Gen. Forney was elected as a member to the House of Commons from 1794 to 1796 inclusively, and to the State Senate in 1801 and 1802.  He was again called out from the shades of private life and elected as a Representative to Congress from 1813 to 1815.  He also served as Elector in the Presidential campaigns of Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Jackson.  With these repeated evidences of popular favor his public services ended.  Frequent solicitations were tendered to him afterwards, all of which he declined.  The infirmities of old age were now rapidly stealing upon him, and rendering him unfit for the proper discharge of public duties.  For several years previous to his decease his mental vigor and corporeal strength greatly failed.  After a short illness, without visible pain or suffering, he quietly breathed his last on February 1st, 1834, in the seventy-eighth year of his age.  Generosity, candor, integrity and freedom from pride or vain show were prominent traits in his character.  Let his name and his deeds and his sterling virtues be duly appreciated and faithfully imitated by the rising generation.

MAJOR ABRAM FORNEY.

Major Abram Forney, youngest son of Jacob Forney, Sr., was born in Tryon county, (now Lincoln) in October, 1758.  His father was a Huguenot, and his mother Swiss.  His origin is thus connected with a noble race of people who were driven into exile rather than renounce their religious belief under the persecutions which disgraced the reign of Louis XIV, of France.  Major Forney first entered the service about the 25th of June, 1776, as one of the drafted militia in Capt.  James Johnston’s company, and Col.  William Graham’s regiment.  His company was then ordered to reinforce the troops at Fort McFadden, near the present town of Rutherfordton, and remained there until about the 1st of August, when he returned home to prepare for the expedition against the Cherokee Indians.  The militia of Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln and other counties were called out by orders from Gen. Rutherford, who marched to Pleasant Gardens, where he was joined by other forces.  From that place Major Forney marched into the Nation with a detachment under Col.  William Sharpe as far as the Hiwassee river, where they met with a portion of Gen. Williamson’s army from South Carolina.  The expedition was completely successful; the Indians were routed, their towns destroyed, a few prisoners taken, and they were compelled to sue for peace.  The prisoners and property taken by Gen. Rutherford’s forces were turned over to Gen. Williamson, as falling within his military jurisdiction.  The expedition then left the Nation, and he reached home on the 13th of October, 1776.