Augustus Forsberg
Residence Lynchburg Va; 30 years old.
Enlisted on 5/26/1862 as a Lieut Colonel.
On 5/26/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff VA 51st Infantry (date and method of discharge not given)
51st Virginia was formed in August 1861, with eleven companies.
It reported 9 killed, 43 wounded, and 5 missing at Fort Donelson,Tn, and 3 killed and 16 wounded at Fayetteville. Only a handful remained after the Battle of Waynesboro, Va..
The field officers were Colonels Augustus Forsberg and Gabriel C. Wharton;
Lieutenant Colonels George A. Cunningham, James W. Massie, and John P. Wolfe;
Majors William T. Akers, Stephen M. Dickey, D.P. Graham, D.S. Hounshell, and William A. Yonce.
He was listed as:
Wounded 9/19/1864 Winchester, Va.
POW 3/2/1865 Waynesboro, Va
Confined 3/12/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Released 7/24/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Promotions: Colonel 7/8/1863
He was described at enlistment as: 5' 9.0", dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair
died 7/15/1910 in Lynchburg, VA
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, January 13, 1832.
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series
- Research by Mark Davis
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc.
He was a graduate of the Royal Academy in Stockholm and was serving as a lieutenant in the engineering corps of the Swedish army in 1852 when his physician recommended an ocean voyage for his health.
A Swedish architect who was supervising the construction of the U. S. Government building at Columbia, South Carolina had written to the Royal Academy asking them to recommend a young man to act as his assistant. The position was tendered to Lieutenant Forsberg and he, having secured a furlough from the Swedish Army, sailed for America and never returned to his native land.
He later established an office as architect in Baltimore, Maryland and also worked for the U. S. Government in Washington D. C. as a topographical draftsman.
After that he settled in Campbell County , and Lynchburg, Virginia where he served as City Engineer for many years.
Sources: http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&218091
http://www.wlu.edu/forsberg/bio.html
http://www.scandinavianconfederates.wbts.info/soldiers_VIRGINIA.htm
Biography
Augustus Forsberg (1832-1910) was a Swedish military engineer who emigrated to the United States in 1855. First settling in Charleston, South Carolina, he had strong sympathies for the Southern cause. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederacy and was commissioned lieutenant in the regular Confederate army 1861. Attached to the 51st Virginia Volunteer Infantry, he was elected its lieutenant colonel when the regiment was reorganized in the spring of 1862. Subsequently, promoted to its colonel, he commanded a brigade at the end of the war. Wounded at Winchester 1864, he became a prisoner-of-war at Waynesboro 1865. Released, he ventured to Lynchburg, Virginia, to marry the woman he had met as a convalescent. They settled and made a family in the town, and Forsberg served as its city engineer for over twenty years.
Early life
Born in Stockholm, Forsberg graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology, and served as a lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Engineers. In 1855, he moved to the United States, working as an engineer on a government project in Charleston, South Carolina. He later worked as an architect in Baltimore and as a draftsman at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., still under construction.
Civil War
Forsberg was well known for his Southern sympathies. When the Civil War began, the Danish consul informed him that the United States government would offer him a commission in the army, if he refused it, he would be arrested. Forsberg soon found place on a fishing vessel that took him to Charleston, where he was employed as a volunteer topographical engineer in the defense of the city. In August, 1861, Forsberg moved to Richmond, Virginia where he met John B. Floyd, former U.S. Secretary of War, who advised him to apply President Jefferson
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America
Davis in person for a commission in the Confederate army. Commissioned as a lieutenant, Forsberg was detailed to serve on the staff of Floyd, now a brigadier general in command of the Confederate troops in the Kanawha Valley.
Forsberg was commissioned first lieutenant in the Corps of Infantry of the Army of the Confederate States of America (the regular army of the Confederacy). The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States confirmed his commission, January 24, 1862, to take rank from October 11, 1861. In August 1861, Forsberg had been detached from the Floyd's staff to the 51st Virginia Infantry, to aid with the training of the men. He remained with the regiment during the rest of the war. In early February 1862, the regiment, with the rest of Floyd's division, was sent to Fort Donelson, in order to strengthen its garrison. Lieutenant Forsberg was commended for his bravery during the battle of Fort Donelson. When the fort ignominiously surrendered, Floyd's command managed to escape.
