Author . O o EjA±. Title Imprint. 16 — 47372-2 OPO >A /\/ \ COATRIBUTIOi^S /aMERICfl/^ PROGRESS THIS BOOKLET HAS BEEN PREPARED AND ISSUED under the authority of the Committee Representing Americans of Swedish Lineage AMERICA'S MAKING EXPOSITION 71st Regiment Armory October 29th— November 12th, 1921 SWEDISH CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN NATIONAL LIFE 1638-1921 BY AMANDUS JOHNSON, Ph.D. Author of " The Swedes in America," etc. To know the struggle arid achievement of your fathers is to love your cou?itry PUBLISHED BY THE COMMITTEEIOF THE SWEDISH SECTION OF AMERICA'S MAKING, Inc. NEW YORK OCTOBER, 1921 Copyrighted October 29th, 192 1, BY THE Committee of the Swedish Section of America's Making ©CI.A630-78 NOV 14 192/ ♦vvo PREFACE. The following sketch has been written under unusual dif- ficulties. The large collections, notes, clippings and other sources of the author were destroyed, as the booklet was under prepara- tion, and only through the encouragement and aid of friends has it been possible to publish even this inadequate account of Three Centuries of Swedish Contributions to iVmerican Na- tional Life. The writer wishes especially to thank Dr. Moving, Mr. Skarstedt, Mr. Berger, Dr. Freeburg and the other members of the Book Commtitee, Mr. Bjornstroni-Steffanson and particu- larly Professor Stomberg, of the University of Minnesota; Mr. Swendsen, of Minneapolis, as well as many others too numerous to mention. The Committee and the author wish to express their sincere thanks to the American Scandinavian Foundation for the loan of the cuts of the portraits of Washington and Hesselius; to Prof. David Nyvall for the loan of the cut of North Park College ; to Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, 111., for the loan of the other cuts ; and especially to Mrs. Ingeborg Hansell, of New York, who has designed the cover. Those who are interested in the history of Swedish achieve- ments in America will find more detailed information in the author's "_Swedes in America," Volume I. This work will be complete in four volumes. THE AUTHOR. Philadelphia, October, 1921. Portrait of Washington, Painted by WertmiiUer. See page 42. INTRODUCTION History and Colonization — Characteristics of the Swedes HISTORY AND COLONIZATION. An account of the background of events is generally desir- able. If of sufficient detail and scope it will give us a clearer view of the subject in question and make it easier to understand certain peculiar traits of the actors in new or unfamiliar environ- ment and their reaction to new stimuli. It will often explain the rise and origin of movements and indicate the source of influ- ences and the forces behind them. With this in view the reader may perhaps find an interest in the following brief sketch of Swedish history and Swedish- American colonization from the earliest time to the present day. Scholars have located the original home of the Germanic peoples in southern Sweden, where Ayrian clans from the East, according to these views, settled perhaps ten thousand years before our era. From there various tribes spread over Europe, gradually developing into the great nations of today. This may be fancy (although as probable as any other theories on the subject), but it is certain that the ancestors of the present popu- lation of Sweden occupied the southern portion of what is now the Scandinavian Peninsula a very long period before the Chris- tian era. Due to their isolated position and relative seclusion they retained, during the following ages, their purity of race to a greater extent than any other Germanic people, and maintained to a higher degree than other nations the special characteristics of what Grant calls "the Great Race." Through these qualities the people rose above material disadvantages and achieved results relatively far beyond their means. They developed a high civilization before the days of Moses, and at the time of Caesar they possessed a culture superior to any on the con- tinent, outside of Greece and Rome. In the early centuries of our era they produced a literature of large and varied proportions, which unfortunately has been lost. They stood in the front rank of material development. They possessed navigators and warriors who had few equals and no superiors in the known world. The victory of the Vikings in virtually every battle and the success of their expeditions in general (often misunderstood and misinterpreted) were not primarily due to the strength, personal prowess or ferocity of the Northmen, but rather to their higher culture, their more scientific methods of warfare and superior organization as compared to their enemies. The forefathers of the modern Swedes had their full share in the stirring history of the Viking period. They took part in most of the important expeditions of the Northmen to the west. They supplied many Norse colonists in Normandy and the British Isles and the largest expedition to America (1003) was