I’m a little late on the Memorial Day “blog about your ancestor who served in the military” meme. But my wife happened to search Google Books this morning for my 4th great-Grandfather Benjamin Swetland, and she came across a nice find. The Connecticut DAR published a book entitled “Chapter Sketches: Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution; Patriots’ Daughters” in 1904.
Beginning on page 250, there’s an article highlighting Benjamin Swetland’s life and military career. Among some of the highlights:
- Benjamin served as a fife major in the Third Massachusetts Regiment during the revolutionary war
- He claims to have been an “Eye Witness” to “the Surrender of Gen. Burgoin at Saratoga in the year 1777″
- He copied a tune for the fife entitled “God Save The Congress” — a patriotic version of “God Save the King” into his roster book.
- He later composed “A New Song”, which implored the government to “shake off your slothfulness” and give the “brave boys” the support they needed.
- A musket he carried during the war and warming pan belonging to him were in the possession of a Mrs. William G. Mayer of Waterville, NY as of 1904.
- Benjamin’s Roster Book, from which some of the images in this post originated, was evidently presented to the Chicago Historical Society at some point.
We’d encountered a number of sources discussing Benjamin and his descendants before, but this one provided details we’d not been aware of previously. Sounds like a visit to the Chicago Historical Society should be on our agenda soon!
Bibliographic details from Google Books:
Chapter Sketches: Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution; Patriots' Daughters By Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Philotheta Root, Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution Published by Connecticut chapters, Daughters of the American revolution, 1904 Original from the New York Public Library Digitized Feb 26, 2008 390 pages
Tags: Dean's Genealogy