Having escaped from the prison camp, the 51st Virginia Infantry eventually returned to Virginia. Reorganized at Wytheville, several officers left the service, including the lieutenant colonel James W. Massie. In accordance with the Confederate Conscription Act, elections of new officers were held in the beginning of May. Forsberg was elected in his stead, and officially commissioned May 26, 1862. When in August 1862, Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton became brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Forsberg was put in his place as commanding officer, and would henceforth lead the regiment. In July 1863, Colonel Wharton was promoted to brigadier general, and Forsberg was subsequently promoted to full colonel, July 8, 1863. In hospital at Lynchburg, Virginia during the battle of New Market, Forsberg could not command his regiment during that critical battle. During the battle of Lynchburg, Forsberg commanded Wharton's brigade, as the general had been put in command of Breckinridge's division. Leading the brigade at the third battle of Winchester, Forsberg was shot in his right hand while trying to rally his men. He did not return to active service until February 1865, when he resumed the brigade command. At the battle of Waynesboro, Forsberg, as well as most of his command, become prisoners of war.
Postbellum
Forsberg remained a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware until released in June 1865. He then returned to Lynchburg, where he had been a convalescent after his wounding at Winchester. During his stay at the Ladies Relief Hospital in the city, he had met Mary Elizabeth Otey, the widow of a young officer, George Gaston Otey, who had been killed in action early in the war. She was daughter-in-law of Lucy Mina Otey, the founder of the hospital, and worked as a nurse there. Soon after his return, Forsberg married Mary Elizabeth, and the family settled in the city. Forsberg served as city engineer for 21 years, and designed many of the city's public buildings, some of which were in the Fifth Street Historic District.
....
Thank You:FAG Member
49029148
Obituary, Confederate Veteran Magazine, September, 1910. FamilySearch ID MQTN-19Y
Baptismal record, Swedish Church Records, Katarina kyrkoarkiv, Födelse- och dopböcker över äkta barn (1826-1834), SE/SSA/0009/C II/8, p 218
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Spirit of the Army, Lynchburg, Va., Feb. 25, 1865," concerning the reaction of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to the peace terms proposed by President Andrew Johnson; and a narrative of the battle of Waynesboro, Virginia, 1865, sent by Colonel Augustus Forsberg, 51st Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Material on the Battle of Five Forks consists of notes on the battle by General Munford; his unpublished manuscript on the battle;
============================================================
A.D. 04/11/2014 By Mrs. MaryElizabeth De Mallie , DAR, OES, AAUW.
I see that Col. Augustus Forsburg was a field Officer. He is Mrs. Elizabeth Forsberg's Wadman great-great grandfather, a Swedish architect who came over just in time to be in the US Civil War. I have a booklet telling how much improved that Mrs. Augustus Forsbrerg was, much improved after she had been to the Mineral Springs run by the Mundy family down there in the lower part of Nelson County, Virginia that went out during WWI. Steve and I came back by there once and there is nothing there. It even had a railroad station. Many of the buildings in Lynchburg, Va. were designed and built by Col. Forsberg and I think the one they always talk about is the Court House. You have to walk up to Heaven to get there, however.
....
...
..
.
Bio;
By
Jonathan Robert De Mallie, Garden State Historian
Residence Lynchburg Va; 30 years old.
Enlisted on 5/26/1862 as a Lieut Colonel.
On 5/26/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff VA 51st Infantry (date and method of discharge not given)
51st Virginia was formed in August 1861, with eleven companies.
It reported 9 killed, 43 wounded, and 5 missing at Fort Donelson,Tn, and 3 killed and 16 wounded at Fayetteville. Only a handful remained after the Battle of Waynesboro, Va..
The field officers were Colonels Augustus Forsberg and Gabriel C. Wharton;
Lieutenant Colonels George A. Cunningham, James W. Massie, and John P. Wolfe;
Majors William T. Akers, Stephen M. Dickey, D.P. Graham, D.S. Hounshell, and William A. Yonce.
He was listed as:
Wounded 9/19/1864 Winchester, Va.
POW 3/2/1865 Waynesboro, Va
Confined 3/12/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Released 7/24/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Promotions: Colonel 7/8/1863
He was described at enlistment as: 5' 9.0", dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair
died 7/15/1910 in Lynchburg, VA
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, January 13, 1832.
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series
- Research by Mark Davis
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc.
