Joseph Gardner Swift
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gardner Swift, the first graduate of the United States Military Academy
, was born on 31 December 1783 on Nantucket Island, the son of Foster Swift and his wife, Deborah. At the age of six, he saw George Washington
on Boston Common
, an experience that made an indelible impression on him.
, where Joseph became the student of Reverend Samuel Daggat, who prepared him to enter Harvard College
. Swift had read accounts of the American Revolution
in his father’s diary and heard stories from a family friend, Major General David Cobb
. With Cobb’s advice and assistance, Swift was appointed by President John Adams
on 12 May 1800 as a cadet of artillerists and engineers. He reported for duty a month later at Newport Harbor
.
In the summer of 1801, Secretary of War Henry Dearborn
notified the Army
that President Thomas Jefferson
had directed the establishment of a military academy at West Point, New York
. Swift reported to the academy on 14 October 1801. On 15 December 1801, then-Major Jonathan Williams
took command and several months later became the first Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy
. The Academy was established by law on 16 March 1802. Swift progressed well and was considered by Williams to be the foremost cadet. After a thorough examination, Swift became the first graduate of the Academy on 12 October 1802. Simon Maruder Levy was the only other graduate in 1802.
in North Carolina
. In January 1805 he became the commander of Fort Johnson, North Carolina.
Swift returned to West Point in 1807 and took command of the Academy in Williams' absence. He remained there until 23 November of that year, when the Academy was closed for the winter vacation. Swift was promoted to Major
in February 1808 and assigned to lead the defenses of the Eastern Department covering the New England
coast. He was assigned with Joseph Gilbert Totten
and Sylvanus Thayer
, also graduates of West Point. Once again, Swift was assigned to his old station at the mouth of the Cape Fear River
where he was charged with superintending and inspecting southern coast defenses until 1812.
In July 1812, Williams resigned as Chief Engineer of the Army, and Swift, then a lieutenant colonel and the next senior Engineer in the Army, assumed command. His appointment as Colonel and Chief Engineer of the Army, to rank as such from 31 July 1812, was unanimously confirmed in December 1812.
Pending his confirmation, Swift was ordered back to superintend the defenses of North Carolina. Before leaving Washington, he sent orders to Captain Alden Partridge
, the senior Engineer officer at West Point, to open the Military Academy (then practically defunct) in the coming spring. Swift, upon becoming Chief Engineer of the Army and Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, was 30 years old.
In March 1813, Swift was called to Washington and consulted with the Secretary of War on the application of large appropriations for fortifications. He then reported to New York City to supervise the fortification process and act in his capacity as the Chief Engineer and Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy.
As Superintendent, he made frequent trips to West Point, and made plans for a new mess hall, academic building, and South Barracks. He also obtained authority to employ an acting chaplain to be Professor of Ethics, History, and Geography; remodeled the functions of the academic staff; and assumed the duties of the inspector of the institution to bar the assumption of authority claimed by Partridge as local commander.
With the repairs of New York Harbor completed and fortifications against the British fleet in place, Swift requested orders for the field. He became the Chief Engineer of the Northern Army under Major General James Wilkinson
. This took him to the ill-fated St. Lawrence Campaign but also won him a citation for gallantry in the battle of Chrysler's Farm. He was breveted a brigadier general on 19 February 1814.
The Secretary of War refused Swift further field service on the grounds that the coast defenses required his attention. Swift was sent to New York where, in conjunction with the Committee of Safety, he established plans for the development of the coasts of New York and Brooklyn and supervised the thousands of volunteers who worked on the project. The Corporation of New York voted him a Benefactor to the City as a result of these services.
tactics, to reduce the Army to a peacetime establishment, and later, with Colonel George Bomford
, to rebuild the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., which had been destroyed by the British in the War of 1812
.
Shortly after the war, Congress authorized the President to employ Brigadier General Simon Bernard
of the French Army, a distinguished engineer under Napoleon, as an assistant in the Corps of Engineers. He was placed at the head of the Board of Engineers while Swift became solely Superintendent of the Military Academy. Swift protested the admission of foreigners into the American military, who in the event of war might become enemies. However, Bernard stayed on the Board of Engineers until 1831.
