Daniel Forney

• Name	Daniel Forney
  Gender	Male
  Person ID	I1708	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	1 Jan 2019

  
  

  Mother	Mary E. aka Polly Corpening,   b. 19 Oct 1778,   d. 24 May 1867  (Age 88 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Father	Albert F. Corpening,   b. 16 Mar 1747, Youmpts, United Netherlands ,   d. 30 Oct 1827, Johns River, Caldwell, North Carolina, United States  (Age 80 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Married	WFT Est 1806 1832
  Family ID	F0619	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Father	Jacob Forney, Jr,   b. 6 Nov 1754, Ingleside, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 7 Nov 1840, Morganton, Burke, North Carolina, United States  (Age 86 years)
  Mother	Mary E. aka Polly Corpening,   b. 19 Oct 1778,   d. 24 May 1867  (Age 88 years)
  Married	WFT Est 1806 1832
  Family ID	F619	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  These sketches were originally written by Col Thomas George Walton (1815-1905). 1st published in the old Morganton Herald in 1894 "DANIEL, the youngest son of Major JACOB FORNEY, was the "bravest of the brave" I ever knew; giving evidence of this truth on more than one occasion during the late war. When the notorious KIRK captured Camp Vance in 1863, I was organizing a force of citizens to repel, as fast as could be done, his sacking the town. This he learned by some means. Hurriedly leaving the camp with his prisoners and plunder, he crossed the river made a beeline for Tennessee, by way of the SUDDERTH place. Sending a mounted part of 25 or 30 men and placing them under the command of Lieutenants FRANK CRAIG and THOMAS McENTIRE, who were here on a furlough from the army, I directed them to be governed by DANIEL FORNEY in endeavoring to get ahead of KIRK, and by ambuscade annoy and hold him in check until the footmen could overtake him. FORNEY, being familiar with the paths and nearcuts through the mountains, as well as the best points for attacking the enemy, succeeded in heading him at a gap on the south end of the Brown Mountain. FORNEY advised taking a position in a large cluster of alders, within 20 yards of the road, but the men without dissent, said there was great danger of their force (small as compar KIRK's) being captured. KIRK's forces were estimated at two thousand. FORNEY, being overruled, the men took a position safer for them and nearer their horses. KIRK was marching at the head of the column. When fired upon, his men, panic stricken, left the road. KIRK was shot in the arm, and a number of the prisoners escaped. I was afterwards shown by Mr. . FORNEY where he had proposed to place his men. It looked to me hazardous, but he would have run the risk and, being so near, KIRK would have, in all probability, been killed. About the time of Gen. Lee's surrender, four raiders, said to belong to Vaughn's Tennessee command, were passing through the country taking the best horses and mules from the people by force of arms. Having robbed Mr. HUNT, who lived at Quaker Meadows at the time, they learned from some b persons that DANIEL FORNEY had a fine mare. It was dark when they reached his house, which was enclosed by a plank fence. A large gate led to the stable. They rode up to the fence and hollered. FORNEY, coming out, asked what they wanted. "We want your mare", they replied. "You'll not get her", responded FORNEY. "If you attempt to go through that gate, some of you will be shot." Immediately they commenced firing at him with their revolvers. FORNEY never flinched, but returned fire with his double-barrel shotgun charged with buckshot. At length one of the marauders called out, "Oh, Lord! I am killed; don't shoot any more." Sending for his neighbor, DR. JOHN C. MCDOWELL, they went in pursuit and found the rascals at Cherry Fields, in an outhouse of Mrs. CALDWELL's. The wounded man, unable to ride, compelled them to stop. They were armed with Colt army revolvers, and had a considerable amount of greenbacks, the first I had ever seen. The wounded man had received eight or ten buckshot in the face and breast. I told DANIEL his gun was not good, or the man would have been killed. He said he could only account for it by it's having been loaded for a long time, and the powder had lost it's strength. I don't hesitate to say that there is not one man in ten, under all circumstances, that would not have surrendered the mare. It is an old saying that "blood will tell whether man or beast." In FORNEY's veins coursed the blood of his grandfather, JACOB FORNEY, Sr., who according to WHEELER's history, at one time kept at bay twelve or fifteen Indians for several hours, protecting his wounded friends until a fort two miles distant was safely reached."