Benjamin J. Sweet
From Warriors of the Rebellion
Jump to navigationJump to searchBenjamin J. Sweet was a Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry.
Antebellum
- Born in New York, cam to Wisconsin at 16, father homesteaded
- Studied law
- Elected to Wisconsin Senate
War Career
- Gave a speech admonishing Lemonweir Minute Men for tardiness upon arrival at first camp
- Enlisted as a Major of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry on May 28, 1861
- Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry on September 17, 1861
- Promoted to Colonel of the 21st Wisconsin Infantry on July 12, 1862
- Also served in 22nd Wisconsin Infantry
- Suffering from Malaria at the Battle of Perryville but joined the fighting and was severely wounded
- May 1864, given command of prison at Camp Douglas in Chicago, Illinois
- Won attention for his claim that he thwarted a series of plans by anti-war Copperheads to liberate the prisoners and sack and burn Chicago
Postwar Career
Family
Notes
Sources
- Dawes, Rufus R. Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers. Marietta, OH: E.R. Alderman & Sons, 1890. Print. (Page 37)
- Wisconsin. Adjutant-General's Office. Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. Volume 1. (Madison, 1886). (Page 494)
Other Sources
- Herdegan, IBiCWaM, 58
- Frank L. Clement - Dark Lanterns: Secret Political Societies, Conspiracies, and Treason Trials in the Cvil War