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JOHN BURGESS FORCUM was born on Saturday, Dec. 19, 1835 on his father's farm near the hamlet of Turnersburg, Iredell Co., NC. He was the 5th of 11 children born to Nelson Forcum and his wife Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Gaither. Gen. Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of these United States, was in his 6th year in office and the country was a mere 59 years old. Seventy Five days after his birth, on 23 Feb 1836, the Battle of the Alamo would begin in Texas.
John Burgess' grandfather, Thomas Forcum, Sr., had settled in the Yadkin...
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JOHN BURGESS FORCUM was born on Saturday, Dec. 19, 1835 on his father's farm near the hamlet of Turnersburg, Iredell Co., NC. He was the 5th of 11 children born to Nelson Forcum and his wife Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Gaither. Gen. Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of these United States, was in his 6th year in office and the country was a mere 59 years old. Seventy Five days after his birth, on 23 Feb 1836, the Battle of the Alamo would begin in Texas.
John Burgess' grandfather, Thomas Forcum, Sr., had settled in the Yadkin River Valley of the North Carolina Piedmont at the very end of the American Revolution, having been born in the Colony of Delaware. John's father, Nelson Forcum, was then born in Rowan Co. (now Davie Co.), NC on 24 Nov 1809.
Williams's parents and siblings lived in a sturdy log house, NOT a log cabin. A log cabin was made of round logs roughly stacked up upon themselves. A log house used logs which had been squared off (hewed) using a broad ax with a chisel-edged blade eight inches wide and a short bent handle; and smoothed with an adze. Each individual timber was sawn off to exact lengths, and didn't project at all beyond the corners. Lock mortices of one type of another were carefully cut at the corners with saws and chisels, instead of the old axe-cut saddles of log cabins, giving the timbers extra tightness and smaller areas to chink between the timbers. The usual space between the squared logs was from two to four inches and was chinked either with flat wood slags staggered at a steep angle and smeared with line mortar or with small stones carefully fitted get between the logs and similarly plastered. Nelson had shingled the roof by splinting individual shakes with a splitting maul cleaved by a shingle froe.
William's mother, "Polly" was up every morning by 4:30 a.m. to rake the coals from the open hearth fireplace and restart the fire to cook breakfast for her husband and children. She would wake her husband at 6:30 a.m. so he could eat and be in the fields by 7:00 a.m. By the time John Burgess was 6 years old in 1841, he was helping to cultivate his mother's vegetable garden and at 10 in 1845, he was working the crops in his father's fields.
On 2 Sep 1850 the Census taker, Mr. L. L. Tucker, arrived at the Forcum home in Iredell Co., NC and noted that Nelson Forcum, age 40, and Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Gaither, age 39, had 8 children 19 or under living at home. Nelson's occupation was listed as "Farmer," as was that of sons Thomas age 19, Basil age 18, John Burgess age 14, and younger William who was then listed as being age 13. The list of children continued with William's sisters, Serena age 9, Mary R. age 7, Dorcas age 5 and finished up with Evaline age 2. The worth of Nelson's farm was higher than that of his neighbors and was valued at $1,100.
When the 1860 Census was recorded on 27 Jul 1860, William's parents and siblings are listed as living "East of Rockford Road, Iredell Co. NC," near the "County Line Post Office." No township was listed because they had not yet created them in Iredell County. Of course Nelson's occupation remained "Farmer." The birth of John Burgess' siblings was now complete and included Thomas Alfonso Forcum (born circa 1830), Basil W. Forcum (born circa 1831), John Burgess Forcum (born 19 Dec 1835), William Wright Forcum (born 04 Feb 1838), Serena Emmaline Forcum (born 25 Jan 1841), Mary Rebecca Forcum (born 10 Apr 1843), Dorcas Clementine Forcum (born 28 Sep 1845), Lucretia Amelia Forcum (born May 1847), Evaline L. Forcum (born circa 1848), and Laura Jane D. Forcum (born 04 Nov 1850). Very tellingly, the occupations of John Burgess and his male siblings leaned more to the trades than to farming. Thomas Alfonso Forcum is shown as a "Tobacconist," Basil W. Forcum is a "Physician," and John Burgess Forcum himself is recorded as being a "carpenter." In 1860, Nelson's older brother Thomas Forcum was the "miller" at the nearby Eagle Mills Grist Mill (see FAG # 139306912), which did not have a vertically standing water wheel, but rather a "turbine mill". Often John Burgess's father would hitch up the wagon and, taking his son John with him, they would haul his grain to be ground into flour, while visiting with his brother. The only day off from work was Sunday, when the whole family would attend and spend much of the day at the Clarksbury Methodist Church in the crossroads of Harmony of Iredell Co., NC.
The War Years
The Deep South States (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas) had all seceded from the United States by February 1, 1861. These five states united to form the new country, the Confederate States of America (CSA), at Montgomery, Alabama on 4 Feb 1861. At that time the States of the Upper South (Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) all voted to remain in the United States. Many of the Founding Fathers did not originally expect the Union to last: for example, Thomas Jefferson said on 4 Mar 1801, "If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it."
