FORNEY
FORREST
and 34th congresses and in the 34th congress was
speaker ex officio of the house from Dec. 3, 1855, to
Feb. 3, 185G, when Representative N. P. Banks
was elected speaker. He was an editor of the
Washington Union, 1853-56. He was chairman
of the Pennsylvania Democratic state central
committee during the political campaign of 185G,
and in January, 1857, was a candidate before the
state legislature of Pennsylvania for U.S. senator,
but was defeated by Simon Cameron. He advo-
cated tlie principles of popular .sovereignty as
championed by Senator Douglas and supported
the administration of Mr. Buchanan until the
introduction of the Lecompton constitution. He
estabhshed the Press in Phihidelphia as an inde-
pendent Democratic newspaper, Aug. 1, 1857,
and supported Steplien A. Douglas in 1860.
On Feb. 3, 1860, he was again elected clerk
of the U.S. house of representatives to suc-
ceed James C. Allen of Illinois and served till
the close of the 36th congress. The same j'ear
he established in Washington the Sumhq/ Morning
Chronicle which was shortly afterward published
as a. daily. He was secretary of the U.S. senate
from July 15. 1861, till June 4,1868; favored
through the Press the impeachment of President
Johnson in 1868, and siijiported Horace Greeley in
1872. He sold the Chronicle in 1870, but con-
tinued his connection with the Press until 1877,
wlien he sold tlae property for §180,000 and es-
tablished the PriK/ress, a weekly journal. Pres-
ident Grant appointed Colonel Forney collector
of the port of Philadelphia in March, 1871, and
he held the office for one year. In 1875 he went
to Eui'ope as a commissioner to further the inter-
ests of the Centeimial exposition to be held in
Philadelphia in 1876. He supported Gen. W. S.
Hancock for president in 1880. He was married
to Elizabeth Matilda, daughter of Philip Reitzel
of Lancaster, Pa. She died, Oct. 32, 1897, and
their oldest son, Philip Reitzel, served honorably
through the civil war and died at New Orleans,
July 14, 1870; James, the second son, was in 1900
colonel of the U.S. marine corps, and the young-
est son, John Wien Forney, Jr., editor and jour-
nalist, died at Philadelphia, Pa., May 2, 1893.
Mary, the eldest daughter, an artist of distinction,
became the wife of Henry Gordon Thunder, a
prominent musician and composer of Philadel-
phia; Anna W., the second daughter, became
the wife of George W. Fitler, and Tillie May, a
magazine writer and newspaper correspondent,
began her career as amanuensis for her father.
Colonel Forney's published works include : Letters
from Europe (1869) ; What I Saw in Texas (1872) ;
Anecdotes of Public Men (1873) ; A Centennial
Commissioner in Etirope (1876) ; Forty Years in
American Jonrnalism (1877) : and 77(c Neto Nobiliti/
(1883). He died in Philadelphia, Pa. , Dec. 9, 1881 .
FORNEY, Peter, representative, was born in
Lincoln county, N.C., in April, 17.56. His ances-
tors were Huguenots who left France after the
revocation of the Edict of Nantes and subse-
quently found a home in America. Peter was a
soldier in the American army during the war for
independence and afterward engaged in the
manufacture of iron. He was a member of the
house of commons of North Carolina, 1794-90,
and a state senator, 1801-03. He represented
North Carolina in the 13th congress, 1813-15.
He was a presidential elector, 1800-1832, voting
for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Jackson.
He died in Lincoln county, N.C., Feb. 1, 1834.
FORNEY, William Henry, representative, was born in Lincoln county, N.C , Nov. 9, 1823; son of the Hon. Daniel M. Forney, and grandson of the Hon. Peter Forney. He was graduated at the University of Alabama in 1844 and was a 1st lieutenant in the 1st Alabama volunteers in the war with Mexico. On retui-ning from Mexico he was admitted to the bar in 1848 and practised law for twenty-five years. He was a representative in the Alabama state legislature in 1859; a captain in the Confederate army in 1861, and surrendered at Appomattox in 1865 when holding the rank of brigadier-general in Lee's army. Returning to Alabama he was a state senator, 1865-66. He came under the operation of the reconstruction acts of congress and lield no state oflice after 1866. He was a trustee of the University of Alabama, 1851-60. He was a rep- resentative in the 44th-53d congresses, 1874-94, and died in Washmgton, D.C., Jan. 17, 1894.
FORREST, Catherine Norton, actress, was born in England in 1818; the daughter of John Sinclair, an English vocalist. In June, 1837, she was married in St. Paul's, London, to Edwin Forrest, and accompanied him to New York. In 1849 her husband instituted a suit against her for divorce; she brought counter-suit and on Dec. 16, 1851, the trial began in the New York supreme court before Chief-Justice Oakley, John Van Buren appearing for Mr. Forrest, while Mrs. Forrest was defended by Cliarles O'Conor. The case occupied the court for six weeks and judg- ment was rendered in favor of Mrs. Forrest. Her husband appealed five times and finally in 1868, in the last court to which it could be can-ied, she was awarded §64,000 and 84,000 a year ali- mony which Mr. Forrest paid, but of the award only 85,000 remained when the expenses of her smt were settled. During the years that tlie suit was undecided she sujiported herself on the stage, first appearing at Brougham's lyceum theatre. New York city, on Feb. 22, 1852, as Lady Teazle in "The School for Scandal." Siie also played in "The Lady of Lyons." "Much Ado about Nothing," "Love's Sacrifice," and