He was a graduate of the Royal Academy in Stockholm and was serving as a lieutenant in the engineering corps of the Swedish army in 1852 when his physician recommended an ocean voyage for his health.
A Swedish architect who was supervising the construction of the U. S. Government building at Columbia, South Carolina had written to the Royal Academy asking them to recommend a young man to act as his assistant. The position was tendered to Lieutenant Forsberg and he, having secured a furlough from the Swedish Army, sailed for America and never returned to his native land.
He later established an office as architect in Baltimore, Maryland and also worked for the U. S. Government in Washington D. C. as a topographical draftsman.
After that he settled in Campbell County , and Lynchburg, Virginia where he served as City Engineer for many years.
Sources: http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&218091
http://www.wlu.edu/forsberg/bio.html
http://www.scandinavianconfederates.wbts.info/soldiers_VIRGINIA.htm
Biography
Augustus Forsberg (1832-1910) was a Swedish military engineer who emigrated to the United States in 1855. First settling in Charleston, South Carolina, he had strong sympathies for the Southern cause. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederacy and was commissioned lieutenant in the regular Confederate army 1861. Attached to the 51st Virginia Volunteer Infantry, he was elected its lieutenant colonel when the regiment was reorganized in the spring of 1862. Subsequently, promoted to its colonel, he commanded a brigade at the end of the war. Wounded at Winchester 1864, he became a prisoner-of-war at Waynesboro 1865. Released, he ventured to Lynchburg, Virginia, to marry the woman he had met as a convalescent. They settled and made a family in the town, and Forsberg served as its city engineer for over twenty years.
Early life
Born in Stockholm, Forsberg graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology, and served as a lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Engineers. In 1855, he moved to the United States, working as an engineer on a government project in Charleston, South Carolina. He later worked as an architect in Baltimore and as a draftsman at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., still under construction.
Civil War
Forsberg was well known for his Southern sympathies. When the Civil War began, the Danish consul informed him that the United States government would offer him a commission in the army, if he refused it, he would be arrested. Forsberg soon found place on a fishing vessel that took him to Charleston, where he was employed as a volunteer topographical engineer in the defense of the city. In August, 1861, Forsberg moved to Richmond, Virginia where he met John B. Floyd, former U.S. Secretary of War, who advised him to apply President Jefferson
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America
Davis in person for a commission in the Confederate army. Commissioned as a lieutenant, Forsberg was detailed to serve on the staff of Floyd, now a brigadier general in command of the Confederate troops in the Kanawha Valley.
Forsberg was commissioned first lieutenant in the Corps of Infantry of the Army of the Confederate States of America (the regular army of the Confederacy). The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States confirmed his commission, January 24, 1862, to take rank from October 11, 1861. In August 1861, Forsberg had been detached from the Floyd's staff to the 51st Virginia Infantry, to aid with the training of the men. He remained with the regiment during the rest of the war. In early February 1862, the regiment, with the rest of Floyd's division, was sent to Fort Donelson, in order to strengthen its garrison. Lieutenant Forsberg was commended for his bravery during the battle of Fort Donelson. When the fort ignominiously surrendered, Floyd's command managed to escape.
Having escaped from the prison camp, the 51st Virginia Infantry eventually returned to Virginia. Reorganized at Wytheville, several officers left the service, including the lieutenant colonel James W. Massie. In accordance with the Confederate Conscription Act, elections of new officers were held in the beginning of May. Forsberg was elected in his stead, and officially commissioned May 26, 1862. When in August 1862, Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton became brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Forsberg was put in his place as commanding officer, and would henceforth lead the regiment. In July 1863, Colonel Wharton was promoted to brigadier general, and Forsberg was subsequently promoted to full colonel, July 8, 1863. In hospital at Lynchburg, Virginia during the battle of New Market, Forsberg could not command his regiment during that critical battle. During the battle of Lynchburg, Forsberg commanded Wharton's brigade, as the general had been put in command of Breckinridge's division. Leading the brigade at the third battle of Winchester, Forsberg was shot in his right hand while trying to rally his men. He did not return to active service until February 1865, when he resumed the brigade command. At the battle of Waynesboro, Forsberg, as well as most of his command, become prisoners of war.
