Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/170

 FORREST

FORSYTH

commanded at Fort Pillow in April. 1804. and directed the attack on the fort after the Federal force had refused to surrender. The men under his command gave the colored troops no quarter and the excuse for the massacre was the alleged presence of the flag over the fort and the stubborn refusal of the Federal officers to surrender, which was not true. He annoyed the forces under Schofield and Thomas in Tennessee and re- ceived for his activity the rank of lieutenant- general iii February, 1865. He was opposed by the cavalry force of 15,000 men under Gen. James H. Wilson in the spring of 1865 iu northern Ala- bania, was defeated April 2, 1865, and surrendered his force at Gainesville, May 9, 1865. After the war he engagefl in railroad building and became president of the Selma, Marion & Memphis railroad. He wore throughout the war a pair of silver spurs, fashioned out of thimbles that had been worn and presented by the ladies of Missis- sippi, He died in Memphi.s, Tenn., Oct. 29, 1877.

FORREST, Uriah, soldier, was born in St. Mary's county. Md, in 1756 He served in the Revolutionary war, rising to the rank of colonel. He lost a leg at the battle of Brandywine and was so severely wounded at the battle of German- town, Oct. 4, 1777, as to incapacitate him for fur- ther active service. He was a delegate to the continental congress, 1786-87, and a representa- tive in the 3d U.S congress, 1793-94, resigning in 1794 when he was succeeded by Benjamin Ed- wards who completed his term In 1795 he was commissioned major-general of Maryland militia. He was clerk of the circuit court of the District of Columbia, 1800-1805, and served several terms in the legislature of Maryland. He died in Georgetown, D.C.. April, 1805.

FORSHEY, Caleb Qoldsmith, engineer, was born in Somerset county. Pa., July 18, 1812. He attended Ken3-on college, Gambler, Ohio, and the U S. military academy at West Point, 1833- 36. He occupied the chair of mathematics and civil engineering at Jefferson college, Miss., 1836-38, and was subsequently employed in en- gineering works iu Mississippi, Texas and Louisi- ana. He conducted the U.S. survey of the delta of the Mississippi river, 1851-53; was chief engi- neer of the Galveston, Houston & Henderson railway, 1853-55; and designed and constructed the Galveston West Bay bridge. He helped to found the New Orleans academy of sciences in 1853 and was its vice-president. He established the Texas military institute in 1855 and con- ducted that institution until 1861, when he served in tlie Confederate army as lieutenant -colonel of engineers on the James river defences, 1861-62. He was chief engineer on General Magruder"s staff in its operations in Texas, 1863-6,5. After the war-he was employed in railway construction

in Texas, in the government work at the mouth of the Mississippi, and in 1874-75 in the U.S. engineer corps on Red river and Galveston bay. Besides contributions to scientific journals, he assisted in preparing The Physics of the Mississippi Rioer(lSGl. new ed 1876). He died in Carroll- ton, La, July 25, 1881.

FORSYTH, James Mac Queen, naval oflicer, was born at Great Harbour, Long Island, Baha- mas, Jan. 1, 1842; son of James and Catharine Ann (Taylor) For.syth, and grandson of Alex- ander and Isabella (McQueen) Forsyth, and of Archibald and Catharine (McNiel) Taylor His paternal great grandfather went with his family from Scotland to Florida in 1762, and after the war of the American Revolution when Florida was ceded back to Spain, he removed to Nassau, Bahama Islands. His maternal ancestors, the Taylors and McNiels, were in the Scotch colony that emigi-ated with JIac Donald and settled near Fayetteville, N.C. His grandfather Archi- bald Taylor was a loyalist in the Revolution, and at its conclusion, removed to the Bahama Islands. James was graduated at the Central high school, Philadelphia, in 1858. He vi^ent to sea as ship's boy before the mast and .served iu European, African and West Indian trade. He reached the grade of second mate and when the civil war broke out he volunteered for service in the U.S. navy, Aug. 1, 1861. He participated in the captures of Forts Clark and Hatteras ; w-as appointed acting master's mate Sept. 25, 1861 ; was attached to the North and South Atlantic and West Gulf squad- rons; participated in the engagements under Admiral Farragut on the Mississippi and at Grand Gulf in the engagement with the Confed- erate ram Arkansas. He was promoted acting ensign for gallant service Sept. 5, 1862: was attached to the TCrtJe?- Witch, Pawnee and the monitor Xantiicket }fi the South Atlantic squad- ron and participated in the expeditions up the St. John's river and in various engagements in Charleston harbor. He was promoted acting master Aug. 1, 1864. He was navigator and executive officer of the U.S.S. Kyack in the Pacific squadron, 1865-68; was commissioned master in the regular navy March 12, 1868, and lieutenant, Dec. 18, 1868. He was executive officer of the U.S.S. Purveyor and detailed on special service, 1868-69; executive officer on the receiving ship Potomac, 1869-70; navigator and executive officer of the ironclad Ajax in 1871 ; stationed at the navy yard Philadelphia 1871-72; executive oflScer of U.S.S. Supply and detailed on special service at the Vienna exposition of 1873; was at the navy yard, Philadelphia. 1873-74: navi- gating officer of the steam sloop Pnvhatan, North Atlantic squadron, 1874-77; on sick leave, 1877; torpedo instruction, 1877, and on navigation duty