Forrest Golden Thread Family Photos

That is sure some fun stuff there! I like the wine goblet, too. Forrest didn't drink wine or dance but he did both on his wedding day. I like that button with Forrest's picture on it - I'd read it had been altered somewhat for just that purpose, to be put on various articles and in publications. It was taken when he first enlisted and was using everything available to recruit. Lots of goodies! :D
 
Found a few more interesting on pinterest.

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In a slightly different angle.

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One of the brothers, said to be either Aaron H. or Jesse A. Forrest.

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Another brother, Jeffrey E. Forrest.

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His wife Mary Ann Forrest with young William.

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Miriam Beck Forrest, mother of Nathan B. Forrest (previously identified as Mary Ann Forrest).

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And William again with his sister Fanny.

EDIT: Bigger!
EDIT: Either or, or either.
 
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The photo in the oval is not Mary Ann, it IS Miriam Beck Forrest Luxton - Nathan Bedford's mother.

Hi! I was hoping to hear from you about the first photo. Do you think that it is William H Forrest? I'm still leaning toward it being Aaron but maybe it really is Bill. It's that Bill had dark brown eyes and very curly hair, like Jeffrey!
 
Hi! I was hoping to hear from you about the first photo. Do you think that it is William H Forrest? I'm still leaning toward it being Aaron but maybe it really is Bill. It's that Bill had dark brown eyes and very curly hair, like Jeffrey!

Diane,

Mr. Hagans' documentation and provenance on the photo are solid. I had been searching for a photo of uncle William Hezekiah for a long time, but never found a single one. Sometimes, people's recollections aren't as accurate as we want to believe. I can't tell you with certainty what color my living cousins eyes are - and I have seen them all my life.
Anyway, Mr. Hagans is an educated collector of Civil War era artifacts, and I trust his judgment that the documentation for the photo of Wm Hezekiah Forrest is accurate. Yes, I believe it is really William Hezekiah, taken early in the war in 1862 - and not a post-mortem photograph.

I took Mr. Hagans photo and cleaned it up quite a bit. You can see more detail here:

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Diane,

Mr. Hagans' documentation and provenance on the photo are solid. I had been searching for a photo of uncle William Hezekiah for a long time, but never found a single one. Sometimes, people's recollections aren't as accurate as we want to believe. I can't tell you with certainty what color my living cousins eyes are - and I have seen them all my life.
Anyway, Mr. Hagans is an educated collector of Civil War era artifacts, and I trust his judgment that the documentation for the photo of Wm Hezekiah Forrest is accurate. Yes, I believe it is really William Hezekiah, taken early in the war in 1862 - and not a post-mortem photograph.

I took Mr. Hagans photo and cleaned it up quite a bit. You can see more detail here:

View attachment 121497

Thanks! Always got to be a Doubting Thomas - :D Since you're family I'll take that as fact. I, too, have been looking for a real picture of Bill - three uncles and granddad were with him as scouts and in the escort. This is great - now we've got all the Forrest brothers except Aaron! You know, I'm thinking about Wyeth saying Willie Forrest looked more like his uncle Bill than his Pa - looking over these pictures I think he was right. Willie is leaner and taller, though he got heavier later in life - Bill was stocky and around 5 foot 7 or 9. Bedford might have been 6'2" but brother Bill still scared the heck out of him! He's like a shadow flitting around Forrest - but critical to many of his older brother's successes. Every bit as good as Jeb Stuart in collecting real time information on the enemy.
 
Notice that Aaron had thinning hair during the war (just judging from the wartime photo), but in the photo of Jesse (15 years post-war) he still has a full head of thick hair.
 
:D We need to set up a Forrest family gallery! Those two of Jesse/Aaron - maybe @7th Mississippi Infantry can find it - there was a discussion of the two pictures with Jesse's gggranddaughter. She thinks both are of Jesse. She hasn't posted in quite a spell, though.

Do you suppose those kids in Larry's post are the Luxton kids? One of them was supposed to be John Forrest, the crippled brother, but Larry wasn't certain at all. If everybody else is identified, then John's the only one still missing!
 
:D We need to set up a Forrest family gallery! Those two of Jesse/Aaron - maybe @7th Mississippi Infantry can find it - there was a discussion of the two pictures with Jesse's gggranddaughter. She thinks both are of Jesse. She hasn't posted in quite a spell, though.