As Superintendent, Swift recommended sending two Engineer officers to Europe to examine French and Dutch fortifications and to purchase books to form a library at West Point. It was also hoped that one of them would replace him as Superintendent. Swift also secured a loan from Jacob Barker
, a rich Quaker merchant, because no government appropriations were available. Swift saved the institution from abandonment when he personally arranged a $65,000 loan at 7% interest.
For some time, Swift remained in local command at West Point, and in January 1817, proceeded to Washington to present his grievances to President James Madison
. This resulted in Swift’s resuming his position in Washington at the head of the Corps of Engineers and leaving Bernard without any military control.
Swift accompanied newly elected President James Monroe
on his trip to examine the northern states and during the seven-week excursion was able to study the battlefields of the American Revolution
and the War of 1812
, as well as inspect arsenals, Navy yards and fortifications, and study the capacity of the country for defense. He also examined institutions of learning, particularly the Military Academy, in which Monroe was very interested.
At the time of this visit to West Point, it was decided that Partridge would be replaced by then-Major Sylvanus Thayer, who became Superintendent of the Academy on 28 July 1817. The Presidential tour continued to Maine
, and Swift and a joint board of Army and Navy officers examined fortifications from Penobscot, Maine
, to Connecticut
. He also traveled to the Chesapeake Bay
area and chose a site for a Navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia
.
In 1818, just before leaving the military, Swift’s main duties were in Virginia
. He studied the northern tributaries of the Chesapeake
and made his last inspection of the Military Academy in September 1818. He was engaged with Governeur Kemble and four others in establishing the West Point Foundry
at Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson
. After contemplating civilian life for more than two years, he submitted his resignation on 12 November 1818, reserving all his rights as a brevet brigadier general in the Army, to be called into service in the event of war. He maintained this status until his death.
Soon after he left the Army, Swift was asked by the Corps of Engineers to sit for a portrait in his honor. The portrait, painted by Sully, was hung in the Library at the Academy upon its completion and hangs there today.
to superintend the plan to open the Morris Canal
improvement. In 1822 he was one of the three Commissioners to regulate the streets and drainage of the eastern part of the City of New York
. In 1825, he was appointed as a commissioner to determine the capacity of the Bronx
and Croton River
s to supply New York City with pure water.
Unfortunately, Swift’s office duties and other interests did not prevent him from venturing into the business dealings of Wall Street
. In 1825, he was elected vice president of a life and trust insurance company. The company failed, and all of its members were indicted for a conspiracy to defraud the state. Swift was acquitted but suffered the loss of all of his property. Deprived of the means to support his family, Swift decided to move to a small farm belonging to his wife in Haywood County, Tennessee, where he built a small cabin and began growing cotton. Finding the title to his plantation defective and his children suffering from the weather, Swift returned to New York. He returned to civil engineering and the following year took charge of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad in Maryland
.
In March 1829, he became the superintendent of the harbor improvements on Lake Ontario
and held this position for sixteen years. While the lake works were suspended in the winter of 1829, Swift took charge of the construction of the railroad from New Orleans
to Lake Pontchartrain
, five miles long through a dense swamp considered impassable, which could neither be drained nor piled. This was one of the pioneer railroads of the south, and it is believed the first in America upon which iron edge rails were used.
In 1832, Swift succeeded Benjamin Wright
as Chief Engineer of the New York and Harlem Railroad
, but interference from the Board of Directors caused him to resign.
, and Hobart College
elected him Professor of Engineering and Statistics. Though he declined this honor, he accepted the membership offered to him in the Society of Statistics of Paris, France, and took a great interest in statistical and educational matters. In 1833, Swift was asked to present his views on how far the West Point system of discipline and instruction could be adapted to a university to be established in the City of New York. In 1834, he proposed a plan to Governor William L. Marcy
for normal school
s and advised the school system to secure the services of Professor Horace Webster
as Superintendent of the Free Academy, which later became the College of the City of New York
.
in Geneva next to his wife, who had died in Geneva on 15 November 1855. Six of their children are also buried there:
Also buried there are three of their daughters-in-law and one of their grandsons.
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, was born on 31 December 1783 on Nantucket Island, the son of Foster Swift and his wife, Deborah. At the age of six, he saw George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
on Boston Common
Boston Common
Boston Common is a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street,...
, an experience that made an indelible impression on him.
