Born in Whitefield, New Hampshire in May of 1823, John G. Foster entered the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, at the age of 18, graduating fourth in the Class of 1846. He was in the Corp of Engineers fighting in the war with Mexico, when he was severely wounded in the leg while leading the storming column in the assault on Molino del Ray. At the start of the Civil War, Captain Foster was in charge of the fortifications of Charleston harbor, South Carolina. At the signs of the beginning rebellion, he transferred his troops at Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, where he surrendered. The famous photo showing the nine officers of Fort Sumter, including Major Anderson, shows a middle aged Captain Foster seated on the far right. On October 23, 1861 he was appointed Brigadier-General of US Volunteers, being in charge of the Massachusetts brigade (including the 25th Mass) of Burnside's North Carolina Expedition force. When General Burnside transferred North in the summer of 1862, Foster, with the Eighteenth Army Corps, was placed in command of the Department of North Carolina. For his successes at Roanoke and New Berne and for organizing and carrying out the raids on Goldsborough and Washington, Foster was appointed Major-General Volunteers on July 18, 1862.
Of Gen. Foster...
While our force was on the Tarboro march we was on short rations & the men was allowed to forage to get food. One old lady appealed to Gen Foster for protection for her property calling us "dam yankee sons of biches." Gen Foster quietly drew his revolver telling her he could not alow any harlat to call his men sons of biches & that his men came out to fight not to protect secesionests and his men must have something to eat and he knew of no better way for them to do than to take it where they could find it. Another of his sayings was Now boys don't take any thing that you cannot reach.
From the 1863 day diary of Sylvester Haynes, Co. F, 25th Mass Vols. (Collection of John N. Ockerbloom).
Foster was later given command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, being headquartered at Fort Monroe. He led a force to relieve General Burnside at the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee, before taking command of the Department of Ohio on 12 December 1863. He ended the war again in charge of the Department of the South, until relieved by General Gillmore. General Foster retired to Nashua, New Hampshire, where he died on September 2, 1874.