In the winter of 1794, a dedicated public servant, Marshal Robert Forsyth, met a sudden and violent end in Augusta, Georgia. At forty years old, Forsyth, a male who had honorably served as a Captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, was one of the original thirteen U.S. Marshals appointed by President George Washington. His respectable career also included roles as a justice of the peace and a trustee of Richmond Academy.
On the fateful day of January 11, 1794,
Marshal Forsyth, accompanied by two of his deputies, arrived at a residence in Augusta to serve civil court papers to a man named Beverly Allen. Allen, described in a contemporary newspaper as a man of 'vile' character, retreated to an upstairs room, refusing to comply. As Marshal Forsyth approached the closed door and knocked, Allen fired a pistol through the door, the bullet striking Forsyth in the head and killing him instantly.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Beverly Allen was apprehended for the murder of the esteemed marshal. However, justice for Marshal Forsyth would remain elusive. Allen managed to escape from custody not once, but twice, and successfully fled the state of Georgia, never to be recaptured by the authorities. It is believed that he lived out the remainder of his life under an assumed name in Logan County, Kentucky, where he practiced medicine and passed away in 1817. Marshal Forsyth's death marked a somber milestone in American history as he became the first U.S. federal law enforcement officer to be killed in the line of duty. He was survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom, John Forsyth, would go on to have a distinguished political career as the Governor of Georgia and U.S. Secretary of State.