Early Life and education
In 1792, the Swifts moved to Taunton, MassachusettsTaunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, where Joseph became the student of Reverend Samuel Daggat, who prepared him to enter Harvard College
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Swift had read accounts of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in his father’s diary and heard stories from a family friend, Major General David Cobb
David Cobb (Massachusetts)
David Cobb was a Massachusetts physician, military officer, jurist, and politician who served as a U.S. Congressman for the At-large District of Massachusetts.-Biography:...
. With Cobb’s advice and assistance, Swift was appointed by President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
on 12 May 1800 as a cadet of artillerists and engineers. He reported for duty a month later at Newport Harbor
Newport Harbor
- Geography :* Newport Beach, California* Newport Harbor High School, in Newport Beach, Orange County, California* Newport Harbor Light, in Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Pembrokeshire...
.
In the summer of 1801, Secretary of War Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn was an American physician, a statesman and a veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Born to Simon Dearborn and Sarah Marston in North Hampton, New Hampshire, he spent much of his youth in Epping, where he attended public schools...
notified the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
that President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
had directed the establishment of a military academy at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. Swift reported to the academy on 14 October 1801. On 15 December 1801, then-Major Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams (engineer)
Jonathan Williams , American businessman, military figure, politician and writer.Williams was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin...
took command and several months later became the first Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy
Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its Superintendent. This position is roughly equivalent to the chancellor or president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is by tradition a graduate of the United States Military Academy, commonly known as "West...
. The Academy was established by law on 16 March 1802. Swift progressed well and was considered by Williams to be the foremost cadet. After a thorough examination, Swift became the first graduate of the Academy on 12 October 1802. Simon Maruder Levy was the only other graduate in 1802.
1802-1814
Swift remained at West Point until 30 April 1804, and in June of that year, became the superintending engineer of the construction of the defenses of the mouth of the Cape Fear RiverCape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. In January 1805 he became the commander of Fort Johnson, North Carolina.
Swift returned to West Point in 1807 and took command of the Academy in Williams' absence. He remained there until 23 November of that year, when the Academy was closed for the winter vacation. Swift was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in February 1808 and assigned to lead the defenses of the Eastern Department covering the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast. He was assigned with Joseph Gilbert Totten
Joseph Gilbert Totten
Joseph Gilbert Totten fought in the War of 1812, served as Chief Engineer and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences.-Early life and education:...
and Sylvanus Thayer
Sylvanus Thayer
Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer also known as "the Father of West Point" was an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point and an early advocate of engineering education in the United States.-Biography:Thayer was born in Braintree, Massachusetts,...
, also graduates of West Point. Once again, Swift was assigned to his old station at the mouth of the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
where he was charged with superintending and inspecting southern coast defenses until 1812.
In July 1812, Williams resigned as Chief Engineer of the Army, and Swift, then a lieutenant colonel and the next senior Engineer in the Army, assumed command. His appointment as Colonel and Chief Engineer of the Army, to rank as such from 31 July 1812, was unanimously confirmed in December 1812.
Pending his confirmation, Swift was ordered back to superintend the defenses of North Carolina. Before leaving Washington, he sent orders to Captain Alden Partridge
Alden Partridge
Alden Partridge, was an American author, legislator, officer, surveyor, an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and a controversial pioneer in U.S...
, the senior Engineer officer at West Point, to open the Military Academy (then practically defunct) in the coming spring. Swift, upon becoming Chief Engineer of the Army and Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, was 30 years old.
In March 1813, Swift was called to Washington and consulted with the Secretary of War on the application of large appropriations for fortifications. He then reported to New York City to supervise the fortification process and act in his capacity as the Chief Engineer and Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy.
As Superintendent, he made frequent trips to West Point, and made plans for a new mess hall, academic building, and South Barracks. He also obtained authority to employ an acting chaplain to be Professor of Ethics, History, and Geography; remodeled the functions of the academic staff; and assumed the duties of the inspector of the institution to bar the assumption of authority claimed by Partridge as local commander.
With the repairs of New York Harbor completed and fortifications against the British fleet in place, Swift requested orders for the field. He became the Chief Engineer of the Northern Army under Major General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...
