"Dick" was born in Scotland in 1841. The Scottish census taken that year suggests he may have been the son of Adam and Agnes Forbes, but later records do not include the names of his parents.
He left Scotland and arrived in the United States in 1864. He served in the American Civil War with Company I of the 2nd Maine Cavalry.
According to Department of the Interior records, Dick was 5' 5" tall with hazel eyes and black hair. He had a tattoo of "The Goddess of Liberty" on his right forearm and the letters "LD" on his left forearm. He had the word "Hope" tattooed on his left wrist.
The unit Dick joined during the Civil War was originally organized in Augusta, Maine from 30 Nov 1863 to 02 Jan 1864. They were sent to Florida in 1864 and were then assigned to serve as part of the defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana until 26 May 1864. They were then moved to Thibodeaux, Louisiana where they were to scout and do picket duty until the end of July. Dick enlisted on 31 Oct 1864.
The 2nd Maine Cavalry returned to Pensacola, Florida and were on there until March of 1865. In early April of 1865 they participated in the Siege of Fort Blakely. It was captured on 09 Apr 1865. They spent the remainder of the year on expeditions that were primarily focused in the Florida and Alabama area.
Dick's enlistment expired on 21 Oct 1865 while he was in New Orleans. His discharge was to take effect on 30 Oct 1865.
The remainder of the 2nd Maine Cavalry was mustered out on 06 Dec 1865 and were discharged in Augusta, Maine on 21 Dec 1865. The unit suffered a loss of 344 men during the war, with 2 officers and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action; 334 enlisted men died of disease.
After the war, Dick moved to Jersey County, Illinois. He was married briefly in 1865 to Elizabeth Kerr. She died in Grafton, Illinois not long after they were wed.
He married Mariah Augusta Burrows in Jersey County on 08 Aug 1870. Dick became a naturalized citizen of the United States on 23 Sep 1874.
They were the parents of 10 children, including a set of fraternal twins. 3 of the Forbes children died young. Jacob was born on 23 Aug 1881, but died on14 Oct 1882 at the age of 13 months. Charles died of appendicitis in 1895 at the age of 22; and Richard Ray, twin of Leona, died in Grafton of epilepsy in 1899.
Dick worked as a rigger and a stationary engineer in a quarry in Jersey County from 1869 to 1900. After that, he made his living as a shoemaker.
He died of pneumonia and pulmonary congestion around 8 a.m. on the morning of 09 Apr 1912. At the time of his death, he was 70 years, 5 months and 21 days old.
He was survived by his wife, Mariah; 4 sons, Enoch, Fred, William and Leslie; and 3 daughters, Leona, Mable and Nellie.
He was buried on 10 Apr 1912.
Dick's wife, Mariah, passed away in 1940.
Children: 7 sons, 3 daughters.
Father of:
Henry Donaldson "Enoch" (aka "Harry") Forbes
Charles Edmond Forbes
Leona Marie* Forbes Cowles (twin)
Richard Ray Forbes (twin)
Mable Adelaide Forbes Myers Hole
Jacob Arthur Forbes
Frederick Walter "Fred" Forbes
Nellie Augusta Forbes Thomas
William Bertrum "Willie" Forbes
Louis Leslie "Chubb" Forbes
*Leona's name was recorded as Mariah May in the family Bible.
----------
Obituary:
Grafton News
Richard Forbes, an old citizen of Grafton, died at his home here yesterday morning, after a short illness.
(Alton Evening Telegraph; 11 Apr 1912; p. 3)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in obituary are exactly as they appeared in the original text.
He left Scotland and arrived in the United States in 1864. He served in the American Civil War with Company I of the 2nd Maine Cavalry.
According to Department of the Interior records, Dick was 5' 5" tall with hazel eyes and black hair. He had a tattoo of "The Goddess of Liberty" on his right forearm and the letters "LD" on his left forearm. He had the word "Hope" tattooed on his left wrist.
The unit Dick joined during the Civil War was originally organized in Augusta, Maine from 30 Nov 1863 to 02 Jan 1864. They were sent to Florida in 1864 and were then assigned to serve as part of the defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana until 26 May 1864. They were then moved to Thibodeaux, Louisiana where they were to scout and do picket duty until the end of July. Dick enlisted on 31 Oct 1864.
The 2nd Maine Cavalry returned to Pensacola, Florida and were on there until March of 1865. In early April of 1865 they participated in the Siege of Fort Blakely. It was captured on 09 Apr 1865. They spent the remainder of the year on expeditions that were primarily focused in the Florida and Alabama area.
Dick's enlistment expired on 21 Oct 1865 while he was in New Orleans. His discharge was to take effect on 30 Oct 1865.