Postbellum
Forsberg remained a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware until released in June 1865. He then returned to Lynchburg, where he had been a convalescent after his wounding at Winchester. During his stay at the Ladies Relief Hospital in the city, he had met Mary Elizabeth Otey, the widow of a young officer, George Gaston Otey, who had been killed in action early in the war. She was daughter-in-law of Lucy Mina Otey, the founder of the hospital, and worked as a nurse there. Soon after his return, Forsberg married Mary Elizabeth, and the family settled in the city. Forsberg served as city engineer for 21 years, and designed many of the city's public buildings, some of which were in the Fifth Street Historic District.
....
Thank You:FAG Member
49029148
Obituary, Confederate Veteran Magazine, September, 1910. FamilySearch ID MQTN-19Y
Baptismal record, Swedish Church Records, Katarina kyrkoarkiv, Födelse- och dopböcker över äkta barn (1826-1834), SE/SSA/0009/C II/8, p 218
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Spirit of the Army, Lynchburg, Va., Feb. 25, 1865," concerning the reaction of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to the peace terms proposed by President Andrew Johnson; and a narrative of the battle of Waynesboro, Virginia, 1865, sent by Colonel Augustus Forsberg, 51st Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Material on the Battle of Five Forks consists of notes on the battle by General Munford; his unpublished manuscript on the battle;
============================================================
A.D. 04/11/2014 By Mrs. MaryElizabeth De Mallie , DAR, OES, AAUW.
I see that Col. Augustus Forsburg was a field Officer. He is Mrs. Elizabeth Forsberg's Wadman great-great grandfather, a Swedish architect who came over just in time to be in the US Civil War. I have a booklet telling how much improved that Mrs. Augustus Forsbrerg was, much improved after she had been to the Mineral Springs run by the Mundy family down there in the lower part of Nelson County, Virginia that went out during WWI. Steve and I came back by there once and there is nothing there. It even had a railroad station. Many of the buildings in Lynchburg, Va. were designed and built by Col. Forsberg and I think the one they always talk about is the Court House. You have to walk up to Heaven to get there, however.
....
...
..
.
Bio;
By
Jonathan Robert De Mallie, Garden State Historian
Augustus Forsberg
Residence Lynchburg Va; 30 years old.
Enlisted on 5/26/1862 as a Lieut Colonel.
On 5/26/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff VA 51st Infantry (date and method of discharge not given)
51st Virginia was formed in August 1861, with eleven companies.
It reported 9 killed, 43 wounded, and 5 missing at Fort Donelson,Tn, and 3 killed and 16 wounded at Fayetteville. Only a handful remained after the Battle of Waynesboro, Va..
The field officers were Colonels Augustus Forsberg and Gabriel C. Wharton;
Lieutenant Colonels George A. Cunningham, James W. Massie, and John P. Wolfe;
Majors William T. Akers, Stephen M. Dickey, D.P. Graham, D.S. Hounshell, and William A. Yonce.
He was listed as:
Wounded 9/19/1864 Winchester, Va.
POW 3/2/1865 Waynesboro, Va
Confined 3/12/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Released 7/24/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Promotions: Colonel 7/8/1863
He was described at enlistment as: 5' 9.0", dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair
died 7/15/1910 in Lynchburg, VA
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, January 13, 1832.
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series
- Research by Mark Davis
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc.
He was a graduate of the Royal Academy in Stockholm and was serving as a lieutenant in the engineering corps of the Swedish army in 1852 when his physician recommended an ocean voyage for his health.
A Swedish architect who was supervising the construction of the U. S. Government building at Columbia, South Carolina had written to the Royal Academy asking them to recommend a young man to act as his assistant. The position was tendered to Lieutenant Forsberg and he, having secured a furlough from the Swedish Army, sailed for America and never returned to his native land.
He later established an office as architect in Baltimore, Maryland and also worked for the U. S. Government in Washington D. C. as a topographical draftsman.
After that he settled in Campbell County , and Lynchburg, Virginia where he served as City Engineer for many years.