On 15 Apr 1861, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops from the States remaining in the Union to forcibly bring back the seceded States, soon followed by a call for an additional 42,000 volunteers on 3 May 1861. Realizing that the only way for Federal forces to get to the Deep South States was by marching through the Upper South (Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina), these states also seceded and joined the Confederacy. It is hard for us to image today, but the loyalty of individuals was to their State and not to the country, a tradition that harkened back to the American Revolution of 1776.
Technically, America never had a Civil War. The definition of such a conflict indicates that the intent of both sides is to capture and occupy the territory of its opponent. While this was true for the Northern States, the same was not true for the Southern States.
John Burgess Forcum, age 26, along with his three brothers Thomas Alfonso Forcum, Basil W. Forcum, and William Wright Forcum all enlisted in Company H, 4th Regiment of North Carolina Infantry on 16 May 1861. Soon the 4th Regiment's nickname became the "The Bloody 4th". Co. H of the 4th was primarily composed of boys from John's Iredell Co. The soldiers of the unit were prior friends, brothers and neighbors. Although units were rarely at full strength, a Company consisted of 100 men, a Regiment (10 companies) contained 1,000 men, and a Brigade (5 Regiments) contained 5,000 soldiers. At the beginning of the war the Regiment was commanded by Col. Byran Grimes, who was assigned to Gen. George Anderson Brigade, attached to Gen D. H. Hill's Division. The Division was then reassigned to Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson's 2nd Corps of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia (ANV). Gen. Jackson was renowned as a brilliant tactician and for his aggressive, courageous and innovative actions. Furthermore, the 4th Regiment of North Carolina Troops was one of Jackson's most prized units, and was always in the forefront of the battle. The horrific scenes of death and dismemberment would fill John Burgess's life for the next four years.
Historian Robert Lee Hadden writes, "The Fourth North Carolina Infantry participated in more than sixty [major] engagements during its career," in addition to numerous smaller skirmishes. The names of these battles are well known to all.
As of 16 May 1861, Pvt. John Burgess Forcum was promoted to 2nd Lt, thus he became 2nd in Command of the 100 Infantrymen in Co. H.
Very briefly in summary fashion, 2nd Lt. John Burgess Forcum was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA on 3 May 1862, as Gen Jackson's Corp surprised and turned Federal Gen Hooker's right flank. On 16 Mar 1863, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and thus became the Commander of Co. H. At the Battle of Gettysburg, PA on 1 Jul 1863, Captain Forcum's Co. H, of the 4th Regiment approached their adversaries from the north. The Regiment drove the Federals from their positions through the town of Gettysburg and onto the heights of Cemetery Ridge southeast of the town. With his sword drawn while leading the charge of Co. H., Capt. Forcum suffered a skull fracture when an enemy cannon shell exploded over his head. From the battlefield he was sent to one of the Richmond, VA Army hospitals to recover and from which he was released in August 1863 and returned to the regiment. After the Battle of Fisher's Hill, VA on 22 Sep 1864. "Capt. J. B. Forcum was promoted to commander of the Regiment which he retained until the final surrender." On Sunday, 9 Apr 1865, the Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought in the Confederate effort to breakout from the Federal forces which surrounded them. In that battle, it was the 4th Regiment, commanded by Capt. Forcum, which fired the last volley of the Civil War that day. Later in the afternoon of that same day Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. U. S. Grant.
Though Lee had surrendered on 9 Apr 1865, the formal surrender ceremonies and parade did not occur until Tuesday, 11 Apr 1865, at the appointed time, with thousands Federal soldiers lining each side of the roads into the village of Appomattox Court House, then commanded by Brig. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain. Lt. Gen. John B. Gordon, now commanding the Army of Northern Virginia led almost 24,000 defeated Confederate veterans into the town. The first Regiment in the order of march was the 4th Regiment of North Carolina Infantry, commanded by Capt. John Burgess Forcum. "When the head of Gordon's column reached the Federal troops, the Southerners heard a bugle sound orders, followed by the marching salute of 'carry arms'. It was out of respect and admiration that the conquerors offered this for the vanquished. Gen. Gordon, upon seeing this, responded by retuning the salutation to Chamberlain with his sword. He {Gordon] then ordered his troops to follow suit and return the salute to the rest of the [Northern] troops. As the Confederate infantry [led by the 4th] filed between the two lines of [Federal] soldiers they reached the area of the McLean house and stopped (the Stage Road holding about [one] Division at a time.) Chamberlain's men then went from 'carry' to 'order arms' and [then] to 'parade rest.' On receiving orders from [Gen. Gordon], the Southerners turned and faced their former enemy. By command, they stacked rifles and sadly placed their [regimental] battleflags across the stacks. After this was done Gen. Byran Grimes, the Division Commander, had his men file past him so that he might shake hands with each man, doing so with tears streaming eyes, his voice faltered as he said 'Go home, boys, and act like men, as you have always done during the war'. The parole lists show 23, 512 infantry surrendered that day. "
According to one source there were a total of 1,483 men who served in the 4th Regiment at various times during the four years of warfare and 993 of these became casualties. Regarding John Burgess Forcum, Col. Edwin A. Osborne, Regimental Historian, wrote, "Captain John B. Forcum was one of the faithful men of the regiment. With minnie balls tearing through his tunic and buzzing past his head, this valiant officer never flinched. Seldom sick or wounded, he was always at his post, and was in command of the [entire] regiment at the surrender."
