Seven Days, Antietam, Chickamauga, Overland Campaign, Shenandoah Valley with the Army of the Shenandoah, Appomattox Campaign and Battle of Five Forks.
During the Civil War, Forsyth served on the staff of Philip H. Sheridan along with Wesley Merritt, Thomas Devin, and George A. Custer. Later, all of these men would become famous Indian fighters.
With the outbreak of war and the rank of 1st lieutenant, he became an assistant instructor of Ohio recruits at Mansfield, Ohio. For the first quarter of 1862, he commanded a brigade in the Army of the Ohio. Forsyth was then appointed as an inspector general to Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's staff during the Peninsula, Seven Days' and Antietam Campaigns, Forsyth was also provost marshal general of the Army of the Potomac.
He later transferred to the Western theater where he joined Major General Philip H. Sheridan as acting assistant adjutant general. Brevetted a major for his actions at Chickamauga, he served as Sheridan's Chief of Staff until the end of the war. Forsyth was brevetted a brigadier general of volunteers for his service in the Shenandoah Valley, and for gallantry at the Battle of Five Forks he was, On May 19, 1865, officially appointed a brigadier general of volunteers.
Promotions:
- 1st Lieut 3/15/1861
- Capt 10/24/1861
- Major 9/20/1863 by Brevet (Chickamauga, GA)
- Major 4/7/1864 (Major & Asst Adjutant General)
- Lt Col 4/19/1864 (Lieut Colonel & Asst Inspector General)
- Lt Col 10/19/1864 by Brevet (Cedar Creek, VA)
- Brig-Gen 10/19/1864 by Brevet
- Colonel 4/1/1865 by Brevet (Five Forks, VA)
- Brig-Gen 4/9/1865 by Brevet
- Brig-Gen 5/19/1865
[edit] Indian Wars
Forsyth stayed 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 the buffalo soldiers, He then joined Sheridan again in 1867. Forsyth moved with Sheridan when the latter became commander of the Department of the Missouri in 1866. Forsyth served first as the department's secretary and then as an 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 Cavalry in the Bannock campaign, he had 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. He was promoted to colonel in 1886 and placed in command of the 7th Cavalry stationed at Fort Riley, he worked from 1887 to 1890 to organize a School for Cavalry and Field Artillery at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was in command of the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890 with orders from Gen. Nelson A. Miles’ to "Disarm the Indians. Take every precaution to prevent their escape. If they choose to fight, destroy them." The Indian Chief Big Foot, who did not consider himself at war, accepted this with the best possible grace and placed his band of 300 Indians under the protection of Forsyth.
Forsyth's attempt to disarm the Indians turned into a fight, later known as the Wounded Knee massacre. On the following day, Forsyth again engaged the Indians at Drexel Mission. Forsyth's actions were investigated at General Miles's instigation, and although he was cleared of any wrongdoing, Forsyth resented Miles's accusations.
On November 9, 1894 Brig. Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook was appointed Major General of the United States Army to hold the rank vacated by 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 Gen. Frank Wheaton.
Promotions:
- Major 7/28/1866
- Lt Col 4/4/1878 (1st Cavalry)
- Colonel 6/11/1886
- Brig-Gen 11/9/1894 (Dept of California)
- Major-Gen 5/12/1897
[edit] In Memoriam
Forsyth married the daughter of Ohio Governor William Dennison, the couple had four children.
Graduate USMA 07/01/1856
He died on October 24, 1906 in Columbus, Ohio, and is buried there in Green Lawn Cemetery.
The Town of Forsyth, Montana (Rosebud County) is named in his honor.
[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.
