Henry R. Swindler Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 573-574

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HENRY R. SWINDLER, one of McCook county's well-to-do farmers, is one of 
its most highly esteemed and respected citizens. His farm comprises the 
northwest quarter of section 19, and the southwest quarter of 18, 
Ramsey township, where he has spent the later years of his life, 
pursuing the even tenor of his way, making a comfortable living and 
enjoying the comfort of a happy home. 

Mr. Swindler was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in the year 
1839. His father was a southerner, being born in Virginia, while the 
mother was of English birth and came to America at the age of eight 
years. Our subject is the oldest of a family of eight children, was 
reared in the city and had the advantages of the city schools, 
attending the public schools of Allegheny and Pittsburg. In 1854, his 
parents moved to Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, and here our subject 
began work with his father to learn the nail making trade, and followed 
this vocation until he emigrated to Dakota. During the Civil war, Mr. 
Swindler was a member of Company B, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio 
National Guards, and in 1864 they were called out by the government for 
one hundred days. During this short time, however, this regiment did 
such splendid service that President Lincoln sent a personal letter of 
thanks to every member. When Morgan made his raid in Kentucky, this 
regiment was one to be sent to check him, but themselves were 
surrounded by Morgan's forces, and after seven hours of desperate 
fighting were forced to surrender, and many of the men wept at the 
thought of being captured. The next day, however, more Union troops 
came up and captured a large part of Morgan's command and recovered all 
of their prisoners. On the following day, the One Hundred Seventy first 
was sent to Camp Dennison, and from there were sent to Johnson's 
Island, where they were placed in charge of prisoners. After serving 
the one hundred days for which they were called, the regiment was sent 
home, and our subject resumed his former occupation. In 1859 Mr. 
Swindler was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Battles, an American-
born lady, whose parents owned a large farm partly in the city of 
Niles. To this union have been born fourteen children, ten sons and 
four daughters. During the year 1881, Mr. Swindler filed a claim to the 
land he now occupies, and in 1886 the family moved to it and since made 
it their home, while the father plied his trade in Niles until 1888 or 
1889. Mrs. Swindler superintended the building of the house and managed 
the farm affairs while her husband was not there; and it was but a few 
years after he began to make a permanent residence in Dakota that the 
wife died, leaving him alone with a large family of children. At 
present our subject is in such poor health that he is obliged to leave 
the entire management of the farm to the boys. Politically Mr. Swindler 
is a stanch Republican and cast his first presidential ballot for 
Lincoln. He strongly favors the policy of prohibition but will not 
support the present Prohibition party nor equal suffrage.