The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 226
xiii, 358 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
226
Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
the rest of the year. The next fall he went to the New Orleans
Medical College, where he attended lectures during the session
1859-1860. His return to the same institution for another year's
work was prevented by the excitement then prevailing throughout
the South over the prospect of secession. This movement he op-
posed as effectively as he could; but when the ordinance was
adoptd by the people of Texas he felt it his duty to go with his
state.
Young Swearingen volunteered in response to the first call for
Texas troops. February 28, 1861, he joined Captain Ed. Waller's
company at Galveston and was sent to Brownsville. After remain-
ing there six months, during two of which he lay ill with a fever,
he was discharged and returned to Chappell Hill. He had been
back only a short time, when he received a commission to raise a
company; but while he was engaged in the effort he learned that
his younger brother, who was with the Confederate troops at Cum-
berland Gap, was sick and needing attention. On hearing the
news, he went thither at once, enlisted as a substitute for his
brother, and sent him home.
The day after his arrival in camp, his company was sent on a
scouting expedition into the edge of Tennessee; and, though he
was at the time quite ill with pneumonia, he went along. At even-
ing the second day, the company reached Sneedville, Tennessee,
and the surgeon ordered Swearingen to seek shelter for himself.
He went to the hotel, but found its accommodations already ex-
hausted. He then went out into the village to look for quarters at
a private residence. Attracted by the sound of a piano, he entered
the house whence it came, and was heartily welcomed and given
the attention he was needing. The home into which the young
soldier had wandered was that of Mr. Lea Jessee. He remained
there a month, during which time he was nursed back to health
and strength by Miss Jennie Jessee, the daughter of his host; and
the romance culminated in their marriage in the fall of 1864.
Shortly after Swearingen had relieved his brother, the Ten-
nessee company which he had joined was reorganized, and he was
elected first lieutenant. His fitness for promotion was soon
tested. In the summer of 1862 his battalion was sent on a scout-
ing expedition in the neighborhood of Cumberland Gap, and he
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905, periodical, 1905; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101033/m1/233/?rotate=90: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.