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SWEDENBORG, EMANUEL 191 SWEETFLAG dom)< in theology, the "Arcana Coeles- tia" (The Secrets of Heaven), "Apoc- alypsis Revelata" (The Apocalypse Revealed), "De Cultu et Amore Dei" (On the Worship and Love of God), "On Heaven and Hell," "On Conjugal Love," and the "True Christian Religion." He died in London, England, March 29, 1772. SWEDENBORGIANS. See New JERU- SALEM, Church of the, SWEDISH BEAMTREE, in botany, the Pyrus intermedia, a sub-species of P. aria. It has oblong, rather distinctly- lobed leaves, ashy-white below, with 5 to 8 nerves on each side. SWEENY, THOMAS WILLIAM, an American military officer; born in Cork, Ireland, Dec. 25, 1820; settled in the United States in 1832 and learned the printer's trade. In 1846 he was made 2d lieutenant in the 1st New York Vol- unteers; took part in the bombardment of Vera Cruz, and in the assault on Churubusco, where he greatly distin- guished himself, and lost his right arm. After the Mexican War he was commis- sioned 2d lieutenant in the 2d United States Infantry, and was often engag^ed against hostile Indians. In January, 1861, he was promoted captain and as- signed to the command of the arsenal in St. Louis. In his command were only 40 recruits, while there were nearly 3,000 hostile minute men in St. Louis. He kept all enemies at bay by the threat that if any violence were attempted he would blow the place to atoms. He became a brigadier-general of volunteers in May, 1861, and later colonel of the 52d Illinois Volunteers, with which regiment he took part in the capture of Fort Donelson. During the first day of the action at Shiloh he held the key of the Union posi- tion. He was promoted major of the 16th United States Infantry in October, 1863. During the Atlanta campaign his command captured Snake Creek gap. He also took part in the action at Dallas and Kenesaw mountain ; but won his greatest distinction on July 22, 1864, in the en- gagement before Atlanta. He was re- tired in May, 1870, with the rank of Brigadier-General U. S. A. He died in Astoria, L. I., April 10, 1892. SWEEPSTAKES, a gaming trans- action in which a number of persons join in contributing a certain stake, which becomes the property of one or several of the contributors on certain conditions. Thus, in a sweepstakes for horses start- ing in a race, the owner of the winner receives the whole stakes, or a portion of it, the remainder being divided be- tween the second and third. Also, the prize in a horse race, etc., made up of contributions from several persons. SWEET, BENJAMIN JEFFilEY. an American military officer; born in Kirk- land, N. Y., April 24, 1832; settled with his parents in Stockbridge, Wis., in 1838; attended Appleton College for a year, and later spent his leisure in the study of law. In 1848 he became a member of the Wisconsin Legislature. At the out- break of the Civil War he recruited the 21st and 22d Wisconsin regiments, be- coming colonel of the former. During the battle of Perryville his regiment formed a part of a corps that through an entire day sustained an attack from the whole army of General Bragg. During the engagement he received a wound which permanently broke his health. Early in 1864 he was placed in command of Camp Douglas, Chicago, whe»e about 10,000 Confederates were imprisoned. In June he learned of a scheme by which the prisoners expected to effect their es- cape on July 4, and afterward to burn the city. He immediately reinforced the garrison and thus killed the plot. In the following November he discovered another plot to arm the prisoners and burn Chicago. He had only 796 men in the garrison and it was too late to secure reinforcements. He thereupon sum- moned to his aid John T. Shanks, a Texas ranger, who was a prisoner and knew the Confederate officers, and arranged with him to discover the guilty parties. So well did Shanks perform his task that the leaders of the plot were all appre- hended. In recognition of this service Sweet was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers. In January, 1872, he was made 1st Deputy Commissioner of In- ternal Revenue and removed to Wash- ington, D. C, where he died Jan. 1, 1874. SWEET BRIAR, or SWEET BRIER (Rosa ruhiginosa), naturalized in the United States, and grows wild, but is often planted in hedges and gardens on account of the sweet balsamic smell of its small leaves and flowers. It is also called the eglantine. SWEETFLAG {Acorus Calamus), a plant, also called sweetrush, found in marshy places throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The leaves are sword- shaped; the stem bears a lateral, dense, greenish spike of flowers. The root has been employed in medicine since the time of Hippocrates. It is also used by con- fectioners as a candy, and by perfumers in the preparation of aromatic vinegar, hair powder, etc.