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Class of 1856

Vol. II
p658 1738

(Born O.)

James W. Forsyth

(Ap'd O.)

James William Forsyth: Born Aug. 8, 1834, Maumee, OH.

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1851, to July 1, 1856, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 9th Infantry, July 1, 1856.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. Bellingham, Wash., 1856‑59, — San Juan Island, Wash., 1859, — Ft. Bellingham, Wash., 1859‑60, — and San Juan Island, Wash., 1860‑61.

First Lieut., 9th Infantry, Mar. 15, 1861.

Served during the Rebellion of the Seceding States, 1861‑66: as Asst.

(Transferred to 18th Infantry, May 14, 1861)

Instructor to a Brigade of Ohio Volunteers, at Mansfield, O., Oct. to Dec.,

(Captain, 18th Infantry, Oct. 24, 1861)

1861; in temporary command of 64th Ohio Volunteers, en route from Mansfield, O., to Danville, Ky., Jan.‑Feb., 1862; as Acting Inspector-General to the Provost Marshal General of the Army of the Potomac, Mar., 1862, to Apr., 1863, being engaged on Staff duty for Major-General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class. McClellan, during the Peninsular and Maryland Campaign, Mar. 15 to Sep. 15, 1862, — of the Staff of General Mansfield, Sep. 15‑17, 1862, — and at the Headquarters of the Provost Marshal General of the Army of the Potomac, Sep., 1862, to Apr., 1863; as Acting Asst. Adjutant-General of the Regular Brigade of Infantry in the Tennessee Campaign, May, 1863, to Apr., 1864, being engaged on the Advance on Tullahoma, June 24 to July 4, 1863, — and Battle of Chickamauga, Sep. 19‑20, 1863; as Asst.

(Bvt. Major, Sep. 20, 1863,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Chickamauga, Ga.)

Inspector-General of the Cavalry Corps (Army of the Potomac), and

(Major, Staff — Asst. Adjutant-General of Volunteers,
Apr. 7, 1864, to May 19, 1865)

Chief of Staff to Major-General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class. Sheridan, Apr. 19, 1864, to Apr., 1865,

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Staff, U. S. Volunteers, Apr. 19, 1864, to May 19, 1865)

being engaged in the Richmond Campaign, May 4 to Aug. 1, 1864, — in the Shenandoah Campaign, Aug. 4, 1864, to Mar. 26, 1865, — in General

(Bvt. Lieut.‑Col., Oct. 19, 1864,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Va.)

p659 (Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, Oct. 19, 1864,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battles of
Opequan, Fisher's Hill, and Middletown, Va.)

Sheridan's Raid from Winchester to Petersburg, and Pursuit of the Rebel Army under General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class. Lee, Mar. 26 to Apr. 9, 1865; in command of Cavalry

(Bvt. Colonel, Apr. 1, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services at the Battle of Five Forks, Va.)

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Army, Apr. 9, 1865,
for Gallant and Meritorious Services in the Field during the Rebellion)

(Bvt. Brig.‑General, U. S. Volunteers, May 19, 1865)

Brigade in the Military Division of the Gulf, July to Sep., 1865, being engaged in the movement from Alexandria, via Houston, to Hempstead, Tex.; as Acting Asst. Inspector-General of the Military Department of the Gulf, Sep. 28 to Dec. 28, 1865; and on leave of absence, Dec. 28, 1865, to Feb. 8, 1866.

Mustered out of Volunteer Service, Jan. 15, 1866.

Served: as Acting Asst. Inspector-General of the Department of the Gulf, Feb. 8, 1866, to Mar. 11, 1867, and of 5th Military District (Louisiana

(Major, 10th Cavalry, July 28, 1866)

and Texas), Mar. 11, 1867, to Sep. 5, 1867; at the headquarters of the Department of Missouri, Oct., 1867, to Mar., 1869, being Acting Asst. Inspector-General, Mar., 1868, to Mar., 1869; as Aide-de‑Camp to Lieut.‑General Sheridan, at headquarters of the Division of the Missouri, and with him in Europe during the Franco-German War, Mar. 13, 1869, to Mar. 17, 1873, — as Military Secretary, Mar. 17, 1863, to Apr. 9,

(Lieut.‑Colonel, Staff — Mil. Secretary to the Lieut.‑General, Mar. 17, 1873)

1878, being engaged in the Sioux Expedition, 1875, — and as Acting

(Lieut.‑Colonel, 1st Cavalry, Apr. 4, 1878)

Aide-de‑Camp, Apr. 9 to June 17, 1878; in command of regiment on Bannock Campaign, July 12 to Sep. 22, 1878, — and at Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., Sep. 23, 1878, to Apr. 25, 1880, and July 9 to Oct. 7, 1880, being in command of escort of the Governor of Washington Territory, 1879; as witness before Warren Court of Inquiry in New York city, Apr. 25 to July 9, and Oct. 7 to Nov. 30, 1880; as Inspector of Cavalry, Military Division of the Missouri, Nov. 30, 1880, to July 1, 1885; in command of Ft. Maginnis, Mon., July 8, 1885, to May 1, 1886; on leave of absence, May 1 to July 17, 1886; in command of regiment and Ft. Meade, Dak.,

(Colonel, 7th Cavalry, June 11, 1886)

July 26, 1886, to July 25, 1887; on March to and in command of Ft. Riley, Kan., to –––––.

Vol. IV
p103 [Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. — In command at Fort Riley, from Sept. 10, 1887 to Nov. 10, 1890. — During the above interval of time, by direction of the General of the Army, he developed and organized the present system of practical instruction for light artillery and cavalry for the school now existing at Fort Riley, Kan. — In command of the 7th Cavalry in the Sioux campaign at or near Pine Ridge, Dak., in the winter of 1890‑91, and fought the battle of Wounded Knee, Dec. 29, 1890, with eight troops of the 7th Cavalry and Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class. Capron's Battery of the 1st Artillery, and on the following day had an engagement with the Sioux Indians at Drexell's Mission, five miles from Pine Ridge; the troops in his command at this last engagement were eight troops of the 7th Cavalry, four troops of the 9th, and Capron's Battery of the 1st Artillery.

(Brig.‑General U. S. Army, Nov. 9, 1894)

— Assigned to the Department of California, with headquarters at San p104 Francisco. — In command of the Department of California, from Nov. 15, 1894 to May 11, 1897.

(Maj.‑General U. S. Army, May 11, 1897)

Retired from Active Service, after over 40 Years' continuous service, May 13, 1897.

— Residence, Columbus, O.

Vol. V
p88 [Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Retired officer. — Residence, Columbus, O.

Died Oct. 24, 1906, at Columbus, Ohio: Aged 72.

Buried, Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, OH.

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