The Hero or Goat of Beecher Island?

The legacy of Gen. George Forsyth’s leadership in the famous battle remains controversial over 150 years later.

- KENT F. FRATES

Legendary Northern Cheyenne warrior Roman Nose’s famous charge across the Arickaree River against Maj. George A. Forsyth’s scouts entrenched on Beecher Island not only failed but led to his death, as he was mortally wounded in the skirmish the Indians named the Fight Where Roman Nose was Killed.- Rufus F Zogbaum, True West Archives

George “Sandy” Forsyth was a hardcharging cavalry officer—tough, brave and aggressive. He was also stubborn to a fault and willing to push his men to the limits of their endurance. Forsyth compiled an impressive combat record during the Civil War, but it was as an Indian fighter that he earned his fame and became known as the “Hero of Beecher Island.” In many ways, Forsyth was a hero, but some of his heroics occurred because of the bull-headed tactics that placed him and his men in desperate situations.

Born in Muncey, Pennsylvania, in 1837, Forsyth as a young man moved to Chicago, where he trained to be a lawyer. He volunteered to fight for the Union in 1861 and served with distinction throughout the Civil War, rising to the permanent rank of major and the brevet rank of brigadier general. Forsyth led cavalry troops in many hard-fought, bloody battles. During the course of the war, he contracted typhoid fever and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Brandy Station. He ended the war as a member of Gen. Phillip Sheridan’s staff. Forsyth’s association with Sheridan would propel the remainder of his military career.