Sources: http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&218091
http://www.wlu.edu/forsberg/bio.html
http://www.scandinavianconfederates.wbts.info/soldiers_VIRGINIA.htm
Biography
Augustus Forsberg (1832-1910) was a Swedish military engineer who emigrated to the United States in 1855. First settling in Charleston, South Carolina, he had strong sympathies for the Southern cause. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederacy and was commissioned lieutenant in the regular Confederate army 1861. Attached to the 51st Virginia Volunteer Infantry, he was elected its lieutenant colonel when the regiment was reorganized in the spring of 1862. Subsequently, promoted to its colonel, he commanded a brigade at the end of the war. Wounded at Winchester 1864, he became a prisoner-of-war at Waynesboro 1865. Released, he ventured to Lynchburg, Virginia, to marry the woman he had met as a convalescent. They settled and made a family in the town, and Forsberg served as its city engineer for over twenty years.
Early life
Born in Stockholm, Forsberg graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology, and served as a lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Engineers. In 1855, he moved to the United States, working as an engineer on a government project in Charleston, South Carolina. He later worked as an architect in Baltimore and as a draftsman at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., still under construction.
Civil War
Forsberg was well known for his Southern sympathies. When the Civil War began, the Danish consul informed him that the United States government would offer him a commission in the army, if he refused it, he would be arrested. Forsberg soon found place on a fishing vessel that took him to Charleston, where he was employed as a volunteer topographical engineer in the defense of the city. In August, 1861, Forsberg moved to Richmond, Virginia where he met John B. Floyd, former U.S. Secretary of War, who advised him to apply President Jefferson
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America
Davis in person for a commission in the Confederate army. Commissioned as a lieutenant, Forsberg was detailed to serve on the staff of Floyd, now a brigadier general in command of the Confederate troops in the Kanawha Valley.
Forsberg was commissioned first lieutenant in the Corps of Infantry of the Army of the Confederate States of America (the regular army of the Confederacy). The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States confirmed his commission, January 24, 1862, to take rank from October 11, 1861. In August 1861, Forsberg had been detached from the Floyd's staff to the 51st Virginia Infantry, to aid with the training of the men. He remained with the regiment during the rest of the war. In early February 1862, the regiment, with the rest of Floyd's division, was sent to Fort Donelson, in order to strengthen its garrison. Lieutenant Forsberg was commended for his bravery during the battle of Fort Donelson. When the fort ignominiously surrendered, Floyd's command managed to escape.
Having escaped from the prison camp, the 51st Virginia Infantry eventually returned to Virginia. Reorganized at Wytheville, several officers left the service, including the lieutenant colonel James W. Massie. In accordance with the Confederate Conscription Act, elections of new officers were held in the beginning of May. Forsberg was elected in his stead, and officially commissioned May 26, 1862. When in August 1862, Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton became brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Forsberg was put in his place as commanding officer, and would henceforth lead the regiment. In July 1863, Colonel Wharton was promoted to brigadier general, and Forsberg was subsequently promoted to full colonel, July 8, 1863. In hospital at Lynchburg, Virginia during the battle of New Market, Forsberg could not command his regiment during that critical battle. During the battle of Lynchburg, Forsberg commanded Wharton's brigade, as the general had been put in command of Breckinridge's division. Leading the brigade at the third battle of Winchester, Forsberg was shot in his right hand while trying to rally his men. He did not return to active service until February 1865, when he resumed the brigade command. At the battle of Waynesboro, Forsberg, as well as most of his command, become prisoners of war.
Postbellum
Forsberg remained a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware until released in June 1865. He then returned to Lynchburg, where he had been a convalescent after his wounding at Winchester. During his stay at the Ladies Relief Hospital in the city, he had met Mary Elizabeth Otey, the widow of a young officer, George Gaston Otey, who had been killed in action early in the war. She was daughter-in-law of Lucy Mina Otey, the founder of the hospital, and worked as a nurse there. Soon after his return, Forsberg married Mary Elizabeth, and the family settled in the city. Forsberg served as city engineer for 21 years, and designed many of the city's public buildings, some of which were in the Fifth Street Historic District.
....
Thank You:FAG Member
49029148
Obituary, Confederate Veteran Magazine, September, 1910. FamilySearch ID MQTN-19Y
Baptismal record, Swedish Church Records, Katarina kyrkoarkiv, Födelse- och dopböcker över äkta barn (1826-1834), SE/SSA/0009/C II/8, p 218
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Spirit of the Army, Lynchburg, Va., Feb. 25, 1865," concerning the reaction of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to the peace terms proposed by President Andrew Johnson; and a narrative of the battle of Waynesboro, Virginia, 1865, sent by Colonel Augustus Forsberg, 51st Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Material on the Battle of Five Forks consists of notes on the battle by General Munford; his unpublished manuscript on the battle;
============================================================
A.D. 04/11/2014 By Mrs. MaryElizabeth De Mallie , DAR, OES, AAUW.