led by a chieftain of Swedish descent, Thorfin Karlsefni. But the Viking inhabitants of what is now Sweden, mainly directed their efforts eastward, and early proved their success, not only as warriors, but also as colonists and settlers. They founded Russia and established themselves in many places of this vast territory. They conquered and Christianized Finland and colonized the coastal districts from Tornea to Bjorko. They dotted the Baltic Provinces with their settle- ments, and established trade, commercial and other relations with the various tribes. In the later Middle Ages Sweden fell behind other parts of Europe, more favored by nature. The tremendous energies exerted in many directions in the previous centuries, continued wars and frequent and destructive pestilences, dulled the spirit of the people. The nation was tired ; it needed a rest. For certain brief periods the country was united with the other two Scandinavian nations, often to its detriment, and foreigners ob- tained a firm foothold there. At the time of the Reformation, trade, commerce and industrial arts were almost entirely in the hands of Germans or Hollanders. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, however, great leaders arose who, in less than three generations, placed the nation among the first-class powers of Europe, raised the stand- ard of living, extended the boundaries of the country, improved the system of the government, making it a model for the rest of Europe, reformed education and founded universities and preparatory schools, established cities, extended trade and fost- ered commerce. Gustavus Adolphus, Queen Christina, Axel Oxenstierna, Klas Fleming, Charles XII and dozens of others are names that grow dim by no comparison and, by virtue of their colonial interests, are bound up closely with the history of America. It was particularly the beginning of the seventeenth century, that witnessed the ascendency of Sweden. The Thirty Years' War made her the leading power of northern Europe, and brought her in touch with world forces to a larger extent than ever before since the Viking period. The result was an awaken- ing along many lines and a quickening of the national life. The feeling of nationality grew strong (nationalism and chauvinism are not, as many scholars maintain, an eighteenth century prod- uct) and there was a veritable propaganda for national great- ness. Swedish warriors had placed the country "on the map" politically, Swedish armies had marched over half of Europe, humbled several nations and pressed the course of history into new channels. With this in view Swedish statesmen and other leaders tried to give the nation a "place in the sun" of commer- cial, industrial and colonial success. Spain, Portugal, England and Holland had large colonial possessions, great commercial fleets and extensive industrial establishments. On a hundred battlefields Swedish soldiers had found no superiors, why should not Swedish genius, applied to peaceful pursuits, acquire equal success in competition with other nations? Why should not Sweden have a share in the colonial empires across the sea, where, according to reports, fabulous fortunes were slumbering, ready to be won by the strong and the enterprising? Thus argued the educated Swede of the seventeenth century. The argument was correct, but Swedish resources in wealth and man power were hardly equal to such a task. The gigantic wars required unbelievable sacrifice and called for nearly the last ounce of the nation's strength. It was, however, in the very midst of these wars that Swed- its colonies were planted in America and Africa, and that the nation took a long leap forward in material development, but the above facts explain why the colonial ventures lacked the es- sential elements of success. Many foreigners who were seeking preferment and better opportunities for the exercise of their power, offered their serv- ices to the progressive nation of the north, whose King and Chan- cellor were eager to giake use of talents wherever they could be found. Holland especially, which by virtue of a long develop- ment had a surplus of trained men in many fields, furnished Sweden with some of her best leaders. Thus availing themselves of foreign experts, as well as training native powers with the utmost intensity, the King and his assistants executed extensive plans and accomplished far-reaching reforms in many fields. As a result Swedish shipping began to compete for the trade of the Baltic. Weaving mills, ropewalks, glass works and other factories were.established. Native talent was available in abund- ance which simply needed training, as the Swede has always been mechanically inclined. From times immemorial he made his im- plements for farming and other purposes, as well as household goods. He built his house and constructed his primitive mills; while every house-wife could spin her yarns, weave her cloth and sew her clothes. The spiritual and