Hugh Forbes (soldier)

Hugh Forbes
Bornc. 1808 
Died22 July 1892  (aged 83–84)
Signature

Hugh Forbes (c. 1808–22 July 1892[1]), known in Italy as Ugo Forbes, was an English mercenary involved in the revolutions of 1848 in the Italian states as a part of Giuseppe Garibaldi's forces, the preparation for John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, and later, the Sicilian Expedition of the Thousand (1860), again under Garibaldi.[2]

Forbes was hired by John Brown to help train the group that would eventually execute the 1859 raid in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He first met Brown in New York, and helped train John Brown's raiders in Tabor, Iowa in 1857, being paid a total of $600 for his services. However, a personal falling out with Brown over strategy and money led Forbes to reveal some of his plans to U.S. Senators William H. Seward and Henry Wilson before the raid.[3]

As a participant in the Italian wars of unification, Forbes wrote several works encouraging nationalist revolutionary activity throughout Europe. Among these are his Manual for the patriotic volunteer on active service in regular and irregular war, which was printed in both English and Italian and circulated among Italian nationalists and radical abolitionists in the United States. In 1862, he attempted to publish a weekly journal aimed at volunteer militias, which was largely unsuccessful.[4] In 1864, he would also publish a pamphlet on Polish nationalism.[4] He appeared to have a friendship with George W. M. Reynolds, who would help promote his works.[4] Forbes' family believes him to have written several letters published in Reynolds's Newspaper in the 1860s, under the pseudonym Gracchus.[4]

Publications

  • Manual for the patriotic volunteer on active service in regular and irregular war (New York: W. H. Tinson, 1855, in two volumes. 2nd ed.)[5][6]
    • Published as an abridged single volume, Extracts from the manual for the patriotic volunteer (New York: W. H. Tinson, 1857).[7]
    • Published in Italian as Compendio del volontario patriottico tanto in guerra regolare che in guerra irregolare (Napoli: Stamperia Nazionale, 1860)[8]

Notes

  1. ^ "Forbes, Hugh". House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College. Dickinson College. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  2. ^ Ilari, Virgilio; Castelli, Viviana (2021). ""Italianissimo but not simpatico". Hugh Forbes nella rivoluzione italiana del 1848-49". Nuova Antologia Militare (in Italian). 2 (7). doi:10.36158/978889295190712. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  3. ^ Talbott, Tim (8 November 2009). "Random Thoughts on History: John Brown's Hired Martial Help: Hugh Forbes". Random Thoughts on History. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Dixon, David (13 July 2022). "Radical Rakes: The Friendship of G. W. M. Reynolds and Hugh Forbes". G. W. M. Reynolds Society. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  5. ^ Forbes, Hugh (1855). Manual for the Patriotic Volunteer on Active Service in Regular and Irregular War. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: T. H. Tinson. ISBN 9780598904485. Retrieved 23 November 2025. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  6. ^ Forbes, Hugh (1855). Manual for the Patriotic Volunteer on Active Service in Regular and Irregular War. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: T. H. Tinson. ISBN 9780598904492. Retrieved 23 November 2025. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  7. ^ Forbes, Hugh (1857). Extracts from the manual for the patriotic volunteer. Harvard University. New York: T. H. Tinson.
  8. ^ Forbes, Hugh (1860). Compendio del volontario patriottico tanto in guerra regolare che in guerra irregolare (in Italian). Napoli: Stamp. nazionale.

See also

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