Ferris Foreman (August 24, 1808 – February 11, 1901) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He fought in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, and was a colonel commanding a volunteer regiment and the

District of Southern California The District of Southern California was a 19th-century district of Department of the Pacific, a command of the United States Army. History Department of the Pacific was created January 15, 1861, during the American Civil War. The District of Sou ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was a

presidential elector In the United States, the Electoral College is the group of presidential electors that is formed every four years for the sole purpose of voting for the president and vice president in the presidential election. This process is described in ...

for

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

in the 1848 elections.

Early life

Born in Nichols,

Tioga County, New York Tioga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,455. Its county seat is Owego. Tioga County is part of the Binghamton metropolitan area. The county is part of the Southern Tier region of ...

. In 1836, he was practicing law in

Utica, New York Utica () is the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most populous city in New York, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 census. It is located on the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley at the foot of the Adiro ...

. However the next year he was a clerk of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 representativ ...

Vandalia, Illinois Vandalia is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Illinois, United States. At the 2020 Census, the population was 7,458. The city is on the Kaskaskia River and in the early 19th century, Vandalia became the western terminus of the N ...

. He secured an appointment as U.S. Attorney for Illinois, from 1839 to 1841. In 1839, Ferris Foreman prosecuted the case of ''U.S. v. Gratiot'', in a case arising under a lease, by the government of a portion of the lead mines of Galena. On January 11, 1844, Foreman was married, to Lucinda Boothe (died 1880) and they had one daughter, Ann, and a son, Sands William. He was a Democrat member of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

from 1845 to 1846.

Mexican War

During the

he raised a company of volunteers in Vandalia,

Fayette County, Illinois Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,488. Its county seat is Vandalia, the site of the Vandalia State House State Historic Site. Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area is ...

, and was appointed colonel commanding the 3rd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. It was composed of ten companies and served in the war from July 1846 to May 1847. His 3rd Regiment with Colonel Foreman in command was attached to the Army of Invasion of General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

, and played a part in the

siege of Veracruz On 9 March 1847, during the Mexican–American War, the United States military made an amphibious landing and besieged the key Mexican seaport of Veracruz. The port surrendered twenty days later. The U.S. forces then marched inland to Mexico ...

, and in the march on Mexico City, Col Foreman's 3d Ill fought under General Shields at the battle of Cerro Gordo the 3d and 4th Ill ''"carried a battery of the enemy's on his extreme left (Santa Anna's), gain the national road and cut off his retreat route"'' (History of Illinois, Illinois in the Mexican War). For this action he was awarded a cased sword by the State of Illinois. Colonel Foreman was especially commended in the report by General Scott.

49er

After returning from Mexico, Foreman was a presidential elector for Illinois in 1848. In 1849, he went to California during the 1849

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. Soon after he arrived he assisted in the relief of emigrants coming overland, taking command of one of the relief columns sent by the Territorial government over the Sierra passes. He later became a Postmaster and for a short time in the summer of 1850 was a Sacramento County Judge. He became involved in business and in 1853 was elected to the board of the Alta California Telegraph Company. He became involved in California politics and from 1859 to 1860 he was Secretary of State of California, during the administration of Governor

John B. Weller John B. Weller (February 22, 1812August 17, 1875) was the fifth governor of California from January 8, 1858, to January 9, 1860, who earlier had served as a congressman from Ohio and a U.S. senator from California, and minister to Mexico. ...

Civil War

Following the beginning of the Civil War, he joined the 4th Regiment of California Infantry as lieutenant Colonel but became colonel commanding the 4th Regiment from November, 1861 succeeding Colonel Henry M. Judah in command of the regiment. His regimental headquarters and several companies were sent from San Francisco to

Camp Latham Camp Latham was a temporary United States Army tent camp located in Los Angeles County, California extant from the fall of 1861 to fall of 1862 in the military District of Southern California during the American Civil War. Camp Latham was located ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

in late 1861. On May 2, 1862, General George Wright wrote to Colonel Ferris Foreman, the new commander of Camp Latham to send, two or three companies of the Second Cavalry with Lieutenant Colonel

George S. Evans George Spafford Evans (August 8, 1826 – September 17, 1883) was a military officer, miner, businessman, county clerk for Tuolumne County, customs official, and clerk for the California State Senate. Early life Born on August 8, 1826, in Tecums ...

as commander to establish a post in the

Owens Valley Owens Valley (Mono language (California), Mono: ''Payahǖǖnadǖ'', meaning "place of flowing water") is an arid valley of the Owens River in eastern California in the United States. It is located to the east of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra ...

. He was Commander of the

from May 15, 1862, to May 17, 1862, and from April 10, 1863, to July 7, 1863. Colonel Foreman commanded the 4th Regiment until August 20, 1863, when he resigned. Shortly afterward, Foreman's daughter Ann was discovered to have been in communication with the infamous secessionist and duelist

Daniel Showalter Daniel Showalter (1830–1866), was a California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the ...

who wrote her an affectionate letter that was found on the body of a Confederate spy in west Texas in September 1863.

Later life

With the Republicans dominating California politics, Foreman returned to Illinois and became the Fayette County State's Attorney and was a delegate to the Illinois state constitutional convention for the 13th District in 1870. He returned to California in his later years, and died in Stockton,

San Joaquin County San Joaquin County ( ; , meaning " St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton. San Jo ...

, February 11, 1901. He was buried at San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery, in Stockton.The Political Graveyard; Index to Politicians: Forman; Forman, Ferris
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Early life

Mexican War

49er

Civil War

Later life

References

Further reading