The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-03-14
retained as prisoner at Andsrsonvills ana
Florence for 10 months. He has sincs been
both doctor aud journalist.
OBITUARY.
Edwin Forbes.


Our readers viii learn with regret Of tbs
death, at his home in Brooklyn. y Y ON
the 9th of March, of Edwin Forbes Tho
author and artist to whose L" ARMY sketch
Book - recently offered to subscribers IN Tu.
NATIONAL TRIBUNE. they have owed 40
much pleasure With the death Of Mr..
Forbes there passes away one Of the few
really great artists Of the war. and perhaps
the only one who was constantly al the 'front.'
during the entire four years Of lighting lie
was born in 1889, and became student Of
animal painting. In 1859 he entered tho
studio OF A. T.. TAFT, one of the foremost
animal painters of this country; but on the
breaking out Of the war he at once went TO
the front as the special artist Of Frank
Leslie's. A large part of the publication now
known "a 1.-The Soldier in the Civil War"
consists of engravings after the sketches mado
by Edwin Forbes. But the exigencies Of
journalism, and especially of illustrated
journalism, led to the use Of only the mora
sensational portions Of the work done By Mr.
Forbes, and the condition of wood engraving
IN this country 80 years ago resulted in
series Of views which was neither complete
nor we'll executed. Conscious Of the extent
of the opportunity before him of chronicling
In literal and accurate pictures all the phases
Il
satisfied merely to send on to his publ hers
few incomprehensible battle scenes. but no
was interchangeable in sketching everything
that could in later years throw light on tho
life Of the soldier in camp and on the march
as well as in active combat. Consequently
he brought home from the war great mass
of sketches of ineStimable value both to the
curious student Of tho war and to tho
strategiSt to whom accurate pictorial repre-
sensations OF the disposition OF troops became
Of indispensable utility. Many disputed
questions concerning the events Of the war
have been decided by reference to the ma
terial thus put on paper by this indelatigabls
observer
The first use Mr. Forbes made Of this valu-
able material was the execution Of a series Of
go large etchings, which he published under
the title of Life Studies of the Great Army"
These were completed in time to be exhibited
at the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 and tho
artist was awarded a gold medal for them.
Their excellence as etchings was Immediately
recognized by the election Of the etcher as an
honorary member Of the etching societies Of
London and Paris. And all the great army
officers then living, led off by Grant, sherman
and Sheridan, attested their tTuthfulness a.
absolute pictures of the familiar scenes Of
in terms of unstinted admiration. The first
set Of proofs from the original plates was al
once subscribed for by the Government and
it to-day occupies the place of honor on the
walls of the War Department.
The great popularity Of this series Of so
etchings led to a demand for an edition Of
them which could become the property OF
those who could not afford the $50 to 500 10
was necessary to charge for them. So Mr..
Forbes took the Life Studies" as a basis
and added to them many illustrations from
his c0piOus note books and, with descriptive
text explaining the subjects of bis pencil,
produced The Army Sketch Book" 1t was
the good fortune of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
to be able to make arrangements to place the
20 numbers comprising the Sketch Book with
in the reach Of its subscribers at the almost
nominal price of 10 cents a number, or 81 for
the whole work, Of which part, as already
stated, originally sold for $50 to $780, On
the completion of the work the coupon by
which our subscribers could obtain il was
withdrawn. But in view of the renewed in
tereSt excited by the death Of the artist-aBthOr
we have now arranged to continue the offer to
our subscribers, who NAV obtain through Us
the parts from. l to 20, at 10 cents each,
with or without coupons. Mr.. Forbes was
deeply interested, previous to his death, in
the measure before the late Congress for the
purchase by the Government OF all the wax
material contained in his sketch books which
would be q National monument of untold
value The matter will undoubtedly DO
pressed with the next Congress, to which We
may look for more patriotic impulses than
were discernible with a microscope in the
ridiculous body which has. fortunately, lust
adjourned. 1t lends an additional interest to
the remarkable drawings and etchings pro-
dueed by Mr.. Forbes, to know that, having
suffered the loss of his right arm, his work
was entirely accomplished with the left hand.
Only indonitable determination and true ar
tistic genius could have overcome this OBJ
staele to artistic success.