The remainder of the 2nd Maine Cavalry was mustered out on 06 Dec 1865 and were discharged in Augusta, Maine on 21 Dec 1865. The unit suffered a loss of 344 men during the war, with 2 officers and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action; 334 enlisted men died of disease.
After the war, Dick moved to Jersey County, Illinois. He was married briefly in 1865 to Elizabeth Kerr. She died in Grafton, Illinois not long after they were wed.
He married Mariah Augusta Burrows in Jersey County on 08 Aug 1870. Dick became a naturalized citizen of the United States on 23 Sep 1874.
They were the parents of 10 children, including a set of fraternal twins. 3 of the Forbes children died young. Jacob was born on 23 Aug 1881, but died on14 Oct 1882 at the age of 13 months. Charles died of appendicitis in 1895 at the age of 22; and Richard Ray, twin of Leona, died in Grafton of epilepsy in 1899.
Dick worked as a rigger and a stationary engineer in a quarry in Jersey County from 1869 to 1900. After that, he made his living as a shoemaker.
He died of pneumonia and pulmonary congestion around 8 a.m. on the morning of 09 Apr 1912. At the time of his death, he was 70 years, 5 months and 21 days old.
He was survived by his wife, Mariah; 4 sons, Enoch, Fred, William and Leslie; and 3 daughters, Leona, Mable and Nellie.
He was buried on 10 Apr 1912.
Dick's wife, Mariah, passed away in 1940.
Children: 7 sons, 3 daughters.
Father of:
Henry Donaldson "Enoch" (aka "Harry") Forbes
Charles Edmond Forbes
Leona Marie* Forbes Cowles (twin)
Richard Ray Forbes (twin)
Mable Adelaide Forbes Myers Hole
Jacob Arthur Forbes
Frederick Walter "Fred" Forbes
Nellie Augusta Forbes Thomas
William Bertrum "Willie" Forbes
Louis Leslie "Chubb" Forbes
*Leona's name was recorded as Mariah May in the family Bible.
----------
Obituary:
Grafton News
Richard Forbes, an old citizen of Grafton, died at his home here yesterday morning, after a short illness.
(Alton Evening Telegraph; 11 Apr 1912; p. 3)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in obituary are exactly as they appeared in the original text.
"Dick" was born in Scotland in 1841. The Scottish census taken that year suggests he may have been the son of Adam and Agnes Forbes, but later records do not include the names of his parents.
He left Scotland and arrived in the United States in 1864. He served in the American Civil War with Company I of the 2nd Maine Cavalry.
According to Department of the Interior records, Dick was 5' 5" tall with hazel eyes and black hair. He had a tattoo of "The Goddess of Liberty" on his right forearm and the letters "LD" on his left forearm. He had the word "Hope" tattooed on his left wrist.
The unit Dick joined during the Civil War was originally organized in Augusta, Maine from 30 Nov 1863 to 02 Jan 1864. They were sent to Florida in 1864 and were then assigned to serve as part of the defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana until 26 May 1864. They were then moved to Thibodeaux, Louisiana where they were to scout and do picket duty until the end of July. Dick enlisted on 31 Oct 1864.
The 2nd Maine Cavalry returned to Pensacola, Florida and were on there until March of 1865. In early April of 1865 they participated in the Siege of Fort Blakely. It was captured on 09 Apr 1865. They spent the remainder of the year on expeditions that were primarily focused in the Florida and Alabama area.
Dick's enlistment expired on 21 Oct 1865 while he was in New Orleans. His discharge was to take effect on 30 Oct 1865.
The remainder of the 2nd Maine Cavalry was mustered out on 06 Dec 1865 and were discharged in Augusta, Maine on 21 Dec 1865. The unit suffered a loss of 344 men during the war, with 2 officers and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action; 334 enlisted men died of disease.
After the war, Dick moved to Jersey County, Illinois. He was married briefly in 1865 to Elizabeth Kerr. She died in Grafton, Illinois not long after they were wed.
He married Mariah Augusta Burrows in Jersey County on 08 Aug 1870. Dick became a naturalized citizen of the United States on 23 Sep 1874.
They were the parents of 10 children, including a set of fraternal twins. 3 of the Forbes children died young. Jacob was born on 23 Aug 1881, but died on14 Oct 1882 at the age of 13 months. Charles died of appendicitis in 1895 at the age of 22; and Richard Ray, twin of Leona, died in Grafton of epilepsy in 1899.
Dick worked as a rigger and a stationary engineer in a quarry in Jersey County from 1869 to 1900. After that, he made his living as a shoemaker.
He died of pneumonia and pulmonary congestion around 8 a.m. on the morning of 09 Apr 1912. At the time of his death, he was 70 years, 5 months and 21 days old.