. This took him to the ill-fated St. Lawrence Campaign but also won him a citation for gallantry in the battle of Chrysler's Farm. He was breveted a brigadier general on 19 February 1814.
The Secretary of War refused Swift further field service on the grounds that the coast defenses required his attention. Swift was sent to New York where, in conjunction with the Committee of Safety, he established plans for the development of the coasts of New York and Brooklyn and supervised the thousands of volunteers who worked on the project. The Corporation of New York voted him a Benefactor to the City as a result of these services.
1814-1818
After completing the defenses of New York, Swift was called upon to form a new system of infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
tactics, to reduce the Army to a peacetime establishment, and later, with Colonel George Bomford
George Bomford
George Bomford was an inventor, designer, and distinguished military officer in the United States Army. After graduating from West Point in 1805, as a lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, he served as assistant engineer on the defenses of New York Harbor until 1808. From 1808 to 1810 George...
, to rebuild the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., which had been destroyed by the British in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Shortly after the war, Congress authorized the President to employ Brigadier General Simon Bernard
Simon Bernard
Baron Simon Bernard was a French general of engineers. Born in Dole, Simon Bernard was educated at the École polytechnique, graduating as second in the promotion of 1799 and entered the army in the corps of engineers....
of the French Army, a distinguished engineer under Napoleon, as an assistant in the Corps of Engineers. He was placed at the head of the Board of Engineers while Swift became solely Superintendent of the Military Academy. Swift protested the admission of foreigners into the American military, who in the event of war might become enemies. However, Bernard stayed on the Board of Engineers until 1831.
As Superintendent, Swift recommended sending two Engineer officers to Europe to examine French and Dutch fortifications and to purchase books to form a library at West Point. It was also hoped that one of them would replace him as Superintendent. Swift also secured a loan from Jacob Barker
Jacob Barker
Jacob Barker was an American financier and lawyer.He was born in Swan Island, Maine, in 1779, of Quaker parentage. He went to New York at the age of 16, engaged in trade, and soon amassed a considerable fortune. Beginning in 1811, Fitz-Greene Halleck was employed by him for twenty years...
, a rich Quaker merchant, because no government appropriations were available. Swift saved the institution from abandonment when he personally arranged a $65,000 loan at 7% interest.
For some time, Swift remained in local command at West Point, and in January 1817, proceeded to Washington to present his grievances to President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. This resulted in Swift’s resuming his position in Washington at the head of the Corps of Engineers and leaving Bernard without any military control.
Swift accompanied newly elected President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
on his trip to examine the northern states and during the seven-week excursion was able to study the battlefields of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, as well as inspect arsenals, Navy yards and fortifications, and study the capacity of the country for defense. He also examined institutions of learning, particularly the Military Academy, in which Monroe was very interested.
At the time of this visit to West Point, it was decided that Partridge would be replaced by then-Major Sylvanus Thayer, who became Superintendent of the Academy on 28 July 1817. The Presidential tour continued to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and Swift and a joint board of Army and Navy officers examined fortifications from Penobscot, Maine
Penobscot, Maine
Penobscot is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The Bagaduce River runs through the town. The population was 1,344 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He also traveled to the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
area and chose a site for a Navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
In 1818, just before leaving the military, Swift’s main duties were in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He studied the northern tributaries of the Chesapeake
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and made his last inspection of the Military Academy in September 1818. He was engaged with Governeur Kemble and four others in establishing the West Point Foundry
West Point Foundry
The West Point Foundry was an early ironworks in Cold Spring, New York that operated from 1817 to 1911. Set up to remedy deficiencies in national armaments production after the War of 1812, it became most famous for its production of Parrott rifles and other munitions during the Civil War, although...
at Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson
Cold Spring, New York
Cold Spring is a village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville...
. After contemplating civilian life for more than two years, he submitted his resignation on 12 November 1818, reserving all his rights as a brevet brigadier general in the Army, to be called into service in the event of war. He maintained this status until his death.
Soon after he left the Army, Swift was asked by the Corps of Engineers to sit for a portrait in his honor. The portrait, painted by Sully, was hung in the Library at the Academy upon its completion and hangs there today.