John Burgess's brother Basil W. Forcum was killed in the Battle of Seven Pines (16 Jul 1862) and his brother Thomas Alfonso Forcum was captured in "Fox Gap" during the Battle of South Mountain (14 Sep 1862) and was then exchanged 10 Nov 1862, only to die in 26 Nov 1862 in a Richmond, VA army hospital. Only his brother William Wright also survived the war.
After the final surrender, the Regiment walked back to Iredell Co. in smaller clusters of men.
The Marriage
When Captain John Burgess Forcum arrived back in Iredell Co., he found the nearest town to his home had been burnt down in a lightening raid by Union Calvary just a month before, between March 31 and April 1. On 25 Oct 1866, John Burgess Forcum married Martha E. Gaither, the daughter of Ivory "Ivy" M. Gaither and Sabrina F. Holman in Iredell Co. The newlyweds wanted to leave the devastation of the South; on 31 Oct 1866, they arrived in the hamlet of Montezuma, Poweshiek Co., IA, a tiny town of less than 500 souls.
Captain Forcum, who had been trained as a carpenter prior to the war, parlayed his skills into a successful carpentry and construction business over the next third of a century in Montezuma.
The history of Poweshiek Co. recounts, "For farming purposes no better land 'lies out of doors' than that of Jackson Township. Open, level prairie predominates, and the fertile soil is watered and drained by the South English River and Moon creek, including a number of tributaries of these streams." The abundant farmland continued to draw new settlers and by 1870 the population of Montezuma would grow to a grand total of 555. The rich, abundant topsoil of Iowa was far different from the rocky red clay of Iredell Co. NC., and the environs would eventually allow John, in Montezuma, to succeed in his business as the town and county grew.
John Burgess Forcum's first child, Eugene Durant Forcum was born in Montezuma on 03 Aug 1867, and was followed by the birth of Lucian Albert "Bertie" Forcum in 1879.
In 1868, John Burgess's brother, William Wright Forcum, with his wife Jane and two young children arrived in Montezuma. Unlike his brother, John, William settled on a farm outside the city and raised a large family. It can only be assumed that John's was overjoyed at his brother's arrival.
Montezuma, Iowa in the 1870's
It was on 2 Jun 1870, that the Census was recorded in the John Burgess Forcum household. They were listed as living in "Jackson Twp., Poweshiek Co., IA" and the entry shows, "John B. Forcum, age 34; Martha E. Forcum, age 24" with their sons "Eugene D. Forcum, age 3, and Lucian B. Forcum, age 1." John's assets included "$300" for real estate, and "$800" for person property, with his occupation listed as, "Carpenter & joiner." Always close he was living next door to his brother, William Wright. On that census page were also listed, Chauncey F. Quig, a "Carpenter & joiner"; Moses H. Johnson, a "Plasterer"; and Joseph F. Pugh, a "Painter." These trades were indicative of the growth that the village was undergoing.
On 15 Dec 1875, the first steam locomotive chugged into town, drawing the residents to see it. This was the Grinnell and Montezuma Railroad, which ran only from Grinnell, also in Poweshiek Co., to Montezuma, a distance of eighteen miles, but the excitement throughout the town was palatable. John Burgess and his family would never forget seeing that first belching monster of modern technology.
By late June 1876, the town was all abuzz with the news that Gen. George Armstrong Custer's 7 th
United States Cavalry had been wiped out by a coalition of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho Native American's lead by Chiefs Crazy Horse, Gall and Sitting Bull at the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory on 26 Jun 1876. Although there was no threats in Iowa, John Burgess would always remember the great anxiety felt by his family and townsfolk.
As Montezuma grew, so too did John Burgess' family. As noted, his eldest son, Eugene Durant Forcum, had been born 03 Aug 1867 and Lucian Albert Forcum arrived in 1879. William "Willie" Theophilus Forcum was born 09 Dec 1869. Preston "Peck" Lewis Forcum came in Sep 1873. John Burgess' first daughter, Mary "Mamie" R. Forcum, was born on 06 Jun 1874, followed by another daughter, Laura Jane Forcum, on 28 Nov 1876. Another son, Charles "Charlie" Nelson Forcum, was delivered on 19 Jun 1881, followed by his last child, Thomas Clyde Forcum, being born on 28 Aug 1885. All would be born in the town of Montezuma. John Burgess and his wife Martha were blessed, and they knew it. At a time when infant mortality often approached 50%, all of their children lived to be adults.
Entering the 1880's in Montezuma, Iowa
When the Census was recorded on 23 Jun 1880, the population of Montezuma had increased to 921 souls and the Forcums were living on 8th Street in Montezuma, Poweshiek Co., IA.
