In 1861 Dewitt C. Forrest enlisted in the Civil War when he turned sixteen years old. He served in Battalion C First New York Volunteers Light Artillery. Forrest fought at the Battle of Gettysburg and was later stationed on Capital Hill where he guarded the White House and other federal buildings. He moved to Forest County in the early 1900’s and served as a Justice of the Peace and as County Court Commissioner for many years (Forest Republican 1927).