Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/96

 SWEENEY

SWETT

educational system fortlie colored people of Ala- bama, and establishing several educational in- stitutions througiiout Alabama, which remained permanent. He was transferred to the regular army as colonel of the 45th infantry, July 28, iyi>6: was brevetted brigadier-general, U.S.A., for "gallant and meritorious services in the action of River's Bridge, S.C., and major-general U.S.A., for *• gallant and meritorious services during the war," March 2, ISGT. and was mustered out of volunteer service Sept. 1, 1867. He was married, Dec. 22, 1868. to Ellen, daughter of Alfred and Levina (Bate) Harris, of Louisville, Ky. General Svvayne was on duty in the war department, Washington. D.C., 1868-70; placed on there- tired li«;t of tiie regular army, at his own re- quest. July 1, 1870: practised law in Toledo, Ohio, 1^170-80; and in the latter year removed to New York city, where, in partnership with Judge John F. Dillion, he .served as general counsel for various commercial and railway companies. In 1895 his son. Noah Haynes Swayne. 2d (Yale, A.B.. 189.3, New York Law school, LL. B., 1895) was admitted to partnership in the firm under the firm name of Swayne & Swayne. General Swayne w.ts president of the OhioSociety of New York, of the New York commandery of the Loyal Legion, the American Church Missionary so- ciety, a member of the executive committee of the American Tract society, and of the board of domestic and foreign missions of the P.E. cliurch. He died in New York city, Dec. 18, 1902. SWEENEY, Thomas William, soldier, was born in Cork, Ireland, Dec. 25, 1820. He was brought to the United States in 1832, and learned the printer's trade. He joined the militia in New York, and as 2d lieutenant, 1st New York volun- teers, fought at Vera Cruz,:March 23, 1847; and was wounded at Cherubusco, and obliged to have his arm amputated. He returned to New York, was brevetted captain in the militia and presented with a silver medal by the city of New York. He was commissioned 2d lieutenant, 2d U.S. infantry, and did garrison and frontier duty in the west; was j)romoted captain, Jan. 19, 1861, and at the outbreak of the civil war, was sta- tioned in the arsenal at St. Louis. With a few men he kept .3(XXJ from carrying out a threat to capture the goverruuent munitions, b\' declaring that he would explo<le the arsenal if attacked. He assist- ed at the capture of Camp Jackson, Mo., May 11, 1861, the first movement in the west; was wounde<l at Wilson's Creek, and was appointed colonel in the U.S. volunteer army. He com- manded a brigade at Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862; where, according to Sherman's testimony, he occupied a ravine and rherked the Confederate advance, holding his position until the Federal forres ad- vanced to his support the next day. He was

again wounded in this engagement. He fought at Corinth, Oct. 3, 1862, and on the death of Gen- eral Hackleman, took command of the brigade. He was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, Nov. 29, 1862; was promoted major, U.S.A., Oct. 20, 18(53. and assigned to the 16th infantry. In Sherman's marcli to Atlanta, lie commanded the 2d division of General Dodge's corjjs of the Army of the Tennessee under McPlierson. At Resaca, Ma}- 15. 1864, he led iiis division across the river, drove out Martin's Confederate cavalry and so threatened Johnston's communications as to cause him to withdraw from the place. At the time of Hood's sortie at Atlanta, Ga., General Sweeney's division received the brunt of the at- tack, and it was largely due to his coolness that the Federal corps was not routed. During tiie engagement. General Dodge, in his excitement, gave orders directly to General Sweeney's subor- dinate officers, and this breach of military eti- quette incensed Sweeney and culminated in his be- ing court martialed and acquitted. After the cap- ture of Atlanta, he was commandant of Nashville until July, 1865; was mustered out of the volun- teer service. Aug. 24, 1865. He took an active part in tiie unfortunate Fenian invasion of Canada in 1866. Later he was reinstated in the United States army, and May 11, 1870. was retired as brigadier-general. U.S.A. He died in Astoria, L.I., N.Y., April 10, 1892.

SWETT, Leonard, lawyer, was born in Turner, Maine, Aug. 11, 1825; son of John and Remem- ber (Berry) Swett; grandson of John and Eliza- beth (Warren) Swett of Buckfield, Maine, and a great-grandson of Dr. Stephen Swett, the first physician to settle in Gorham, Maine, in 1770, who served in Col. Edmund Phinney's 31st regi- ment, 1775, and died at the age of seventy-five years. Leonard Swett worked on his father's farm, attending school in winter until 1837, when he began the study of Latin and Greek. In 1840. he entered North Yarmouth academj-, matricu- lating at Waterville college in 1842, and after a three-years' course, studied law in the office of Howard & Shepley, Portland, 1845-46. He trav- eled tiirough the South as far as New Orleans and tiien northward to Indiana, where, dis- couraged by ill success, he volunteered in the 5th Indiana regiment bound for Mexico to take part in the war. He served under Scott from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico, and was desperately ill with fever and sent with 125 other convales- cent soldiers to New Orleans on the brig Robert Morris, over forty of the number dying on the passage of thirteen days. He finally reached Bloomington, 111., where he taught school and read law. He was admitted to the bar in 1849, and began practice at Clinton near Bloomington. He rode the 8th judicial circuit with Abraham