Person:Jim Forrest (1)

Personal History

James Biddle Forrest II (1848-1928)

From the inscription on his headstone and the recorded memories of his grand-nephew, James Biddle II had a lengthy service record with the Union Army during the Civil War as a young drummer boy. He was only age 16 when the war ended in Appomattox. The following is engraved on his headstone at the Lewisburg Cemetery in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

(Source: Find A Grave photo[1])
James B. Forrest
1948-1928
Company A, 131st Regiment, P.V. (Pennsylvania Volunteers)
Company F, 28th Regiment, P.V.M. (Pennsylvania Volunteers Militia)
Company C, 187th Regiment, P.V. (Pennsylvania Volunteers)

According to his grand-nephew, Joseph Kepler Murdock (1898-1985) as recorded in 1976, "Uncle Jim" was a drummer boy in the Civil War. He had to be a musician because he was too young to fight and didn't lie about his age. Jim told a story about meeting a Confederate soldier and giving him some salt, for which he was grateful. Jim was only age 16 when the war ended and he was present at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the war.

Relationship to Joseph Murdock through the Forrest-family line:
The daughter of James Forrest II, Helen Marr Forrest, was the aunt to Joseph Murdock through the Forrest-family line where Joe's father, Forrest Oscar Murdock was Helen's cousin. As such, Joe came to know (grand)"Uncle Jim" and was very fond of him as is clear from his recorded memories. While Helen and Clarence lived in the Chicago area where Joe lived, Joe and his wife, Eleanor, also visited James in Lewisburg, which is close to Milton, PA, where part of his family is from.

The audio recording of Joe Murdock's memories is available from his grandson, Lucius Donkle III, upon request.

The reference note (also shown below) shows James to have a wife other than Catherine Lyndall. Since James was only 52 when Catherine died and lived to age 80, it is apparent that he remarried.

From PA death record:
Father: George W. Forrest
Mother: Sarah A. Hartman
Spouse: Carrie A. Forrest

WikiTree.com Page [2]
Family Search ID G72M-XK1

1. ↑ Grave Recorded, in Find A Grave
   [No headstone photo], last accessed Feb 2017.

   [James served as the musician for:
   131st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company A
   28th Pennsylvania Militia, Company F
   187th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company C]

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} FamilySearch Family Tree
   "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 27 February 2021, 20:59), entry for James Biddle Forrest II(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G72M-XK1); contributed by various users. PersonID G72M-XK1.

   James Biddle Forrest II _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:G72M-XK1

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9} FamilySearch Family Tree.

   Jane C Hartman - will names Sarah's children & Margaret's spouse

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M34D-66S : accessed 18 March 2021), Jas Forrest, Lewisburg borough Ward North, Union, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 193, sheet 2B, family 39, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,488.

   Jas Forrest, "United States Census, 1900" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M34D-66S

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG69-H1S : accessed 18 March 2021), James B Forrest, Lewisburg, Union, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 167, sheet 6A, family 87, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1423; FHL microfilm 1,375,436.

   James B Forrest, "United States Census, 1910" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG69-H1S

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWVF-3MP : 20 February 2021), James Forrest, Lewisburg, Union, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district ED 160, sheet 506C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,197.

   James Forrest, "United States Census, 1880" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWVF-3MP

7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ2J-W56 : 3 January 2021), James B ?rnest in entry for George W ?rnest, 1870.

   James B ?rnest in household of George W ?rnest, "United States Census, 1870" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ2J-W56

8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} FamilySearch Family Tree.

   James B Forrest - PA death record

9. ↑ ^9.0 9.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4CW-M9D : 22 December 2020), James B Forrest in household of Geo W Forrest, Danville, Montour, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

   James B Forrest in household of Geo W Forrest, "United States Census, 1850" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4CW-M9D

10. ↑ Find A Grave
    Helen Forrest Hershey.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/164075633/helen-hershey