Ferris Foreman (August 24, 1808 – February 11, 1901) was a lawyer, politician, and American soldier during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, as well as a colonel commanding a volunteer regiment and the

District of Southern California The District of Southern California was a nineteenth century district of Department of the Pacific, a command of the United States Army. History Department of the Pacific was created January 15, 1861, during the American Civil War. The District o ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Early life

Born in

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) *Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * Nich ...

Tioga County, New York Tioga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,455. Its county seat is Owego. Its name derives from an American Indian word meaning "at the forks", describing a meeting place. Tioga Cou ...

. In 1836 he was practicing law in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

. However the next year he was a clerk of the Illinois House of Representatives in

Vandalia, Illinois Vandalia is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Illinois, United States. At the 2020 Census, the population was 7,458. Vandalia is northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. It served as the state capital of Illinois from 1 ...

. He secured an appointment as U.S. Attorney for Illinois, from 1839 to 1841. In 1839, Ferris Foreman prosecuted the case of "The United States versus Gratiot", in a case arising under a lease, by the government of a portion of the lead mines of Galena. On January 11, 1844, Foreman was married, to Lucinda Boothe (died 1880) and they had one daughter, Ann, and a son, Sands William. He was a Democrat member of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

from 1845 to 1846.

Mexican War

During the

he raised a company of volunteers in Vandalia,

Fayette County, Illinois Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,140. Its county seat is Vandalia, the site of the Vandalia State House State Historic Site. Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area is ...

, and was appointed colonel commanding the 3rd Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. It was composed of ten companies and served in the war from July 1846 to May 1847. His 3rd Regiment with Colonel Foreman in command was attached to the Army of Invasion of General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

, and played a part in the

siege of Veracruz The Battle of Veracruz was a 20-day siege of the key Mexican beachhead seaport of Veracruz during the Mexican–American War. Lasting from March 9–29, 1847, it began with the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by United States ...

, and in the march on Mexico City, Col Foreman's 3d Ill fought under General Shields at the battle of Cerro Gordo the 3d and 4th Ill ''"carried a battery of the enemy's on his extreme left (Santa Anna's), gain the national road and cut off his retreat route"'' (History of Illinois, Illinois in the Mexican War). For this action he was awarded a cased sword by the State of Illinois. Colonel Foreman was especially commended in the report by General Scott.

49er

After returning from Mexico, Foreman was a presidential elector for Illinois in 1848. In 1849, he went to California during the 1849

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

. Soon after he arrived he assisted in the relief of emigrants coming overland, taking command of one of the relief columns sent by the Territorial government over the Sierra passes. He later became a Postmaster and for a short time in the summer of 1850 was a Sacramento County Judge. He became involved in business and in 1853 was elected to the board of the Alta California Telegraph Company. He became involved in California politics and from 1859 to 1860 he was Secretary of State of California, during the administration of Governor

John B. Weller John B. Weller (February 22, 1812August 17, 1875) was the fifth governor of California from January 8, 1858 to January 9, 1860 who earlier had served as a congressman from Ohio and a U.S. senator from California, and minister to Mexico. Lif ...

Civil War

Following the beginning of the Civil War, he joined the 4th Regiment of California Infantry as lieutenant Colonel but became colonel commanding the 4th Regiment from November, 1861 succeeding Colonel Henry M. Judah in command of the regiment. His regimental headquarters and several companies were sent from San Francisco to

Camp Latham Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

in late 1861. On May 2, 1862, General

George Wright George Wright may refer to: Politics, law and government * George Wright (MP) (died 1557), MP for Bedford and Wallingford * George Wright (governor) (1779–1842), Canadian politician, lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island * George Wright ...

wrote to Colonel Ferris Foreman, the new commander of Camp Latham to send, two or three companies of the Second Cavalry with Lieutenant Colonel George S. Evans as commander to establish a post in the

Owens Valley Owens Valley (Numic Numic is a branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It includes seven languages spoken by Native American peoples traditionally living in the Great Basin, Colorado River basin, Snake River basin, and southern Great Pl ...

. He was Commander of the

from May 15, 1862, to May 17, 1862, and from April 10, 1863, to July 7, 1863. Colonel Foreman commanded the 4th Regiment until August 20, 1863, when he resigned. Shortly afterward, Foreman's daughter Ann was discovered to have been in communication with the infamous secessionist and duelist

Daniel Showalter Daniel Showalter (1830–1866), was a California miner, state legislator, duelist, secessionist, and Confederate States of America military officer in Texas. Early life Daniel Showalter was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania and came to Califor ...

who wrote her an affectionate letter that was found on the body of a Confederate spy in west Texas in September 1863.

Later life

With the Republicans dominating California politics, Foreman returned to Illinois and became the Fayette County State's Attorney and was a delegate to the Illinois state constitutional convention for the 13th District in 1870. He returned to California in his later years, and died in Stockton,

San Joaquin County San Joaquin County (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''San Joaquín'', meaning "Joachim, St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 20 ...

, February 11, 1901. He was buried at San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery, in Stockton.The Political Graveyard; Index to Politicians: Forman; Forman, Ferris
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Early life

Mexican War

49er

Civil War

Later life

References

Further reading