Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/33

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SWINTON
SWORDS

cles to the " Times," afterward accepted an edito- rial place on that paper, and soon became manag- ing editor. During the absences of Henry J. Ray- mond he had the sole control, and wrote a large number of the leading articles. He resigned the post of managing editor at the close of the war, on account of impaired health, but continued his connection with the journal as an editorial writer till the death of Mr. Raymond. Subsequently he was managing editor of the New York " Sun." He became a leader in the movement for labor-re- forms, and in 1883 severed his connection with the "Sun "in order to expound his political and social views in a weekly journal that he called "John Swinton's Paper," which he ceased to publish in 1887. Besides other pamphlets, he has published "New Issue: the Chinese - American Question" (New York, 1870), and also a " Eulogy on Henry J. Raymond" (1870); "John Swinton's Travels" (1880) ; and an " Oration on John Brown " (1881). — His brother, William, author, b. in Salton, Scot- land, 23 April, 1833, was educated at Knox college, Toronto, and at Amherst, with the intention of be- coming a Presbyterian minister, and in 1853 began to preach, but adopted the profession of teaching. He was professor of ancient and modern languages at the Edgeworth female seminary, Greensborough, N. C, in 1853-4, and afterward went to New York city to take a professorship in Mt. Washington col- legiate institute. While in the south he contrib- uted to "Putnam's Monthly" some critical and philosophical articles, and a series of etymological studies that were afterward published under the title of " Rambles among Words : their Poetry and Wisdom " (New York, 1859 ; London, 1861). Hav- ing previously contributed articles to the New York " Times," he was taken on the staff of that journal in 1858, and in 1862 went to the seat of war as a correspondent. He was equipped for this work by close study of military art, and he discussed tacti- cal movements with such freedom that in 1864 Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, whom he had criticised in his letters, procured an order for his exclusion from the camps of the army. He also, at a later date, in- curred the displeasure of Gen. Grant. In 1867 he travelled through the southern states and collected material for a history of the war from the military and civil leaders of the Confederacy. Returning to the office of the " Times," he resumed the work of literary criticism, in which province he had gained a reputation before he became a war-cor- respondent. Before abandoning journalism, he published in newspaper articles and in a pamphlet an exposure of the machinations of railroad finan- ciers to procure subsidies. In 1869 he became pro- fessor of belles-lettres in the University of Cali- fornia, where he remained for five years. Subse- quently he made Brooklyn, N. Y., his residence, devoting himself to the composition of educational works, most of which were widely adopted in pub- lic and private schools. For a series of these, which cover most of the studies pursued in schools, he re- ceived a gold medal at the Paris exposition of 1867 " for educational works of remarkable originality and value." His principal military works are " The ' Times's ' Review of McClellan : his Military Ca- reer Reviewed and Exposed" (1864); "Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac : a Critical History of Operations in Virginia, Maryland, and Penn- sylvania" (1866; revised ed., 1886) ; "The Twelve Decisive Battles of the War : a History of the East- ern and Western Campaigns in Relation to the Actions that Decided their Issue" (1867); and " History of the New York Seventh Regiment dur- ing the War of the Rebellion " (Boston, 1870).


SWISSHELM, Jane Grey, b. near Pittsburg, Pa., 6 Sept., 1815; d. in Swissvale, Pa., 22 July, 1884. When she was eight years of age her father, James Cannon, died, leaving a family in straitened circumstances. The daughter worked at manual labor and teaching till she was twenty-one, when she married James Swisshelm, who several years afterward obtained a divorce on the ground of desertion. Two years later she removed with her husband to Louisville, Ky. In this city she became an outspoken opponent of slavery, and her first written attack upon the system appeared in the Louisville “Journal” in 1842. She also wrote articles favoring abolition and woman's rights in the “Spirit of Liberty,” of Pittsburg, for about four years. In 1848 she established the Pittsburg “Saturday Visitor,” a strong abolition and woman's rights paper, which, in 1856, was merged with the weekly edition of the Pittsburg “Journal.” In 1857 she went to St. Cloud, Minn., and established the St. Cloud “Visitor.” Her bold utterances caused a mob to destroy her office and its contents, and to throw her printing-press into the river. But she soon began to publish the St. Cloud “Democrat.” When Abraham Lincoln was nominated for the presidency, she spoke and wrote in his behalf and for the principles of which he was the representative. When the civil war began and nurses were wanted at the front, she was one of the first to respond. After the battle of the Wilderness she had charge of 182 badly wounded men at Fredericksburg for five days, without surgeon or assistant, and saved them all. She was a prolific writer for newspapers and magazines, and published “Letters to Country Girls” (New York, 1853), and an autobiography entitled “Half of a Century” (1881).


SWORD, James Brade, painter, b. in Phila- delphia, Pa., 11 Oct., 1839. His early life was spent in China, and he subsequently travelled extensive- ly in the United States, sketching, and also in the service of the government surveys. During 1861-'2 he studied under Christian Schussele at the Penn- sylvania academy. He has been president of the Philadelphia society of artists since 1878, and di- rector of the art club since 1887. His works in- clude " Quail Shooting," " Peep into Lake George," " Trenton Falls," " Silver-Thread Falls," " Mystery of the Sea," and " Something in the Wind."


SWORDS, Robert Smith, author, b. in New York city, 12 July, 1816 ; d. in Newark, N. J., 15 Jan., 1881. He was graduated at Columbia in 1834, and after studying law for three years with Daniel Lord was admitted to the bar. Soon after this he formed a partnership with Sylvester Ward which lasted ten years, when he retired from the practice of his profession, in the mean time serving during several years as judge-advocate for the city of New York. In 1849 he settled on Passaic river, opposite Belleville, N. J., and while living there was for twelve years a magistrate for Union town- ship. Although an earnest Democrat and an op- ponent of the administration of President Lincoln, he placed his services at the disposal of the govern- ment, in August, 1862, was commissioned lieuten- ant-colonel of the 13th New Jersey volunteers, and was with his regiment in the battles of Antietam and South Mountain, being wounded in the former engagement. He resigned in 1863 and removed to Newark, N. J., where he afterward resided. For many years he was secretary of the Board of trade of Newark, and he was corresponding secretary of the New Jersey state agricultural society, treasurer of the New Jersey society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and treasurer of the Board of