Harry Sweet - Civil War Soldier Buried in Farmer Cemetery

Harry was a member of the Farmer G.A.R.

Harry's parents, Thomas and Ormanda Sweet, were two early settlers of Farmer Township, along with others from St. Lawrence County, New York.  In 1850, according to the census, a large contingent of New York folks lived together, including John and Lucy Johnson and daughter, Viola; Thomas Sweet and Hiram, Harry, Fanny, and Delana Sweet, and Michael Gillespie, 27, "idiotic."  Perhaps the Johnsons and Sweets were related in some way, or maybe they were just friends combining resources.  Harry Sweet, born in 1834, was then 16.

By 1860, Harry had moved out of the family circle and into the home of O.N. and Fanny Foote and their children, Newell, Julia and Johnson.  H. Sweet, 25, laborer; L. Bonker (Bowker), wagonmaker, 19; and L. Marighugh, 21, domestic, all lived in one abode.  Lew Bowker and Harry Sweet may have been cousins, as Harry's mother, Ormanda, had the maiden name, Bowker.

On September 8, 1860, Harry Sweet married Elizabeth A. Knight, according to the Defiance County marriage records. Just about two years later, he enlisted in Company F, 111th Ohio Infantry, the same unit where many Farmer men landed.  He enlisted in Toledo and came in as a Sergeant.

The 111th engaged the enemy in Kentucky and Tennessee, and Harry Sweet was in the thick of it.  In a letter written home to his sister, John W. Cleland of the 111th, Company F, described firsthand the Siege of Knoxville and the moment when Harry Sweet was wounded in the war.  

"Our regt. fought the rebs the 15th of Nov. near Louden   
there were three of our regt killed and several wounded.
The killed were all from Co. I
Two of Co. F were wounded  Harry Sweet and Wm. Hemenway.
Hemenway was left on the field and supposed to be mortal wounded.
Milton Sharp stoped with him and thought he would take care of him but was taken prisoner.
He might have known the rebs wouldn't let him stay to take care of a wounded man.
Hemenway was shot just below the shoulder blade in the back.
Harry Sweet was shot near the top of the back part of the left shoulder and the ball came out in the side of his neck
they were both shot as the regt was retreating up a little hill
The rebs were driving our forces toward Knoxville and our regt was covering the retreat that day.
They had been holding the rebs in check while the artillery was getting up the hill and when the artillery got up, then the regt was ordered to follow and when they turned around to go up the hill, the rebs poured the balls into them pretty fast.
After our troops fell back to Knoxville the rebs besieged them 
they were besieged here from the 17 of Nov to the 4 of Dec when the rebs skedaddled
the boys said they got used to hearing hum of the shells and the whistle of the musket balls as they fly past."

(John W. Cleland letter held in the Special Collections of the University of Tennessee, dated December 14, 1863, to his sister, Jennie)

It appeared that Harry was patched up and eventually sent back into action through Tennessee and Georgia.  One source reported that he was also wounded in the leg at one point.  He mustered out towards the end of the war on May 30, 1865, having served two years and ten months, according to his report on the 1890 Veterans Census.  He also was promoted first to Second Lieutenant and then to Third Sergeant.

(As a side note, William B. Hemenway, who was a Corporal, was killed in the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee on November 30, 1864.  He was interred in the Stones River National Cemetery, Franklin section in Murfreesboro, TN, but no stone marks his grave.)  
 

Upon his return home, Harry and Elizabeth continued to live in Farmer Township with their three sons: Alva Benton, Charles and Wilbur (Bird).  In the early years of 1880, Harry built a new house, described in the newspaper as beautiful and ornamented with a fancy hedge fence.

Harry farmed and hunted and fished, especially in Michigan. It would seem possible that the Sweets might have had a residence there.  In 1890, Harry was enumerated in Burt Lake, Michigan and in the 1900 census, he was enumerated in Michigan and Elizabeth was in Farmer Township, living with a granddaughter, and right beside their oldest son, Benton.  Both Harry and Elizabeth noted that they were married, but their living arrangements appeared to be separate, or at least when the enumerator was around. 

Harry lived until March 7, 1905, when he died in Michigan.  His obituary appeared in the Defiance Express on March 16, 1905:

"Harry Sweet, formerly of this vicinity, but who has been living in Michigan for several years, died very suddenly at his home in Alanson, Michigan last week; was supposed he died Wednesday night.  He lived alone and no one having seen him Thursday forenoon, the neighbors went to his home and found him lying on the floor dead.  
His son brought the body home Thursday night.  Funeral was Saturday morning at the church, Rev. Kelley officiating.  Interment in Farmer Cemetery.  Mr. Sweet was 71 years old; was a member of Co. F, 111th regiment.  He leaves a wife, three sons, one brother, three sisters, and several grandchildren and many other relatives and friends."

The Bryan Democrat also reported on March 23, 1905:

"SWEET.  Harry Sweet, son of Thomas J. and Ormanda Sweet, was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., Feb. 16, 1834, and departed this life March 7, 1905, aged 71 years and 16 days.
In 1845, he came with his parents to Farmer Township, Defiance county, and on September 9, 1860, he was married to Miss E. A. Knight, to this union was born four children, three sons and one daughter, the daughter dying in infancy.  
In 1862, Mr. Sweet was enlisted in the service of his country and at the close of the war was honorably discharged.  Two wounds were received from which he never recovered.
Funeral services were held in the Farmer church at 11:00 a.m., Mar.11th, Rev. D.N. Kelly officiating.  The remains interred in the Farmer cemetery.  The services were conducted by the G.A.R. of which the deceased was a member."