I see that Col. Augustus Forsburg was a field Officer. He is Mrs. Elizabeth Forsberg's Wadman great-great grandfather, a Swedish architect who came over just in time to be in the US Civil War. I have a booklet telling how much improved that Mrs. Augustus Forsbrerg was, much improved after she had been to the Mineral Springs run by the Mundy family down there in the lower part of Nelson County, Virginia that went out during WWI. Steve and I came back by there once and there is nothing there. It even had a railroad station. Many of the buildings in Lynchburg, Va. were designed and built by Col. Forsberg and I think the one they always talk about is the Court House. You have to walk up to Heaven to get there, however.
....
...
..
.
Bio;
By
Jonathan Robert De Mallie, Garden State Historian
Residence Lynchburg Va; 30 years old.
Enlisted on 5/26/1862 as a Lieut Colonel.
On 5/26/1862 he was commissioned into Field & Staff VA 51st Infantry (date and method of discharge not given)
51st Virginia was formed in August 1861, with eleven companies.
It reported 9 killed, 43 wounded, and 5 missing at Fort Donelson,Tn, and 3 killed and 16 wounded at Fayetteville. Only a handful remained after the Battle of Waynesboro, Va..
The field officers were Colonels Augustus Forsberg and Gabriel C. Wharton;
Lieutenant Colonels George A. Cunningham, James W. Massie, and John P. Wolfe;
Majors William T. Akers, Stephen M. Dickey, D.P. Graham, D.S. Hounshell, and William A. Yonce.
He was listed as:
Wounded 9/19/1864 Winchester, Va.
POW 3/2/1865 Waynesboro, Va
Confined 3/12/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Released 7/24/1865 Fort Delaware, De
Promotions: Colonel 7/8/1863
He was described at enlistment as: 5' 9.0", dark complexion, grey eyes, dark hair
died 7/15/1910 in Lynchburg, VA
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, January 13, 1832.
The Virginia Regimental Histories Series
- Research by Mark Davis
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc.
He was a graduate of the Royal Academy in Stockholm and was serving as a lieutenant in the engineering corps of the Swedish army in 1852 when his physician recommended an ocean voyage for his health.
A Swedish architect who was supervising the construction of the U. S. Government building at Columbia, South Carolina had written to the Royal Academy asking them to recommend a young man to act as his assistant. The position was tendered to Lieutenant Forsberg and he, having secured a furlough from the Swedish Army, sailed for America and never returned to his native land.
He later established an office as architect in Baltimore, Maryland and also worked for the U. S. Government in Washington D. C. as a topographical draftsman.
After that he settled in Campbell County , and Lynchburg, Virginia where he served as City Engineer for many years.
Sources: http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?C&218091
http://www.wlu.edu/forsberg/bio.html
http://www.scandinavianconfederates.wbts.info/soldiers_VIRGINIA.htm
Biography
Augustus Forsberg (1832-1910) was a Swedish military engineer who emigrated to the United States in 1855. First settling in Charleston, South Carolina, he had strong sympathies for the Southern cause. When the Civil War began, he joined the Confederacy and was commissioned lieutenant in the regular Confederate army 1861. Attached to the 51st Virginia Volunteer Infantry, he was elected its lieutenant colonel when the regiment was reorganized in the spring of 1862. Subsequently, promoted to its colonel, he commanded a brigade at the end of the war. Wounded at Winchester 1864, he became a prisoner-of-war at Waynesboro 1865. Released, he ventured to Lynchburg, Virginia, to marry the woman he had met as a convalescent. They settled and made a family in the town, and Forsberg served as its city engineer for over twenty years.
Early life
Born in Stockholm, Forsberg graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology, and served as a lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Engineers. In 1855, he moved to the United States, working as an engineer on a government project in Charleston, South Carolina. He later worked as an architect in Baltimore and as a draftsman at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., still under construction.
