Private Henry Sweat
Pvt. Henry Sweat
Henry Sweat was born in Franklin County, Virginia, c. 1843, but by 1864 Sweat was living near New Orleans, Louisiana. He was sold as part of the forced migration of enslaved people to the Mississippi Delta. Sweat joined the United States Colored Troops in New Orleans on February 18, 1864, for a period of three years. At the time of his enlistment, he was described as 21 years old, 5’7” tall, with a black complexion, black eyes, and black hair. He was assigned to the 7th USCT Heavy Artillery, Co. E, which was soon reorganized as the 10th USCT Heavy Artillery, Co. E. This regiment served in the defenses of New Orleans.
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Henry Sweat was stationed in New Orleans on garrison duty until his regiment mustered out Feb. 22, 1867, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at which time he was owed $46.17. Due to societal tensions in the deep south, the Union forces remained in control here much longer after the war than in other locations. While serving, Sweat, like many soldiers, suffered from illness, and was noted to be absent and sick in the post’s hospital March and April of 1866.
Testimony in pension files indicate that Henry Sweat married Lizabeth shortly after the war, but she died in August of 1870. In the 1870 U.S. Census, Sweat was 28 years old and lived in Ward 7, Morehouse, Louisiana, and worked as a farm laborer. He then married Francis, and they had three children: Thomas, born June 10, 1872; Alse, born Sept 16, 1874, and Francis, born Dec 15, 1876. Sometime before 1880, Henry died and in April 1880, Francis, age 35, applied for a widow’s pension. At that time, she lived with her children in Plantersville, Morehouse Co., Louisiana.
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Henry and Francis’ son, Thomas H. Sweat, lived in LaSalle, Louisiana in 1950 at the age of 77. He was married to Rachel Sweat and lived on farm or ranch property with their daughter Thelma Evans, age 46. Death records indicate that Thomas lived to be 100 years old when he died in 1973, outliving Rachel who died in 1957. Thelma Evans, the granddaughter of Pvt. Henry Sweat, lived 1904 – 1996. No other grandchildren have been identified.
Contributors: Toni Smith, Cathie Cummins, Sarah Plummer and Raymond Williams
