Civil War Soldier
Private, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry
Jesse Lewis Swift was the son of Moses H. and Charlotte (Cahoon) Swift.
He was a 16 year-old Clerk from Marion, MA,when he enlisted at Boston, MA on August 13, 1862 and was mustered that same day into the 18th Massachusetts Infantry as a Private in Co. E. Jesse was engaged with his Regiment in 1862 at Shepheredstown and Fredericksburg. Wounded during the battle of Fredericksburg, he was one of 11 men of Company E cited for their courage at the battle fought on Dec. 13, 1862, by Lt. Col. Joseph Hayes, regimental commander. He was further engaged with the Regiment in the Campagin against Richmond from May 1, 1864.
Jesse was captured and taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864 and held at various Confederate prisons including Danville, VA and Andersonville, GA, before he was finally transferred to Florence, SC. He died of scurvey and diarrhea on Nov. 5, 1864 and was buried, as was the fate of virtually all prisoners at Florence, as an unknown in the prison cemetery.
Because his remains could not be recovered and returned home to Massachusetts, family members erected a cenotaph, Id 179805032, for Jesse in the Central Cemetery at Middleboro, MA.
Letter written by David C. Meechan, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry, a fellow prisoner at Florence, to Jesse's father Moses on April 4, 1865:
...Jesse was taken down with scurvey. His feet and legs swelled badly and he lost all hope of life. He saw so many die around him of the same complaint. I tried to keep his courage up by telling him of the exchange of prisoners which had been effected for ten thousand sick at Savannah last December but we had seen so many lies in the Rebel papers that he would believe nothing of it...If he had had energy enough or hope of life to wash and keep clean he might have lived until the exchange had come off. But the poor fellow was discouraged like thousands of others...Jesse was a good kind boy and every one loved him who knew him. He always did his duty and has as good a soldier's character as any man in the Regiment.
Private, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry
Jesse Lewis Swift was the son of Moses H. and Charlotte (Cahoon) Swift.
He was a 16 year-old Clerk from Marion, MA,when he enlisted at Boston, MA on August 13, 1862 and was mustered that same day into the 18th Massachusetts Infantry as a Private in Co. E. Jesse was engaged with his Regiment in 1862 at Shepheredstown and Fredericksburg. Wounded during the battle of Fredericksburg, he was one of 11 men of Company E cited for their courage at the battle fought on Dec. 13, 1862, by Lt. Col. Joseph Hayes, regimental commander. He was further engaged with the Regiment in the Campagin against Richmond from May 1, 1864.
Jesse was captured and taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864 and held at various Confederate prisons including Danville, VA and Andersonville, GA, before he was finally transferred to Florence, SC. He died of scurvey and diarrhea on Nov. 5, 1864 and was buried, as was the fate of virtually all prisoners at Florence, as an unknown in the prison cemetery.
Because his remains could not be recovered and returned home to Massachusetts, family members erected a cenotaph, Id 179805032, for Jesse in the Central Cemetery at Middleboro, MA.
Letter written by David C. Meechan, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry, a fellow prisoner at Florence, to Jesse's father Moses on April 4, 1865:
...Jesse was taken down with scurvey. His feet and legs swelled badly and he lost all hope of life. He saw so many die around him of the same complaint. I tried to keep his courage up by telling him of the exchange of prisoners which had been effected for ten thousand sick at Savannah last December but we had seen so many lies in the Rebel papers that he would believe nothing of it...If he had had energy enough or hope of life to wash and keep clean he might have lived until the exchange had come off. But the poor fellow was discouraged like thousands of others...Jesse was a good kind boy and every one loved him who knew him. He always did his duty and has as good a soldier's character as any man in the Regiment.
Civil War Soldier
Private, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry
Jesse Lewis Swift was the son of Moses H. and Charlotte (Cahoon) Swift.
He was a 16 year-old Clerk from Marion, MA,when he enlisted at Boston, MA on August 13, 1862 and was mustered that same day into the 18th Massachusetts Infantry as a Private in Co. E. Jesse was engaged with his Regiment in 1862 at Shepheredstown and Fredericksburg. Wounded during the battle of Fredericksburg, he was one of 11 men of Company E cited for their courage at the battle fought on Dec. 13, 1862, by Lt. Col. Joseph Hayes, regimental commander. He was further engaged with the Regiment in the Campagin against Richmond from May 1, 1864.
Jesse was captured and taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864 and held at various Confederate prisons including Danville, VA and Andersonville, GA, before he was finally transferred to Florence, SC. He died of scurvey and diarrhea on Nov. 5, 1864 and was buried, as was the fate of virtually all prisoners at Florence, as an unknown in the prison cemetery.
Because his remains could not be recovered and returned home to Massachusetts, family members erected a cenotaph, Id 179805032, for Jesse in the Central Cemetery at Middleboro, MA.
Letter written by David C. Meechan, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry, a fellow prisoner at Florence, to Jesse's father Moses on April 4, 1865:
...Jesse was taken down with scurvey. His feet and legs swelled badly and he lost all hope of life. He saw so many die around him of the same complaint. I tried to keep his courage up by telling him of the exchange of prisoners which had been effected for ten thousand sick at Savannah last December but we had seen so many lies in the Rebel papers that he would believe nothing of it...If he had had energy enough or hope of life to wash and keep clean he might have lived until the exchange had come off. But the poor fellow was discouraged like thousands of others...Jesse was a good kind boy and every one loved him who knew him. He always did his duty and has as good a soldier's character as any man in the Regiment.
Private, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry
Jesse Lewis Swift was the son of Moses H. and Charlotte (Cahoon) Swift.
He was a 16 year-old Clerk from Marion, MA,when he enlisted at Boston, MA on August 13, 1862 and was mustered that same day into the 18th Massachusetts Infantry as a Private in Co. E. Jesse was engaged with his Regiment in 1862 at Shepheredstown and Fredericksburg. Wounded during the battle of Fredericksburg, he was one of 11 men of Company E cited for their courage at the battle fought on Dec. 13, 1862, by Lt. Col. Joseph Hayes, regimental commander. He was further engaged with the Regiment in the Campagin against Richmond from May 1, 1864.
Jesse was captured and taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864 and held at various Confederate prisons including Danville, VA and Andersonville, GA, before he was finally transferred to Florence, SC. He died of scurvey and diarrhea on Nov. 5, 1864 and was buried, as was the fate of virtually all prisoners at Florence, as an unknown in the prison cemetery.
Because his remains could not be recovered and returned home to Massachusetts, family members erected a cenotaph, Id 179805032, for Jesse in the Central Cemetery at Middleboro, MA.
Letter written by David C. Meechan, Co. E, 18th Massachusetts Infantry, a fellow prisoner at Florence, to Jesse's father Moses on April 4, 1865:
...Jesse was taken down with scurvey. His feet and legs swelled badly and he lost all hope of life. He saw so many die around him of the same complaint. I tried to keep his courage up by telling him of the exchange of prisoners which had been effected for ten thousand sick at Savannah last December but we had seen so many lies in the Rebel papers that he would believe nothing of it...If he had had energy enough or hope of life to wash and keep clean he might have lived until the exchange had come off. But the poor fellow was discouraged like thousands of others...Jesse was a good kind boy and every one loved him who knew him. He always did his duty and has as good a soldier's character as any man in the Regiment.
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