1818-1832
The day after his resignation, Swift accepted the surveyorship of the Port of New York. As a civil engineer, he soon became involved in various important projects. In 1819, he was consulted on the feasibility of banking and draining the Newark Flats. In 1820 he was appointed by the Legislature of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to superintend the plan to open the Morris Canal
Morris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
improvement. In 1822 he was one of the three Commissioners to regulate the streets and drainage of the eastern part of the City of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1825, he was appointed as a commissioner to determine the capacity of the Bronx
Bronx River
The Bronx River, approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States. It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. The Bronx River is the only fresh water river in New York City....
and Croton River
Croton River
The Croton River is a river in southern New York that begins where the East and West Branches of the Croton River meet a little way downstream from the Croton Falls Reservoir...
s to supply New York City with pure water.
Unfortunately, Swift’s office duties and other interests did not prevent him from venturing into the business dealings of Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
. In 1825, he was elected vice president of a life and trust insurance company. The company failed, and all of its members were indicted for a conspiracy to defraud the state. Swift was acquitted but suffered the loss of all of his property. Deprived of the means to support his family, Swift decided to move to a small farm belonging to his wife in Haywood County, Tennessee, where he built a small cabin and began growing cotton. Finding the title to his plantation defective and his children suffering from the weather, Swift returned to New York. He returned to civil engineering and the following year took charge of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
In March 1829, he became the superintendent of the harbor improvements on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
and held this position for sixteen years. While the lake works were suspended in the winter of 1829, Swift took charge of the construction of the railroad from New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
to Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
, five miles long through a dense swamp considered impassable, which could neither be drained nor piled. This was one of the pioneer railroads of the south, and it is believed the first in America upon which iron edge rails were used.
In 1832, Swift succeeded Benjamin Wright
Benjamin Wright
Benjamin Wright was an American civil engineer who served as Chief Engineer of both the Erie Canal and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In 1969 he was declared the "Father of American Civil Engineering" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.Wright was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut to Ebenezer...
as Chief Engineer of the New York and Harlem Railroad
New York and Harlem Railroad
The New York and Harlem Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States, and possibly also the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem...
, but interference from the Board of Directors caused him to resign.
1832-1865
Swift moved to Geneva, New YorkGeneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, and Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
elected him Professor of Engineering and Statistics. Though he declined this honor, he accepted the membership offered to him in the Society of Statistics of Paris, France, and took a great interest in statistical and educational matters. In 1833, Swift was asked to present his views on how far the West Point system of discipline and instruction could be adapted to a university to be established in the City of New York. In 1834, he proposed a plan to Governor William L. Marcy
William L. Marcy
William Learned Marcy was an American statesman, who served as U.S. Senator and the 11th Governor of New York, and as the U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State.-Early life:...
for normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
s and advised the school system to secure the services of Professor Horace Webster
Horace Webster
Horace Webster was an American educator who graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1818. Webster remained at West Point as a mathematics professor until 1825...
as Superintendent of the Free Academy, which later became the College of the City of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
Marriage and family
Swift married Louisa Margaret Walker, the daughter of James and M.M. Walker, on 6 June 1805 in North Carolina. They had at least six children.Death
Swift died on 23 July 1865 in Geneva, aged eighty-two, and was buried in Washington Street CemeteryWashington Street Cemetery
Washington Street Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at Geneva in Ontario County, New York. The cemetery was laid out in 1832 and the entry is distinguished by a handsome cast iron arch dating from the 1840s / 1850s. It contains about 2,200 burials dating from 1832 to the 1950s.It was listed...
in Geneva next to his wife, who had died in Geneva on 15 November 1855. Six of their children are also buried there:
- Charlotte Swift, born 5 April 1826, died 31 December 1840;
- Julius H. Swift, died 6 February 1850, aged 35;
- Thomas Delano Swift, born Wilmington, 27 November 1812, died Geneva September 1829;
- James Thomas Swift, died 31 July 1890;
- Foster Swift, M.D., born Geneva 31 October 1833, died Santa Cruz, West IndiesSanta Cruz, Trinidad and TobagoThe Santa Cruz Valley stretches between Maraval and San Juan, along the Saddle Road. It lies between the hills of the Northern Range on the island of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago....
10 May 1875; - Jonathan Williams Swift, Commodore, United States Navy, born Taunton, 30 March 1808, died Geneva 30 July 1877.
Also buried there are three of their daughters-in-law and one of their grandsons.