William Henry Forney (November 9, 1823 – January 16, 1894) was an Alabama legislator, a brigadier general in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

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 ...

and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

from March 4, 1875 to March 3, 1893.

Early life

Forney was born in

Lincolnton, North Carolina Lincolnton is a city in Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States within the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 11,091 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 12,128, as of 2023. Lincolnton is northwest of Charlo ...

, on November 9, 1823.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 240. He moved with his parents to Alabama in 1835. Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . p. 91. He was the grandson of Peter Forney and nephew of David M. Forney. He was the older brother of Confederate Major General John Horace Forney, first cousin of Confederate Brigadier General Robert Daniel Johnston and second cousin of Confederate Major Generals

Robert F. Hoke Robert Frederick Hoke (May 27, 1837 – July 3, 1912) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. He was present at one of the earliest battles, the Battle of Big Bethel, where he was commended for coolness and judgment. ...

and Stephen Dodson Ramseur. Forney pursued an education in

classical studies Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages ...

, and graduated from the

University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the old ...

in 1844. He served in the Mexican War as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

in the First Regiment of Alabama Volunteers. Upon returning from the War, Forney studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1848 when he commenced practice in

Jacksonville, Alabama Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,385, which is a 14.6% increase since 2010 and a 71.2% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxfo ...

. Forney served as a

Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

from 1851-1860. In 1859 and 1860, Forney served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives.

Civil War

During the Civil War Forney entered the

in 1861 as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 10th Regiment Alabama Infantry, and was successively promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on December 20, 1861, lieutenant colonel on March 17, 1862, and

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on June 27, 1862. He was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Dranesville, Virginia, December 20, 1861.Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . p. 224. He was wounded in the right arm and captured at the

Battle of Williamsburg The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the first pitc ...

on June 27, 1862. He was exchanged on August 31, 1862. He was wounded in the leg at the

Battle of Salem Church The Battle of Salem Church, and the Battle of Banks' Ford took place on May 3 and 4 respectively, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Battle of Chancellorsville, Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War. Backgroun ...

on May 3, 1863. He was left on the field at Gettysburg with multiple wounds, captured and remained a Union prisoner of war for more than a year from July 5, 1863 to August 4, 1864. Following his parole, on August 21, 1864, he was given command of a brigade in Major General William Mahone's division. Forney was promoted to brigadier general on February 15, 1865. He served as a brigade commander in Mahone's Division until the surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. He was pardoned on July 11, 1866.

Aftermath: Post-War career

After the War, Forney served as a member of the State senate in 1865 and 1866. He was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Forty-fourth and to the eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1893).Warner, 1959, p. 92. He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury ( Forty-sixth Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1892. He was appointed by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

to be a member of the Gettysburg Battlefield Commission and served until his death. Forney died in

, January 16, 1894 and was interred in City Cemetery, Jacksonville.

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . Retrieved on 2008-10-19

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forney, William Henry 1823 births 1894 deaths People from Lincolnton, North Carolina Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of Alabama in the American Civil War United States Army officers People from Jacksonville, Alabama Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...