Biography

09/17/1777 - 05/28/1863

Brigadier General Jonathan (John) Forster (Federalist no district) Dauphin County, 1814-1815 (Federalist6) Dauphin and Lebanon Counties, 1815-1818 

Early Life:

Brigadier General Jonathan (John) Forster, born September 17, 1777, Paxtang Township, Lancaster County (now Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County), Pennsylvania; son of John Forster and Catharine Dickey, subscription education; attended Princeton; left school participated, Whiskey Rebellion, 1794; read law; captain, Pennsylvania State Militia; colonel, War of 1812, brigadier general, defense Baltimore, 1814; elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1814-1818; engaged, banking; married, Catharine Dickey Forster, 1838, children, Dorcas Forster Bell, Margaret Forster Steuart, Captain Harry Forster; remarried, Margaret Snodgrass; died, May 28, 1863 (aged 85) interment, Harrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career:

Read law with John Andre Hanna but never applied for admission to the local bar; appointed captain, Pennsylvania State Militia; colonel, War of 1812, brigadier general, defense Baltimore, 1814; cashier, Harrisburg Bank, sixteen years; established, Bank of Lewistown; cashier, Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh; president, Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh at Hollidaysburg.

Pennsylvania Politics: 

Elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, Dauphin County, 1814-1815.

Elected, Federalist, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, Dauphin and Lebanon Counties, 1815-1818.

Legacy:

Forster Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is named in his honor.

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members F". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project Wilkes University.

Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania) Saturday, June 06, 1863, page 2.

Gen John Forster (1777-1863) - Find a Grave Memorial