The county history of 1880 boasted, "The city then contained four churches, two school-houses, one bank, two hotels (the Stanley House and the Johnson House), one general store, four groceries, two hardware, two drug, three dry goods, four blacksmith shops, three wagon shops, four carpenter shops, two liveries, one book store, three boot and shoe stores, one harness shop, two cabinet shops, one bakery, one jewelry, three restaurants, two barbers, two meat markets, five dress making shops, one tailor, one dentist, one photographer, one telegraph office, one depot, one marble works and two saloons. The village boasted two newspapers, the Montezuma Republican and The Poweshiek County Democrat."
"The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa 1880" includes a short biography of him which states, "Forcum, J. B. Contractor and builder, Montezuma. Was born in the state of North Carolina, December 19, 1835, and was there raised and educated. While young he learned the carpenter trade, and followed it until October 31, 1866, at which time he came to Iowa and settled in Poweshiek County. Has since been engaged in working at the contractor and builder's business, and, being a practical workman, enjoys a good share of the patronage of the people. In 1862 he entered the Quartermaster's Department. Also saw considerable field service, being with Gen. Lee through his entire campaign. Mr. Forcum was married in North Carolina, October 25, 1866, to Miss Martha E. Gaither. By this union they have five children: Eugene D., Lucian B., Theophilus W., Preston L., and Mary R."
John Burgess Forcum had become a respected local carpenter and construction contractor, and while not wealthy, the Forcum family was well off.
In that era and due to the telegraph and the newspapers John Burgess may or may not have known that at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, a 30-second gunfight between an outlaw group of cowboys and lawman occurred in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, which would always be known as the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". Wyatt Earp, with his brothers and Doc Holiday, fought it out with members of the Clanton gang. The fight would come to represent a period in American Old West when the frontier was virtually an open range for outlaws, largely unopposed by law enforcement, who were spread thin over vast territories, leaving some areas unprotected.
1885--Bert Leave Home
John Burgess's son "Bertie" was an adventurous, energetic young man. All indications indicate John Forcum's family was extremely close and loving, and it appears that Bertie was a special son of his parents. At the age of about 17, during Aug 1885, Bertie told his parents he wanted to experience the frontier and see the Wild West before it was gone. Neither his mother nor his father was pleased, but his father understood the lure. That month Bertie bid adieux to his parents, siblings, and friends and departed the hamlet of Montezuma, heading for what he believed would be an adventure of a lifetime.
On 11 Nov 1885, Bertie (now called Bert) was in Offerle, Edwards Co., Kansas and wrote to one of his cousins in Montezuma, saying, "I now take up goose quill to scribble a few lines to you. I skipped from home about 3 months ago to find better times in the far West, but I didn't find them, and you bet I wish I was back in old Iowa again, but I am not going back till I see Old North [illegible] once, and that will be next spring. I am working on the Red Rose cattle ranch. Of course I am like the rest of them, a cow-boy. I am getting $45 a month and 10 ponies saddle bridle, rifle revolver and ammunition and board myself. There is plenty of Antilope, Jack Rabits, Prarie Chickens and geese to do that easy enough. I am 86 miles from the nearest shanty so you can guess it ain't no easy job. Yesterday I killed a young Cinnamon Bear. His skin weighed 19 lbs. I haven't seen my herd of cattle for over three weeks. It got so cussed cold that I found a rock with a cave in it, so I took up quarters till the cold spell passes off. The Rose Bud Ranch has about 66,000 head of cattle and 112 miles of range. It belongs to the London Stock Co. of England. This is the prettiest country I ever laid eyes on. I can get a good 60 acre farm as there is in the state of Iowa for $1.75 an acre and it is what I intend to have before I leave here too. Please don't let Pa know where I am as I want to give him a surprise when I go back home. Please give me the address of Will Ward I think he is in Texas. Well this is all I can think of so good bye for the present. Write as soon as you get my letter.
Your Cousin,
Bert."
Then on 26 Dec 1885 he wrote his mother, Martha, from Dodge City, Kansas saying:
"Dear Mother,
I have just got back from the Arizona Territory. Since I left home I have been in Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, California, Utah Territory, Wyoming and Colorado. I was just starting down into Indian Territory when I got your letter. I have got good clothes and underwear and everything else. I had a Winchester [rifle] and two double action Colt revolvers too, but I have sold them. This leaves me with $7.50 in money, but I am not [currently] working. I have been herding cattle most of the time. It will cost me $22 to get home s if you can sent it I will tell you all about my travels when I get home.
Your Son,
Bertie."