Do you suppose those kids in Larry's post are the Luxton kids? One of them was supposed to be John Forrest, the crippled brother, but Larry wasn't certain at all. If everybody else is identified, then John's the only one still missing!

Oh yes! I did deduce that the oldest boy in that group was most likely John Nathan Forrest. Since he was crippled after the Mexican war, he lived with his mother and stepfather, so he was included in that group of photos that were taken more or less at the same time period. Several likely on the same day. Anyway, this is very likely John Nathan Forrest, circa 1855 or so:


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Oh yes! I did deduce that the oldest boy in that group was most likely John Nathan Forrest. Since he was crippled after the Mexican war, he lived with his mother and stepfather, so he was included in that group of photos that were taken more or less at the same time period. Several likely on the same day. Anyway, this is very likely John Nathan Forrest, circa 1855 or so:


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That's John? I'd been thinking it was William, the dad, but Allie noted the clothes were wrong and besides, Papa Forrest was gone before photos were being done very much. One problem was a wrong birth date for John, which made him much younger - Larry cleared that up! Really a nice picture, isn't it? Interesting, too. It looks like he might have had the same build as his older brother - tall, deep chest, strong. The later kids seemed to be shorter and stout. I think Bedford, Fanny and John were born at Chapel Hill but the other siblings were born at the farm where the typhoid came through - could be wrong. Seems there were a lot of healthy things in the water around Chapel Hill - Forrest was remarked on for his perfect white teeth which was rare in a day with lots of dental problems.
 
The only photos of the Forrest siblings that are missing for sure, are Mary, Millie, Isaac, and Fanny Forrest - all of whom died of Typhoid in 1841. Fanny was 20 years old (twin sister of Nathan Bedford), Mary was 15, Isaac was 7, and Millie was 3.
THAT had to have been devastating to the family! I can't even imagine losing 4 kids at one time...
 
Oh... and there was a Bedford Forrest that died as a young child also, who was born in 1834 and died in 1837 (same year as their father). So, there were 5 siblings that died before the age of 21. Very sad...
 
That's John? I'd been thinking it was William, the dad, but Allie noted the clothes were wrong and besides, Papa Forrest was gone before photos were being done very much.

Photography was not being done at all in 1837. The first known photograph was made in 1839 and was experimental.
So, there would not be any photos of William Forrest. There may be a painting out there somewhere, but no photos.
 
The only photos of the Forrest siblings that are missing for sure, are Mary, Millie, Isaac, and Fanny Forrest - all of whom died of Typhoid in 1841. Fanny was 20 years old (twin sister of Nathan Bedford), Mary was 15, Isaac was 7, and Millie was 3.
THAT had to have been devastating to the family! I can't even imagine losing 4 kids at one time...

That happened in my family - 16 kids and 11 died of diphtheria. Talk about the angel of death passing by! As in Forrest's case, it made huge gaps in the line and the older kids were more like parents than siblings. I can see why William Sr headed out for Tippah County!

Just had an odd thought. Mr Luxton courting Mrs Forrest...being carefully watched by her 20-something sons! He must have passed muster very well, though. Miriam figured Bedford wouldn't be marrying as long as he had the responsibility of her and his younger brothers, so she picked a man - he was indeed waiting. He married shortly after she did.
 
@DSessom , you mentioned John was living with his mom and stepdad - was that at the plantation above Memphis? I know during the war he got crosswise with a Union soldier and was arrested - and beat up - but he didn't accompany his mom when they went to Texas? I know after the war he was living in a hotel in Memphis and didn't live very much longer - he took to drink and gambling. Seems to me his three brothers paid for his stay there - sometimes Forrest was too broke to pay anything but he always made sure John was cared for properly.
 
We need to set up a Forrest family gallery! Those two of Jesse/Aaron - maybe @7th Mississippi Infantry can find it -
I've searched all over and still can't find those. I'll keep looking and let ya know if I find anything.
They're in here somewhere, it's kind of like is it in a closet or in the attic. :bounce:
 
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I've searched all over and still can't find those. I'll keep looking and let ya know if I find anything.
There in here somewhere, it's kind of like is it in a closet or in the attic. :bounce:

Thanks! It's a fun thread. We're going to have to have a Forrest Family sub-forum! :laugh: I know...I went over the edge a long time ago! :bat:
 
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