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Note: RESEARCH NOTES: Elizabeth's widow's pension file gives James as "Age 26" when he enlisted. This would put his birth in 1839. The 1860 Census where he appears with Elizabeth records his age as 27 making his birth in 1833. The same census also lists him with his brother Benjamin and says he was 33 (born in 1827). One could argue they are not the same James Sweat except that his daughter, Ellen, was born in Benjamin's home and other items in the widow's pension show the families were close. So when was he born?? Did he know? Early records of the family of John and Molly Sweat generally place James before George in the list of children. That would place his birth even earlier, about 1824. Benjamin Sweat is named in the affidavit for their daughter Ellen's birth and it further states that Elizabeth was residing at Benjamin's home at that time. The marriage certificate for James Sweet and Miss Elizabeth Hines is included in Elizabeth's application for a widow's pension. That collection of documents includes James Sweat's enlistment and also his death at Camp Butler from 'inflamation of lungs'. Geneva Price shared a family memory. Ella, daughter of James and Elizabeth, has told her children of her memory: "when she was little they all went outside to wave at her father as he went over the hill to the Civil War and he turned at the top of the hill and waved at them. They never saw him again."
CENSUS: United States, 1850, Peoria IL (Benjamin Sweat household) "James age 23, farmer, b. ME" CENSUS: United States, 1860, Peoria IL Truro Twp (Benjamin Sweat household) "James age 33, b. ME" CENSUS: United States, 1860, Peoria IL Richwoods 111/106 "James Sweat age 27,farmer, b. ME" also Elizabeth, Frank, Ellen, and John
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