As Bert travelled though the Wild West he keep the letters his Ma and Pa had sent him. One loving, caring letter from his mother survives which shows her concern for her son and is full of family news, but is almost illegible. It read, in part:
"Dear Son,
I had put off writing you for a week. I had a [illegible] last Sunday and could not write and I have so much to do, I do not have time. The baby is cross and I [illegible] of the work to do. Mamie and Press and Charlie all go to school. Willie has not started yet. I don't know as we can get him to go [since] he has not went for so long. He got behind. Mamie is in the fifth room [fifth grade]. Bert, I am sorry that you did not go to school more [and] I am afraid you will wish you had. Well Bert I guessed from your letter that you were herding cattle again. How much do you get a month and what do you have to pay for Board [?] Don't expose yourself in cold weather. I am afraid you will get sick. I am so messy a writer. Write me of [the] temperature so I can hear from you. Hope all is well. It would not hurt you to sit down once a week and write me a few lines and it only cost two cents. Mr. John Wilson and his wife and Mamie was here. Today we had a good dinner. I wish you could had been here [!]. I thought of you and nobody else. Your mother and nobody else [illegible]. I will send you Charlie and Clyde's pictures. I will only send you one at a time [and] maybe you will write oftener. I think the baby is good [illegible]. Genie told John Anderson to send you the [news] paper all the time. You will get [to] share with the [other] men, but I don't want [it] to keep you from writing. I want to hear how you are Bert. Maybe you think I am foolish, but I can't help it. I will have to close. I have got the blues [without you] tonight and can't think of anything else to write. Answer soon.
Good Bye,
Mother."
Summer 1886- in Mobeetie, Wheeler Co., TX
In the summer of 1886, Bert was working as a cowboy at the huge cattle ranch in Mobeetie, Wheeler Co., TX. Mobeetie is in the Texas Panhandle, about 100 miles east-north-east of Amarillo, Texas and only about 10 miles south of the Oklahoma (then Indian Territory) border and 208 miles south of Dodge City, Kansas. Mobeetie is said to be the oldest town in the Panhandle.
Bert's Last Cattle Drive
During that fall Bert's employer was to have a cattle drive, with Mr. L. B Anderson's "Ox Train," from Mobeetie to Dodge City, led by the foreman, Mr. Mack Skinner.
The trace that Skinner had decided to take was called the "Western Trail." This trail crossed the Llano River near present Brady, Texas, and passed over the Clear Fork of the Brazos near Fort Griffin. It reached the Red River about ten miles north of present Vernon, Texas. The route crossed the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River a few miles north of Doan's, utilizing gently sloping embankments to enter Greer County. The path then pushed northward, crossing the North Fork of the Red River near present Warren, Oklahoma. Leaving the river, it passed along the western edge of the Comanche-Kiowa-Apache Reservation and then entered the most dangerous section of the route, the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation. Here the drovers frequently met American Indians who wanted to supplement their meager government rations with fresh beef. Usually the meetings ended amicably, but by the mid-1880s military escorts were frequently assigned to the trail. Thereafter trail broadened here to let the cattle graze but coalesced at the fords on Elk Creek near present Canute and on the Washita River south of present Butler. After the Washita the trail turned eastward to avoid the Gypsum Hills and then back north to the main Canadian River near present Camargo. It then turned eastward again, following the terrain, to bisect the old Camp Supply spur of the Chisholm Trail near present May, Oklahoma. Directly northwest of May, Oklahoma, the route crossed the Beaver River (North Canadian River), fording on the sand bar at the mouth of Clear Creek. It then passed near present Laverne and Rosston; it crossed the border into Kansas just east of the Cimarron River and then crossed that stream at Deep Hole Crossing. Here the drovers could visit the Long Horn Round-Up Saloon or the Dead Fall Saloon. From the Cimarron the trail veered slightly eastward to cross the Arkansas River and arrived at Dodge City.
Bert and the other wranglers rounded up the steers and began to head north, leaving the ranch 7 Sep 1886. About half-way through Indian Territory, in the region reserved for the Cheyenne and Arapaho native Americans, the herd arrived at the Canadian River (near present-day Camargo, Dewey Co., OK) on 15 Sep 1886, which was swollen by recent heavy rains. Bert specifically wanted to cross the river on his own horse rather than ride in the chuck wagon. As they entered the water, he "was helping to drive the loose steers across the river." As described later, by Bert's fellow cowboy, Archie Vannoy, "as the cattle crossed the river they got turned around in the river and I and Bert started to straighten them out. Bert was upstream from the chuck wagon. Bert was a big strong man, but wearing a heavy overcoat. His horse got caught in the current, which carried him into the quicksand and deep water. There the horse floundered, jerked, reared and fell backward directly on Bert, whose body was not seen to emerge. Other parties barely escaped with their lives. For two days his friends searched for his body along the banks of the river, but it could never be found and was presumed to be buried in the sand. This area was very remote and unsettled and communication by telegraph or letter was quite impossible."
With nothing more that could be done, Foreman Skinner headed the herd on to Dodge City and upon his arrival back in Mobeetie, TX he went through Bert's personal belongings and found the letters from his mother, with the pictures of his younger brothers and sisters, plus his father's business card. On 14 Oct 1886, Mack Skinner sat down and wrote John Burgess and Martha Forcum to tell them the particulars of their son's drowning. Bert's friend, Archie Vannoy, also wrote to insure his parents that all efforts had been made to find the body of their son. Bert was either 17 or 18 years old when he died.