Civil War
Forsberg was well known for his Southern sympathies. When the Civil War began, the Danish consul informed him that the United States government would offer him a commission in the army, if he refused it, he would be arrested. Forsberg soon found place on a fishing vessel that took him to Charleston, where he was employed as a volunteer topographical engineer in the defense of the city. In August, 1861, Forsberg moved to Richmond, Virginia where he met John B. Floyd, former U.S. Secretary of War, who advised him to apply President Jefferson
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America
Davis in person for a commission in the Confederate army. Commissioned as a lieutenant, Forsberg was detailed to serve on the staff of Floyd, now a brigadier general in command of the Confederate troops in the Kanawha Valley.
Forsberg was commissioned first lieutenant in the Corps of Infantry of the Army of the Confederate States of America (the regular army of the Confederacy). The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States confirmed his commission, January 24, 1862, to take rank from October 11, 1861. In August 1861, Forsberg had been detached from the Floyd's staff to the 51st Virginia Infantry, to aid with the training of the men. He remained with the regiment during the rest of the war. In early February 1862, the regiment, with the rest of Floyd's division, was sent to Fort Donelson, in order to strengthen its garrison. Lieutenant Forsberg was commended for his bravery during the battle of Fort Donelson. When the fort ignominiously surrendered, Floyd's command managed to escape.
Having escaped from the prison camp, the 51st Virginia Infantry eventually returned to Virginia. Reorganized at Wytheville, several officers left the service, including the lieutenant colonel James W. Massie. In accordance with the Confederate Conscription Act, elections of new officers were held in the beginning of May. Forsberg was elected in his stead, and officially commissioned May 26, 1862. When in August 1862, Colonel Gabriel C. Wharton became brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Forsberg was put in his place as commanding officer, and would henceforth lead the regiment. In July 1863, Colonel Wharton was promoted to brigadier general, and Forsberg was subsequently promoted to full colonel, July 8, 1863. In hospital at Lynchburg, Virginia during the battle of New Market, Forsberg could not command his regiment during that critical battle. During the battle of Lynchburg, Forsberg commanded Wharton's brigade, as the general had been put in command of Breckinridge's division. Leading the brigade at the third battle of Winchester, Forsberg was shot in his right hand while trying to rally his men. He did not return to active service until February 1865, when he resumed the brigade command. At the battle of Waynesboro, Forsberg, as well as most of his command, become prisoners of war.
Postbellum
Forsberg remained a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware until released in June 1865. He then returned to Lynchburg, where he had been a convalescent after his wounding at Winchester. During his stay at the Ladies Relief Hospital in the city, he had met Mary Elizabeth Otey, the widow of a young officer, George Gaston Otey, who had been killed in action early in the war. She was daughter-in-law of Lucy Mina Otey, the founder of the hospital, and worked as a nurse there. Soon after his return, Forsberg married Mary Elizabeth, and the family settled in the city. Forsberg served as city engineer for 21 years, and designed many of the city's public buildings, some of which were in the Fifth Street Historic District.
....
Thank You:FAG Member
49029148
Obituary, Confederate Veteran Magazine, September, 1910. FamilySearch ID MQTN-19Y
Baptismal record, Swedish Church Records, Katarina kyrkoarkiv, Födelse- och dopböcker över äkta barn (1826-1834), SE/SSA/0009/C II/8, p 218
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"Spirit of the Army, Lynchburg, Va., Feb. 25, 1865," concerning the reaction of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to the peace terms proposed by President Andrew Johnson; and a narrative of the battle of Waynesboro, Virginia, 1865, sent by Colonel Augustus Forsberg, 51st Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. Material on the Battle of Five Forks consists of notes on the battle by General Munford; his unpublished manuscript on the battle;
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A.D. 04/11/2014 By Mrs. MaryElizabeth De Mallie , DAR, OES, AAUW.
I see that Col. Augustus Forsburg was a field Officer. He is Mrs. Elizabeth Forsberg's Wadman great-great grandfather, a Swedish architect who came over just in time to be in the US Civil War. I have a booklet telling how much improved that Mrs. Augustus Forsbrerg was, much improved after she had been to the Mineral Springs run by the Mundy family down there in the lower part of Nelson County, Virginia that went out during WWI. Steve and I came back by there once and there is nothing there. It even had a railroad station. Many of the buildings in Lynchburg, Va. were designed and built by Col. Forsberg and I think the one they always talk about is the Court House. You have to walk up to Heaven to get there, however.
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Jonathan Robert De Mallie, Garden State Historian
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Dear Bev, already departed , I want to thank you for your great management, love, care , and attention to detail !
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