Calhoun County AlArchives Biographies.....Forney, William H. November 9 1823 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 14, 2004, 4:37 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    WILLIAM H. FORNEY. - William H. Forney was born in Lincolnton, N. C.,
November 9, 1823. His father was Jacob Forney, his grandfather, Gen. Peter
Forney, both of whom were engaged in the manufacture of iron. His mother was the
daughter of Hon. Daniel Hoke of Lincoln county. In 1835 the Forney family
removed to Calhoun county, Ala. Young Eorney attended the state university and
was graduated there in 1844. He read law with his brother D. P. Forney in
Jacksonville. He was carried to Mexico, by the spirit of the volunteer,
proceeding there with Coffey's First Alabama volunteers. He served for one year
in Mexico and returned home to continue his law studies. In 1848 he was admitted
to the bar, forming a partnership with James B. Martin. He was honored in 1859
with a seat in the legislature. The war beginning, he promptly volunteered,
entering the service as captain of company G, Tenth Alabama infantry. At
Drainesville he suffered a wound in the leg and was disabled to do duty for two
months. When he returned he had been promoted to a majority. As major he was
under fire at Yorktown, and at Williamsburg he had an arm shattered. He was then
promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy. He was captured by the enemy while quartered at
William and Mary college. He was exchanged in four months, and
[cannot read] his soldiers life was wounded at Salem church in the leg. At
Gettysburg he led his regiment and was wounded in the same place he had been
shot at Williamsburg, and after falling, a ball carried away a part of one heel
bone. He was taken prisoner and remained a prisoner for thirteen months in Fort
McHenry and Fort Delaware. He was one of fifty officers selected by the Federals
to be placed on Morris Island within range of the Confederate batteries. He was
spared so cruel an experience, as were the others, by an adjustment that caused
the plan to be dropped. In 1864 while still on crutches he rejoined his command
and was shortly promoted to a position of brigadier general, being placed in
command of Wilcox's brigade, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th 13th and 14th Alabama. He
continued in service throughout the remainder of the war, surrendering his
command 1,050 strong at Appomattox. He returned to Jacksonville and again took
up the practice of the law. In 1865 he was elected to the state senate and
served there until a new era and new men came in with the reconstruction acts of
congress. In 1874, after a warm contest before the convention, he was nominated
as a candidate at large for the state for congress, on the democratic ticket,
and was elected. He was renominated in his own district, the seventh, in 1876
and has served continuously in congress since. He declined a renomination and
will accordingly retire from the house of representatives in March, 1893. In
congress, Gen. Forney has been for years a conspicuous member. He was for a long
time the right hand man of Samuel J. Randall on the committee of appropriations,
and in the fifty-second congress he was tendered the chairmanship of that
committee. Gen. Forney was an infrequent speaker, but his wide and large
experience, eminently qualified him for a dignified and useful carreer as a
national legislator. He leaves Washington accompanied by the best wishes of
thousands of friends and admirers throughout the state. Gen. Forney's wife is
the daughter of E. L. Woodward of Calhoun county, to whom he was married October
4th, 1854. He has five living children.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 593-594

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