| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Swaim, David G. |
| Title: | David G. Swaim Letters |
| Dates: | 1861-1874 |
| Extent: | 0.40 linear feet (1 container) |
| Abstract: | David G. Swaim (d. 1897) was a captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War, serving as assistant adjutant general and chief of the secret service during the Chickamauga Campaign under Brigadier General James A. Garfield. He reentered the army in 1867 as a second lieutenant, serving as acting judge advocate for the fourth military district in Vicksburg, Miss. From 1868-1869, he supervised the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. As a Major, he presided as judge advocate at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was appointed Judge Advocate General of the United States Army in 1880, holding this position until 1895. Swaim maintained a close personal friendship with Garfield and was at his side in 1881 at the President's death. The collection consists of two bound letterbooks, the first 1861-1874, and the second 1865-1870. |
| MS Number | MS 3263 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
David Gaskill Swaim (1834-1897) was a captain in the Union Army, serving as assistant adjutant-general and chief of the secret service during the Chickamauga Campaign under Brigadier General James A.Garfield (1831-1881). Swaim maintained a close personal friendship with Garfield and was by President Garfield's bedside at Elberon, New Jersey, on September 19, 1881, when he heard Garfield's dying words, "O Swaim, this pain!"
In 1866 Swaim was mustered out of the army. He reentered the army as a second lieutenant in 1867, serving as acting judge advocate for the fourth military district in Vicksburg, Mississippi. In 1868 Brevet Major Swaim, aide-de-camp to General Howard, supervised the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands until October 1869. Promoted to Major, Swaim joined the corps of judge advocates where he presided as judge advocate at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Senator-elect Garfield persuaded President Rutherford B. Hayes to appoint Swaim Judge Advocate General of the United States Army in 1880. Brigadier General Swaim would hold this position from February 18, 1881, to January 3, 1895, despite his having been court martialed February 24, 1885.
Swaim married Jemima (Jennie) Bell. They had one child, daughter Mary Bell (Mamie) Swaim, born in the summer of 1870. Mary Bell Swaim and Lewis Low Thompson married on March 20, 1897, shortly before Brigadier General Swaim's death. The Thompsons had a daughter, Virgina Swaim Thompson, born in 1905.
The David G. Swaim Letters, 1861-1874, consist of two bound volumes of letters written to David G. Swaim from business associates and friends. Additionally, the letterbooks contain legal documents, memorandum, notes, tax receipts, and telegrams.
This collection is of value to scholars of James A.Garfield, especially relating to his thoughts respecting Flathead Indians, Credit Mobilier and his relationship with David G. Swaim. Civil War historians interested in military judicial history may find Swaim's activities of interest.
Other persons of note who corresponded with Swaim were Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt (1807-1894), Major General Oliver Otis Howard (1830-1909), Lieutenant General Nelson Appleton Miles (1839-1925), Major General Edward Otho Ord (1818-1883), Brevet Major General Galusha Pennypacker (1844-1914) and Major General John Pope (1822-1892). A copy of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's letter to General Robert E. Lee asking for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia dated April 9, 1865, can be found in the second letterbook. Various other individuals mentioned in the Garfield-Swaim letters are noted in Appendix A.
The majority of these letters were written by James A. Garfield to Swaim pertaining to matters both personal and professional in nature.
While there are no access restrictions on this collection, researchers will be asked to use the microfilm of this collection. This finding aid serves as a guide to both the manuscript and microfilm versions of this collection.
Related MaterialResearchers should consult MS 1248 Jesse Baldwin Papers; MS 1381 Vallandigham and Laird Families Papers; MS 2900 Warner M. Bateman Papers; MS 3160 Henry B. Boynton Papers; and MS 3947 William Pendleton Palmer Civil War Miscellany.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3263 David G. Swaim Letters, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Purchased from Walter R. Benjamin for the Western Reserve Historical Society by the Leonard C. Hanna Final Fund in 1965.
Processed and microfilmed by David A. Rook in 2000. This finding aid serves as a guide to both the manuscript and microfilm versions of this collection. The microfilming of this collection was supported by Virginia Smyers.
David G. Swaim Letters 1861-1874 |
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| Reel | Box | Volume | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Bound volume of letters, including letters and notes from General Miles, General Pope and James A. Garfield 1861-1874 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | Bound volume of letters, including letters and notes from James A. Garfield, U. S. Grant, General Holt, General Howard, General Ord, and Colonel Pennypacker 1865-1870 | ||||||||
| Reel | Box | Volume | |||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | Bound volume of letters, including letters and notes from James A. Garfield, U. S. Grant, General Holt, General Howard, General Ord, and Colonel Pennypacker 1865-1870 | ||||||||