The day after the John Burgess Forcum household received Mack Skinner's letter an article appeared in the Montezuma Newspaper with the headline of "A SAD CASE" and contained the details of Bert's death. The newspaper added, "The case is a distressingly sad one and overwhelming the family and many friends with grief. The poor boy, in the line of duty, distant from home and friends, unwarned and heedless of the messenger that comes when least expected, went down in the turbulent waters and was buried, we trust with God. Mr. Forcum is making an effort to learn more of the details of the sad occurrence."
Not isolated
Being in Iowa did not mean the Forcum family was totally cut off from their large group of relatives and friends in Iredell Co., NC. The 29 Sep 1887 edition of the Statesville (Iredell Co., NC) newspaper "The Landmark", carried the reported that, "Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Blaylock of Cool Springs township, who have been on a three month visit to relatives in Iowa, returned a few days ago and are glad to be home. Their kinswoman, Mrs. J. B. Forcum, Montezuma, Iowa, came back with them to visit her relatives in Iredell County."
Montezuma built an electric generating plant in 1889, and later that year installed electric street lights, which was a wonderment to the residents including the Forcum family. For the very first time, night was no longer a time of uninterrupted darkness.
And on Fri, 8 Nov 1895, "The {Statesvile} Landmark," wrote "Capt. [John] Burgess Forcum of Montezuma Iowa, arrived here Friday night on a visit.... This is his first visit here in 15 years. Capt. Forcum, was the brave commander of the 4th Regiment of North Carolina Troops in the late war and is highly esteemed throughout the county. "
Grover Cleveland was elected the 22nd President of the United States in the fall of 1892, being the first member of the Democratic Party to achieve that high office since Andrew Jackson's election in 1828. While it cannot be know for sure, it is believed that John's family was elated. Southerners and family with southern roots would vote uniformly for Democratic candidates for almost a hundred years following the end of the Civil War.
Also in 1892, John Burgess Forcum constructed the "New Carroll House Hotel" at E. Main and 5th Streets in Montezuma for the grand sum of $18,000. The building is three stories high, approximately 60' x 100', with exterior walls of brick and a full basement. It is a three-story brick structure on a corner lot, which was emphasized by its veranda and irregular corner treatment (Note: This structure is now on the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Building - #79000938), and is described thusly: "The New Carroll House hotel is a locally significant example of Iowa's small-town commercial architecture of the latter 19th century. Its scale (three stories) and size make it a pivotal structure in the community's business district. The hotel takes advantage of its site — the veranda and irregular corner treatment serve to emphasize the building's corner location."
The Great Northern (GN) Railroad would, in good time, play an important part in the history of the of the Iowa Forcum families. It was built progressively in states from Saint Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington, where its last spike was driven on 6 Jan 1893. Its route was the northernmost transcontinental railroad in America, and unlike its predecessor routes, no federal land grants were used in its construction, having been the only such rail line of its time privately built. The GN opened up unprecedented amounts of land for settlement across the states of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Washington. In 1904 this railway would re-locate its division point to Whitefish, Flathead Co., MT (from Kalispell, Flathead Co., MT) to save money, and be strategically poised to make a lot more money.
War-fever griped America when the "USS Maine" exploded and sank in the Cuban harbor of Havana on 15 February 1898, and on 21 April 1898, the US Congress declared a state of war existed between the United States and Spain, thus the Spanish-American War had begun. In the wave of national patriotism that followed, John's son, Peck (Preston "Peck" Lewis Forcum), then age 25, enlisted as a Private in Co. E, 52nd Iowa Regiment of the US Army and on 15 Jul 1898 the Iowa newspapers carried the following story, which read in part: "SANTIAGO SURRENDERED!-- In Camp Chickamauga Park, Camp George Thomas, Monday, July 1898 .…In a short time we [the 52nd Iowa Regiment] will be a completely equipped and uniformed regiment. Six new corporals have been appointed. They hare: Bert Miller, Harry Odie, Ora F. Gardner, G. A. Okey, PECK FORCUM and James Hogan..."
But this had not been the first time John's son, Preston had served his county, on 29 Apr 1898, the local newspaper published the following: "P. L. Forcum, whose mother lives at Montezuma, Iowa, was for three years in the regular army, a member of Co. C, 28th Regiment U. S. Infantry and was stationed at Willards Point, N.Y. He was discharged 19 June 1892. He is a fine looking young man and a perfect gentleman. He came with the other boys from Sheldon, IA." When Peck enlisted in the army in New York City on 18 Dec 1891, he was described as "5'7", blue eyes, brown hair, dark complexion."
On 02 Feb 1899, John Burgess Forcum received a telegram saying his father Nelson Forcum, age 89, had passed away in Turnersburg, Iredell Co., NC. Nelson had lived through 89 of the first 123 years of his country's history. Shortly prior to Nelson's death, John's youngest daughter, Mame had moved to Iredell Co., and was there when her grandfather died.
