Sublications are " Abstract of the Baron Joseph de loguiat's Considerations on the Art of War, with notes (Boston, 1817) ; " Sketch of the Bunker Hill Battle " (1818 ; 3d ed., 1827) ; " Sketches of a Few Distinguished Men of Newbury and Newburyport " SB46) ; " Who was the Commander at Bunker Hill ? with Remarks on Frothingham's ' History of the Battle,' " with an appendix (1850) ; " Defence of Col. Timothy Pickering against Bancroft's His- tory" (1859); "Original Planning and Construc- tion of Bunker Hill Monument," with engravings (Albany, 1863) ; and fugitive poems.
SWETT, William, educator, b. in Henniker,
N. H., 13 Aug., 1825 ; d. in Beverly, Mass., 25
March, 1884. He was a deaf-mute, and was gradu-
ated at the institution for deaf-mutes at Hartford,
Conn., in 1842, after which he became president of
the Gallaudet association of deaf-mutes. From
1879 till his death he was superintendent of the
New England industrial school for deaf-mutes,
which he founded in Beverly. He edited the
" Deaf-Mute's Friend," and was the author of " The
Adventures of a Deaf-Mute in the White Moun-
tains " (Henniker, 1874).
SWIFT, Benjamin, senator, b. in Amenia, N.Y.,
5 April, 1781 ; d. in St. Albans, Vt., 11 Nov., 1847.
He received an academical education, studied law,
was admitted to the bar in 1806, and began to
practise at Bennington, Vt. He removed subse-
quently to Manchester, and then to St. Albans,
where he also engaged in farming. He was a mem-
ber of the state house of representatives in 1813-'14
and 1825-'6, served in congress from Vermont for
two terms in 1827-'31, and was elected a U. S. sena-
tor from the same state, serving from 2 Dec, 1833,
till 3 March, 1839.
SWIFT, Ebenezer, surgeon, b. in Wareham,
Mass., 8 Oct., 1819 ; d. in Hamilton, Bermuda, 24
Sept., 1885. He was graduated at the medical de-
partment of the University of the city of New
York in 1842, and in March, 1847, became acting
assistant surgeon in the U. S. army. His first
service was with the army of invasion and occupa-
tion of Mexico, and he was on duty at Gen. Win-
field Scott's headquarters until July, 1848. Sub-
sequently he served at various posts in the east, in
Texas, and on expeditions against hostile Indians
until June, 1856. Meanwhile he had been made
captain and assistant surgeon on 30 Aug., 1852.
He had command of Fort Chad bourne, Tex., was
on temporary duty at Fort Columbus in New York
harbor during the prevalence of the cholera, and
accompanied the troops under Gen. Albert S. John-
ston to Utah in May, 1859. After serving' at vari-
ous stations in Missouri, Kansas, and Dakota, he
was made full surgeon on 21 May, 1861, and ap-
pointed medical director of Gen. Ormsby M. Mit-
chel's division of the Army of the Tennessee. In
December, 1862, he became medical director of that
army, and early in 1863 he was transferred to Phila-
delphia, where he was chief medical officer and
superintendent of hospitals in and around Phila-
delphia, and from November, 1863, till June, 1864,
medical director of the Department of the South.
He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel and colonel
on 13 March, 1865, and from February till June,
1865, held the office of medical director with the
ranks of lieutenant-colonel and colonel. On 20
June, 1869, he received the additional brevet of
brigadier-general for meritorious services volun-
tarily rendered during the prevalence of cholera
at Fort Harker, Kan. In 1874 he became medical
director of the Department of the South, and there-
after, until his retirement on 8 Oct., 1883, he was
assistant medical purveyor in New York city.
SWIFT, Elisha Pope, clergyman, b. in Will-
iamstown, Mass., 12 Aug., 1792 ; d. in Alleghany,
Pa., 3 April, 1865. He was graduated at Williams
in 1813, studied two years at Princeton theological
seminary, was licensed to preach by the presbytery
of New Brunswick in April, 1816, and ordained as
a Congregationalism 3 Sept., 1817. After preach-
ing in Dover and Milford, Del., he became pastor
of the 2d Presbyterian church at Pittsburg in
1819, and remained there thirteen years. He was
secretary of the Western foreign missionary society
in 1831-'5, and pastor of the 1st Presbyterian
church, Alleghany, in 1835-'65. He was a member
of the board of directors of the Western theologi-
cal seminary from its organization, and president
of the board from 1861 till his death. He estab-
lished the " Western Foreign Missionary Chronicle "
in 1833, and continued it three years. He pub-
lished " The Sacred Manual " (Pittsburg, 1821), and
sermons and addresses.
SWIFT, John White, merchant, b. in Phila-
delphia. Pa., 30 Jan., 1750 ; d. in Bucks county. Pa. r
in 1819. His father, John, was a merchant, a
common councilman in 1757-'76, and then collector
of the port of Philadelphia from 1762 till 1772.
John White was graduated at the College of Phila-
delphia in 1767, and became a merchant at Quebec.
On the approach of Gen. Richard Montgomery he
joined his command, serving as captain, and was
wounded in the assault on that place. On his re-
covery, Gen. Wooster appointed him inspector of
accounts and works at Montreal, which post he re-
signed on the adoption of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. He was purser of the ship " Empress
of China," the first vessel to enter Canton, China,
under the American flag. — His son, John, lawver.
b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 27 June, 1790; d. there, 9
June, 1873, was admitted to the bar in 1811. He
was a leader of the Whigs of Philadelphia, and
was mayor in 1832-'8, 1839-'41, and 1845-'9, win-
ning applause by the courage with which he quelled
several riots, leading the police in person.
SWIFT, Jonathan Williams, naval officer, b.
in Taunton, Mass., 30 March, 1808 ; d. in Geneva,
N. Y., 30 July, 1877. He entered the navy as mid-
shipman, 25 Aug., 1823, and cruised in the sloop
" Cyane," of the Mediterranean station, in 1823-'5,
and the frigate " Brandywine," of the Pacific sta-
tion, in 1826-'9. He became passed midshipman,
23 March, 1829, and was then on leave for four
years. He was commissioned a lieutenant, 3 March,
1831, and the next year made a short cruise in the
sloop " John Adams " in the Mediterranean. After
this he was on leave and waiting orders until his
death, except for a short cruise in the steamer
" Fulton " on the Home station in 1840, and was
placed on the reserved list by the action of the
board of retirement, 14 Sept., 1855. He was pro-
moted to commodore on the retired list, 4 April,
1867, and resided at Geneva, N. Y., until his death.
SWIFT, Joseph Gardner, soldier, b. in Nantucket, Mass., 31 Dec, 1783; d. in Geneva, N. Y., 23 July, 1865. He was a descendant of Thomas Swift, one of the first settlers of Dorchester, Mass., in 1630, and his father, Dr. Foster Swift, was a surgeon in the U. S. army. Joseph was educated
at Bristol academy, Taunton, Mass., and was the first graduate of the U. S. military academy, 12 Oct., 1802. He entered the army as 2d lieutenant of engineers, and was promoted captain in October, 1806, and major, 23 Feb., 1808. He was aide to Gen. William Pinckney in 1812, became lieutenant-colonel, 6 Julv, 1812, and colonel and principal engineer, 31 July, 1812. He was chief engineer in planning the defences of New York harbor in
