Major Eric Forsse

Major Eric Forsse was a native of the Swedish province of Dalarne, where he was born March 4, 1819 in the parish of Malung. He served in the Swedish army for 12 years before his emigration in 1850. Coming to the country with his family, he landed at New Orleans and took steamboat up the Mississippi to St Louis where he was laod up as a cholera patient for some time. After getting well, he proceeded with his family to Galesburg and removed in turn to Knoxville, to Moline and to Bishop Hill, settling there in the winter of 1851/52 and remaining until after the colony had been resolved. As already told, The organization of a military company in 1860 of a military company which became Company D, of the 57 th Il.Vol. Infantry was the work of Eric Forrse, who served as captain from it’s inception and was given the same rank in the army. He enlisted in the summer of 1861 and mustered into service Sept. 14 th the same year. When Major Norman B. Page of the 57 th regiment fell in the Battle of Shiloh, Captain Forsse was promoted major and took his place, the commission being dated April 15, 1862. His ability was recognized by his superiors and he was sometimes called upon to command as large a force as a brigade, which was the case at Allatoona Pass. He shared the hardships and triumphs of the campaign with his regiment until after the fall of Atlanta, when he resigned together with a large number of other officers, confident that their services were little needed from that time on. Having been mustered out October 16, 1864, Major Forsse returned home, bought 160 acre farm northwest of Galva and disposed his share of the colony property at Bishop Hill. In November 1869, he sold out and removed to Saline County, Kansas. Where he bought a section of railroad land. Majpr forsse headed a party of some 50 Swedes who located at or near Falun at this time, forming the nucleas of a large and prosperous Swedish-American settlement.

When a post office was established at Falun in 1870 Forsse was made postmaster, serving all this time as township trustee and justice of the peace. In the fall of 1872 he was elected to the Kansas legislature and served as a member for one term.

Major Forsse, gallant fighter and trusted citizen, passed away on April 18, 1889. Of his family of five children, three survive, including the oldest son Olof, born July 8, 1842. He served in Company D.