The "Statesville Landmark", in its 4 Feb 1899 edition, reported that, "Capt. [John] Burgess arrived in Turnersburg, Iredell Co., NC today. He will visit his daughter Mamie and attend his father's funeral. His father Nelson Forcum died on Feb 2, 1899."
Regarding John Burgess Forcum's father, Nelson: the "Statesville Landmark", in its 7 Feb 1899 paper carried the following, "TWO FUNERALS AT CLARKSBURY - Mr. [Nelson] Forcum and Mrs. Campbell. On Saturday, February 4th, there assembled at Clarksbury [Methodist] church one of the largest crowds- - perhaps the largest one -- that ever met there to witness the funeral rites of two people, Mr. Nelson Forcum, an aged and well known citizen of this vicinity, and Mrs. Rebecca Campbell. Both deaths occurred within an hour of each other. One funeral service was held for both, and the interments were almost simultaneous. Mr. Forcum was 89 years old. He lived all the latter part of his life within a mile of Clarksbury, where he reared a large family of children, most of whom still live in Iredell [Co.], though some have removed to the West. He had been a member of the Clarksbury church for 60 years, and had been a class leader for nearly that long. His death was not a surprise, as he had been in declining health for some time. Mr. Forcum was laid to rest next to his wife Mary, who had died in 1892. All four of Mr. Forcum's sons were engaged in the late war, with two of them having died on the battlefield. One surviving son, Capt. [John] Burgess Forcum currently resides in Montezuma, Iowa and the other, Private W. W [William Wright] Forcum now lives in Jackson Township, Poweshiek Co., Iowa. A large part of the enormous congregation was composed of relatives and friends of the deceased persons but a great many were there owing to the natural magnetism of so remarkable an occurrence. P. L. G. From Harmony, NC, Feb 6, 1899"
All through his life in Poweshiek Co., John's family attended the Methodist Episcopal Church of Montezuma, and he was active in both the Masons and the Lafayette Lodge, No. 25 A.F. & A.M.
At the very end of the 19th century, John moved his remaining family from Montezuma to Sheldon, O'Brien Co., IA, a distance of 282 miles. The 1900 Census, enumerated at the Forcum home in Sheldon on 07 Jun 1900, shows John, recorded as 64 years old, remained in the "construction business," and his wife Martha E. Gaither, age 54, was a "homemaker." Of John's 8 children, 5 still lived with their parents. These were Eugene "Gene" Durant Forcum, age 32; William "Willie" Theophilus Forcum, age 30; Mary "Mame" Robena Forcum, age 25, Charles "Charlie" Nelson Forcum, age 18; and Thomas Clyde Forcum, age 14. The older boys, Gene, Willie and Charlie worked in their father's construction business.
In that same 1900 Census, John Burgess' son Peck (Preston "Peck" Lewis Forcum) was enumerated living in Kalispell Twp., Flathead Co., MT in a boarding house at 404 E. 2nd Ave. Peck lists himself as single with an occupation of "Locomotive Fireman" with the Great Northern Railway. Then on 27 Aug 1901, he was back in Sheldon where he married Mamie Pauline Esklund. The newlyweds, headed back to Kalispell, Flathead Co., MT, where by 1903 he was a "Locomotive Engineer."
It will be remembered that John Burgess's brother William Wright Forcum had lived a mile from him in Montezuma, Poweshiek Co., IA. William Wright's son, Ray A. Forcum, who had been born 12 Jul 1882 and was very close to his 1st cousin, Peck. Ray also moved to Montana, married Jessie Hall in Holt, Flathead Co., MT on 09 Jul 1905, and by the end of that decade had also worked himself up to being a "Locomotive Fireman" with the Great Northern Railway. It is said that the cousins, Peck and Ray, were as close as brothers.
In 1905, John's family moved again, this time to Chico, Butte Co., CA and son Charlie with his sister Mame went with them. This may have been when he retired and the family may have moved to Chico to live near one of their grown children.
The telegraph rarely brought good news. On the night of 30 Nov 1910, John Burgess received a telegram from his then widowed brother William Wright, who was living with his son Ray, in Whitefish, Flathead Co., MT. It simply said, "Ray dead today." Soon John Burgess received a letter from his brother with a clipping from the "Whitefish Pilot," which said in part, "He [Ray] died on a Wednesday while on a hunting trip with Thomas Shields and Mr. Underwood. They had gone into the mountains about 16 miles southeast of Java. He stopped to rest in the evening and died of an apparent heart attack brought on by the high altitude. The Governor's wife is quoted as saying that Ray was a particularly handsome man. A special train conveyed the remains and a large number of engineers, firemen, and other railroadmen to Kalispell, where he was buried. Ray was one of the best engineers on the road and was one of the first to pull the FastMail when that service was put on." Ray left a young wife and two small children.