cultural forces were not neglected by the great leaders of the seventeenth century, and the blessings of civilization were also given to the inhabitants of conquered ter- ritory, for the Swedish chariot of war did not primarily leave desolate cities and waste country in its wake. In its track sprouted commerce and trade, schools and universities arose, ^ orderly government was established and happy and contented citizens were left to enjoy the blessings of a higher culture. Education and Christianity were always the first thoughts of the Swedish statesmen and warriors. When they conquered Finland they did not exterminate the race or compel them to adopt a new language, but they translated the Bible into their tongue and thus taught them the truths of Christianity in the Speech they understood and appreciated. When governors were sent to America and Africa they were strictly enjoined to treat the aborigines kindly, and large fines were imposed for any in- jury done to the natives, while the instructions were minute about their conversion to Christianity. Much was done for the education of the masses and the school system of the country was greatly improved. Commenius (Komminsky), far ahead of his contemporaries as an educator, was called to Sweden for the purpose of reorganizing the school system according to his educational theories, and, at the expense of the government, he wrote a series of pedagogical works. The result was the school ordinance of 1648 "with a system of in- structions equal to which no other country could show a parallel, whether we refer to the completeness and thoroughness of the formal and pedagogical principles or the extent or content of the material studied." Improvements were made from time to time and in 1693 compulsory education became a law, long before similar meas- ures were adopted in other countries. As a consequence of suc]^ efforts, the illiteracy of the population was greatly reduced, and the Swedes who came to America during the colonial period and later showed a smaller percentage of illiteracy than any other nation. * * * The first impulse for Swedish Trans-Atlantic trade, com- merce and colonization came from Holland. When English set- tlements were being made in New England and Virginia and when the Dutch were establishing themselves in New Amster- dam, William Usselinx drew up extensive plans for a Swedish company which was to conduct trade and found colonies in America and Africa. These plans miscarried, but the idea was realized on a smaller scale, and out of it grew one of the set- tlements on the North American coast. The first expedition, conceived in 1636, prepared in 1637, ar- rived on the American shores in March, 1638, and landed at what is now Wilmington, Delaware. The west bank of the Delaware as far as present Philadelphia was bought from the Indians. Forts and other dwellings were erected and arrange- ^ The universities of Abo and Dorpat, etc. l3C £•' . 3lfiss. M u/Lic FA t, aij y^ rilft CCrAtm. -J. f I I lii l ] i|^ ., II...I. II, I. !f ]. I ], I I ■ ...i l UM I I '- I I. .til. I I . J. . lU "li"" • _Mi"l .i.iilllillU k,.'JiiuWt. lli'...i.»H (z. Z't-j6--f8 ^o 7Z d± <)6 loSUi Fort Christina on the Delaware, New Sweden (Present Wilmington, Delaware). ments made for the tilling of the soil and establishing trade witb the aborigines. Eleven other expeditions followed at certain in- tervals. More land was bought from the Indians, and the set- tlement finally extended to four of the original States — Pennsyl- vania, Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. New Sweden on the Delaware, as the colony was called, surrendered to the Dutch in 1655, after a short and practically bloodless warfare and the district was captured by the English nine years later. The colony, however, continued to grow in prosperity. New farms were cleared, new mills for grinding corn were erected, new brick-yards were established and new roads were laid out. Im- migrants arrived from Sweden from time to time. New settlers came from other parts of Europe and from the neighboring col- onies on the coast. The banks of the Delaware and the Schuyl- kill for some distance were thus settled and the country was by no means a wilderness when William Penn arrived in 1G8;^. The Swedes dominated the situation for some time, but they gradually lost their ascendency, through the influx of set- tlers from Great Britain and elsewhere. They retained their characteristics for many generations and left a decided imprint on the three States where they were located. This was, to a large extent, due to the interest of the mother country. The Swedish government maintained pastors among its colonies and houses of worship were built at the expense of the public treasury. When New Sweden passed on to the Dutch only one pastor remained who, according to the articles of sur- render, was allowed to instruct the Swedes freely in their relig- ion and language. For several years the colony was