Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/166

 FORNEY

FORREST

and 34th congresses and in the 34th congress was speaker ex officio of the house from Dec. 3, 1855, to Feb. 3, 185G, when Representative N. P. Banks was elected speaker. He was an editor of the Washington Union, 1853-56. He was chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic state central committee during the political campaign of 185G, and in January, 1857, was a candidate before the state legislature of Pennsylvania for U.S. senator, but was defeated by Simon Cameron. He advo- cated tlie principles of popular .sovereignty as championed by Senator Douglas and supported the administration of Mr. Buchanan until the introduction of the Lecompton constitution. He estabhshed the Press in Phihidelphia as an inde- pendent Democratic newspaper, Aug. 1, 1857, and supported Steplien A. Douglas in 1860. On Feb. 3, 1860, he was again elected clerk of the U.S. house of representatives to suc- ceed James C. Allen of Illinois and served till the close of the 36th congress. The same j'ear he established in Washington the Sumhq/ Morning Chronicle which was shortly afterward published as a. daily. He was secretary of the U.S. senate from July 15. 1861, till June 4,1868; favored through the Press the impeachment of President Johnson in 1868, and siijiported Horace Greeley in 1872. He sold the Chronicle in 1870, but con- tinued his connection with the Press until 1877, wlien he sold tlae property for §180,000 and es- tablished the PriK/ress, a weekly journal. Pres- ident Grant appointed Colonel Forney collector of the port of Philadelphia in March, 1871, and he held the office for one year. In 1875 he went to Eui'ope as a commissioner to further the inter- ests of the Centeimial exposition to be held in Philadelphia in 1876. He supported Gen. W. S. Hancock for president in 1880. He was married to Elizabeth Matilda, daughter of Philip Reitzel of Lancaster, Pa. She died, Oct. 32, 1897, and their oldest son, Philip Reitzel, served honorably through the civil war and died at New Orleans, July 14, 1870; James, the second son, was in 1900 colonel of the U.S. marine corps, and the young- est son, John Wien Forney, Jr., editor and jour- nalist, died at Philadelphia, Pa., May 2, 1893. Mary, the eldest daughter, an artist of distinction, became the wife of Henry Gordon Thunder, a prominent musician and composer of Philadel- phia; Anna W., the second daughter, became the wife of George W. Fitler, and Tillie May, a magazine writer and newspaper correspondent, began her career as amanuensis for her father. Colonel Forney's published works include : Letters from Europe (1869) ; What I Saw in Texas (1872) ; Anecdotes of Public Men (1873) ; A Centennial Commissioner in Etirope (1876) ; Forty Years in American Jonrnalism (1877) : and 77(c Neto Nobiliti/ (1883). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 9, 1881.

FORNEY, Peter, representative, was born in Lincoln county, N.C., in April, 17.56. His ances- tors were Huguenots who left France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and subse- quently found a home in America. Peter was a soldier in the American army during the war for independence and afterward engaged in the manufacture of iron. He was a member of the house of commons of North Carolina, 1794-90, and a state senator, 1801-03. He represented North Carolina in the 13th congress, 1813-15. He was a presidential elector, 1800-1832, voting for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Jackson. He died in Lincoln county, N.C., Feb. 1, 1834.

FORNEY, William Henry, representative, was born in Lincoln county, N.C, Nov. 9, 1823; son of the Hon. Daniel M. Forney, and grandson of the Hon. Peter Forney. He was graduated at the University of Alabama in 1844 and was a 1st lieutenant in the 1st Alabama volunteers in the war with Mexico. On retui-ning from Mexico he was admitted to the bar in 1848 and practised law for twenty-five years. He was a representative in the Alabama state legislature in 1859; a captain in the Confederate army in 1861, and surrendered at Appomattox in 1865 when holding the rank of brigadier-general in Lee's army. Returning to Alabama he was a state senator, 1865-66. He came under the operation of the reconstruction acts of congress and lield no state oflice after 1866. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama, 1851-60. He was a rep- resentative in the 44th-53d congresses, 1874-94, and died in Washmgton, D.C., Jan. 17, 1894.

FORREST, Catherine Norton, actress, was born in England in 1818; the daughter of John Sinclair, an English vocalist. In June, 1837, she was married in St. Paul's, London, to Edwin Forrest, and accompanied him to New York. In 1849 her husband instituted a suit against her for divorce; she brought counter-suit and on Dec. 16, 1851, the trial began in the New York supreme court before Chief-Justice Oakley, John Van Buren appearing for Mr. Forrest, while Mrs. Forrest was defended by Cliarles O'Conor. The case occupied the court for six weeks and judg- ment was rendered in favor of Mrs. Forrest. Her husband appealed five times and finally in 1868, in the last court to which it could be can-ied, she was awarded §64,000 and 84,000 a year ali- mony which Mr. Forrest paid, but of the award only 85,000 remained when the expenses of her smt were settled. During the years that tlie suit was undecided she sujiported herself on the stage, first appearing at Brougham's lyceum theatre. New York city, on Feb. 22, 1852, as Lady Teazle in "The School for Scandal." Siie also played in "The Lady of Lyons." "Much Ado about Nothing," "Love's Sacrifice," and