Again the telegraph delivery boy arrived on 28 Jul 1913 at John Burgess's home. It was from his daughter-in-law Mamie Pauline Esklund Forcum in Whitefish, MT and said, "Peck killed today", referring to John's son (Preston "Peck" Lewis Forcum). Soon John received envelopes from both Peck's widow and his brother William stuffed with large newspaper articles from the "Whitefish Pilot", dated 31 Jul 1913, which read in part: "TWO MEN MEET DEATH IN WRECK OF FAST MAIL, Engineer P. L. Forcum and Fireman Carl Smith Are Victims of the Disaster, DEEP SORROW AND REGRET FELT BY ALL, This little city was shocked and saddened last Monday by the report of the wreck of No. 27, the fast mail, a short distance east of here, near Rock Hill, at about 11:30 a.m., when two of our well known citizens met a tragic death. The victims of the disaster were Engineer P. L. Forcum and Fireman Carl Smith. The engine turned over and one of the express cars piled up on top of it, burying the engineer and fireman beneath the wreckage. The car caught fire at once, but the flames were extinguished before a great amount of damage resulted from that cause. The second car was also considerably damaged, and the rest of the train, consisting of mail coaches, was slightly shaken up. The body of Fireman Carl Smith was found beneath the wreckage of the engine, and was badly lacerated and scalded, and it is supposed that death came quickly. The body of Engineer Forcum was not recovered until some hours later when it was found under the engine trucks quite a distance from the track. His limbs were broken and body badly bruised. Death was undoubtedly instantaneous. The train consisted of Conductor Ira Shipman, Brakemen Arden Sloan and Thompson, all of who escaped uninjured. The mail clerks were also miraculously fortunate. It was reported that Express messenger Lamb had been injured, but it was since learned that he too escaped injury. The cause of this terrible accident has not been learned, but it is thought by some to have been a defective flange on the wheel of one of the coaches, but nothing positive has been ascertained. It was at this place where a fatal freight wreck occurred about seven years ago, when Brakeman Carpenter and another man were killed. Only a few weeks ago Engineer James Shoaf also miraculously escaped death by the overturning of his engine. The remains of the victims were brought here Monday evening and placed in the morgue. Coroner J. E. Waggener being summoned at once to take charge and prepare the bodies for burial. Mr. Forcum has been a resident of Whitefish almost since the town was founded, has served on the city council and at the time of his death, was a member of the school board. He was a member of the Knight Templars, the A. F. & A. M., and the B. of L. F. & E. He leaves a sorrowing wife, a young son and baby daughter, besides a host of friends, to mourn his untimely death…Short funeral services will be held at the late residence of the deceased at noon today under the auspices of the Masonic order, Rev. Phelps officiating, after which they will take a special funeral train, kindly furnished by Supt. J. C. Sesser, and will go to Kalispell where they will be met by the Knights Templars of that city and funeral ceremonies held in the Masonic Temple. Three members from the engineers order and three of his personal friends will act as pall bearers, and interment will take place in the Conrad cemetery. Mrs. [Martha] Forcum, mother of the deceased, arrived last evening from Chico, Cal., and a brother, E. D. Forcum, of St. Joe Mo., and relatives of Mrs. Forcum from Duluth, Minn., and other eastern points, arrived yesterday to be in attendance at the last sad rites and assist in comforting those who are left to mourn. Many beautiful floral tributes were presented by the railway orders to grace the caskets of the unfortunates, as emblems of the high esteem in which both were held by the big hearted railroad boys, as well as others. Several handsome floral pieces were presented by personal friends." It will never be known, but one wonders whether the descriptions of the bodies reminded him of those John Burgess saw so often during the Civil War.
Including William "Will" Theophilus Forcum, who had passed away on 11 Nov 1908, in Chico, three of John Burgess and Martha's boys were now gone.
On 10 Jan 1920, Mrs. Irene H. Henry, the Chico enumerator that year, arrived at the Forcum household at 1505 Citrus Ave., Chico, Butte Co., CA and wrote, "John B. Forcum, age 84, occupation: 'None'; wife Martha Forcum, age 74; daughter Mayne Forcum, age 45, occupation: Bookkeeper for Nursery Co."
Thereafter, on 20 Sep 1920 at 11:15 pm in his at 1505 Citrus Ave. home, John Burgess Forcum passed away at the age of 84 years, 9 months, and 2 days. His Death Certificate states, "Cause of death: Urimea." Dr. W. Johnson indicated he had treated John from 6 Sep to 15 Sep 1920 and had last seen him on 15 Sep 1920. It indicates he had been a resident of California for 15 years and 5 months. John's daughter Mamie was the informant on the certificate. John and Martha had been married for 54 years.
John's remains were was interred in the Masonic section of the Chico Cemetery, Chico City, 881 Mangrove Ave., Butte Co., CA on 24 Sep 1920.
In a brief Death Notice published in the "Chico Daily Enterprise" newspaper on 22 Sep 1920 it noted: "Births, Deaths and Marriages. DIED. FORKUM [sic] -In Chico, September 20, 1920. John B. Forkum [sic], father of C. M. Forkum [sic] of Westwood, Lassen County; T. C. Forkum [sic] of Montague, Siskiyou County; Ed D. Forkum[sic] of Missouri and Miss Mamie Forkum [sic] of Chico, a native of North Carolina, aged 85 years." (Death notice courtesy of Carolyn Hackett Dowd). |