He was survived by his wife, Mariah; 4 sons, Enoch, Fred, William and Leslie; and 3 daughters, Leona, Mable and Nellie.
He was buried on 10 Apr 1912.
Dick's wife, Mariah, passed away in 1940.
Children: 7 sons, 3 daughters.
Father of:
Henry Donaldson "Enoch" (aka "Harry") Forbes
Charles Edmond Forbes
Leona Marie* Forbes Cowles (twin)
Richard Ray Forbes (twin)
Mable Adelaide Forbes Myers Hole
Jacob Arthur Forbes
Frederick Walter "Fred" Forbes
Nellie Augusta Forbes Thomas
William Bertrum "Willie" Forbes
Louis Leslie "Chubb" Forbes
*Leona's name was recorded as Mariah May in the family Bible.
----------
Obituary:
Grafton News
Richard Forbes, an old citizen of Grafton, died at his home here yesterday morning, after a short illness.
(Alton Evening Telegraph; 11 Apr 1912; p. 3)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in obituary are exactly as they appeared in the original text.
He left Scotland and arrived in the United States in 1864. He served in the American Civil War with Company I of the 2nd Maine Cavalry.
According to Department of the Interior records, Dick was 5' 5" tall with hazel eyes and black hair. He had a tattoo of "The Goddess of Liberty" on his right forearm and the letters "LD" on his left forearm. He had the word "Hope" tattooed on his left wrist.
The unit Dick joined during the Civil War was originally organized in Augusta, Maine from 30 Nov 1863 to 02 Jan 1864. They were sent to Florida in 1864 and were then assigned to serve as part of the defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana until 26 May 1864. They were then moved to Thibodeaux, Louisiana where they were to scout and do picket duty until the end of July. Dick enlisted on 31 Oct 1864.
The 2nd Maine Cavalry returned to Pensacola, Florida and were on there until March of 1865. In early April of 1865 they participated in the Siege of Fort Blakely. It was captured on 09 Apr 1865. They spent the remainder of the year on expeditions that were primarily focused in the Florida and Alabama area.
Dick's enlistment expired on 21 Oct 1865 while he was in New Orleans. His discharge was to take effect on 30 Oct 1865.
The remainder of the 2nd Maine Cavalry was mustered out on 06 Dec 1865 and were discharged in Augusta, Maine on 21 Dec 1865. The unit suffered a loss of 344 men during the war, with 2 officers and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded in action; 334 enlisted men died of disease.
After the war, Dick moved to Jersey County, Illinois. He was married briefly in 1865 to Elizabeth Kerr. She died in Grafton, Illinois not long after they were wed.
He married Mariah Augusta Burrows in Jersey County on 08 Aug 1870. Dick became a naturalized citizen of the United States on 23 Sep 1874.
They were the parents of 10 children, including a set of fraternal twins. 3 of the Forbes children died young. Jacob was born on 23 Aug 1881, but died on14 Oct 1882 at the age of 13 months. Charles died of appendicitis in 1895 at the age of 22; and Richard Ray, twin of Leona, died in Grafton of epilepsy in 1899.
Dick worked as a rigger and a stationary engineer in a quarry in Jersey County from 1869 to 1900. After that, he made his living as a shoemaker.
He died of pneumonia and pulmonary congestion around 8 a.m. on the morning of 09 Apr 1912. At the time of his death, he was 70 years, 5 months and 21 days old.
He was survived by his wife, Mariah; 4 sons, Enoch, Fred, William and Leslie; and 3 daughters, Leona, Mable and Nellie.
He was buried on 10 Apr 1912.
Dick's wife, Mariah, passed away in 1940.
Children: 7 sons, 3 daughters.
Father of:
Henry Donaldson "Enoch" (aka "Harry") Forbes
Charles Edmond Forbes
Leona Marie* Forbes Cowles (twin)
Richard Ray Forbes (twin)
Mable Adelaide Forbes Myers Hole
Jacob Arthur Forbes
Frederick Walter "Fred" Forbes
Nellie Augusta Forbes Thomas
William Bertrum "Willie" Forbes
Louis Leslie "Chubb" Forbes
*Leona's name was recorded as Mariah May in the family Bible.
----------
Obituary:
Grafton News
Richard Forbes, an old citizen of Grafton, died at his home here yesterday morning, after a short illness.
(Alton Evening Telegraph; 11 Apr 1912; p. 3)
Note: All spelling, capitalization and punctuation marks in obituary are exactly as they appeared in the original text.
Inscription
CO. I
2 ME. CAV.
Gravesite Details
Civil War stone. Double click on photos to enlarge images.
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