entirely left to itself, but the Swedes here were deeply religious and when their only pastor became old and unfit for service the colonists entreated the government at Stockholm to supply them with "ministers of the gospel, so that their children would not grow up to be heathens." This was in 1693. Charles XI, "a good and wise monarch" who "was religious to excess," occupied the throne, and he issued orders that the requests of the Swedes in America should be granted. Accord- ingly three ministers of the Gospel were dispatched with Bibles and books. They arrived here in May, 1697, after a long and perilous journey, and at once began collecting "the scattered flocks." Two churches were erected soon after — one at Wilming- ton in 1699 and one in Philadelphia in 1700. These interesting little churches are still standing, as monuments to the piety and religious fervor of the early Swedes. * * * Literature, science and general culture were ardently fost- ered during the eighteenth century and in this period we find some of the most famous names in Swedish history, Linne, Swed- enborg. Fries, Scheele are but a few. The intense scientific ac- tivity reacted on America. The Swedish pastors that came to Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were nearly all "vo- taries of botany, or other forms of learning," and greatly stimu- lated interest in science and education during their stay in America. But conditions in the mother country were unfavor- able for emigration and the churches on the Delaware were adversely affected. Almost incessant wars, some of them disas- trous, misrule and internal strife, made the nation helpless. Nevertheless the authorities at Stockholm did not forget the lit- tle colony in America. Even Charles XII, during his exile in Turkey, issued orders about "the Swedish-Lutheran Mission on the Delaware." The government, although at all times pressed for funds, not only supplied relatively large sums of money to the missionaries, but also sent psalm-books. Bibles and other religious literature to the churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Forty-one pastors were sent to America between 1612 and 1779, many of whom were among the most learned and able preachers in the country — men like Rev. Dylander, Dr. Wrangel, Dr. Collin and others. In their wake followed, not only a certain number of immigrants who sought their fortunes here, settled in the country and became "good citizens," but also travellers, artists and scientists, such as Johan Printz, Peter Kalm, Gustav Hesselius, Ulric Wertmiiller, Ulric Dahlgren, etc. Thus there has been almost an uninterrupted migration to these shores from Sweden from the year 1638 to the present day. In fact, after the Revolution, there was a considerable influx of immigrants, to such an extent that it was necessary for Rev. Collin about 1820 to warn his countrymen from coming here, "as there were too many Swedes in the land already." The nineteenth century was a period of great changes in Sweden as elsewhere. Liberal thought gradually permeated every walk of life. Many reforms were set in motion and educa- tion was made even more general than ever before, placing Sweden in the front rank of civilized nations and reducing the illiteracy of her population to less than one-hundredth of one per cent., the lowest in the world. Migration to America during the first forty years of the cen- tury was small. So long a journey presented innumerable difficul- ties. Transportation was troublesome and expensive and the trip took weeks and often months. The poor classes, who were willing to migrate had no money to do so and people of means had no am- bition to leave their homes for uncertain fortunes in a new world. Besides it was not always possible to quit the country, as a special permit was required from the King. This restriction was removed in 1843 and other circumstances tended to set in mo- tion "that procession of fortune-seekers from Sweden" which has increased our population by nearly two millions and made in- valuable contributions to our national life, by clearing the mighty forests of the western States and transforming the wide prairies to fertile fields, by building 2000 churches and almost as many school houses, by establishing nearly twenty higher institutions of learning, and a large number of charitable organizations, by forming over one thousand societies for public welfare and mu- tual benefit, by publishing hundreds of newspapers and thou- sands of books, in fine by enriching our spiritual life in a hun- dred different ways. These, and the earlier contributions of the colonial Swedes, will form the subject for the following pages, but before we proceed it will perhaps be profitable to examine the characteristics of the people, which have played so eminent a part in the upbuilding of the nation. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SWEDES. The Swede is an individualist and has an intensely developed sense of personal rights. Hence his feeling of individual owner- ship is strong. He has a high respect for property rights and an innate feeling of the difference between "mine and thine." The result is a proverbial honesty which is always mentioned as his distinctive attribute. At bottom he is an idealist, and the most noteworthy at- tempts at realism in Swedish literature are tinged with a certain idealism, a part of the nature of every Swedish poet, which can never be fully repressed. The Swede is often as serious-minded as the Finn, although he seldom becomes morose. He is generally of an even tempera- ment and fatalistic disposition. Religion, based on deep conviction, is an inborn characteris- tic, and often gives a key to his career. About the first thing a company of Swedes will do, after they have provided shelter for themselves, is to erect a place of worship, whether their home be in the city or on the plains or in the deep forests. Another trait in the Swede is his vitality and ability to work. His longevity, according to statistics, is ten per cent, higher than that of any other nationality in Europe. Thus his endur- ance is great and he possesses those qualities in a special de- gree that go to make the successful pioneer. Work is a necessary prerogative to his happiness. "He revels in his labors and is proud of his job." Every detail is of interest to him, and here lies the secret of his success in the various trades. "To make money" generally is not his main desire, nor is mere wealth his ultimate aim. To establish a business of which he can be proud and to live in a home which gives him delight and comfort is worth more to him than a bank account or a large fortune. 13 He is more industrious than the majority, but not always ■saving. You never find him in the slum districts of our cities, and seldom do you encounter him in charitable homes. The Swedes congregate in colonies, like most other nationalities, but they are less clannish than some. As a race they are mechanically inclined. It is as easy and natural for them to be good mechanics and handy with tools, as it -is for the Russians to be good dancers. Modern conditions have somewhat tended to stunt the growth of this talent — fac- tory-made objects have displaced han(;l-wrought articles — but it has taken expression in sloyd or manual training. They have special aptitude for natural sciences, and as a race, have, perhaps, furnished more than their share of prominent scien- tists in many fields. Love of music is their most pronounced artistic trait. A large number of Swedes are skilful carvers in wood, an ancient and once common art; some are great painters, and a few are promi- nent sculptors, but the whole nation can sing and is fond of music. It is the one art that the most puritanical will not banish. While some denominations have rejected every vestige of painting and sculpture, song and music have been cultivated ardently. Another pronounced characteristic of the Swede is his adap- tability to new surroundings and ready accommodation to new and strange conditions. After a few years in a foreign country he acquires its language and feels himself part of the community. His inborn loyalty to his immediate surroundings and close associations and his strong love of home quickly develop into a deep loyalty to his adopted country, where he enjoys his com- forts and privileges. Sweden becomes a beautiful dream, a series of sweet childish recollections, but always dominated by the more real and present fact of the everyday reality of his new life. He may long to visit "the little red cottage" where his youth passed in "tranquil innocence," but he is never satisfied there, and he will generally return to the "home of his choice." His interests are here, his home henceforth in America, the land where his children will live and die. He feels he is one with the country which he has helped in a small measure to make. There are no more patriotic and loyal citizens within the confines of the forty-eight States than the citizens of Swedish descent. 14 CONTRIBUTIONS GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE EARLY PERIOD. It IS rather difficult to appraise accurately the share of the colonial Swedes and their descendents in the progress and growth of America. If Bancroft's estimate is correct about six per cent, of the population in the United States are descendants ot the early Swedes on the Delaware. In material development these colonists possibly did not contribute more than their pro- portionate quota, but in culture and religious matters, they ac- complished results far beyond their numbers. They laid the basis for the civilization and religious struc- ture of three of the original states (Delaware, New Jersey and i^ennsylvania), and made early settlements in a fourth (Mary- land). In this region they built the first flour mills, constructed the first saw mills, built the first ships on the Delaware (today f"u 2 .u ^^ °''^"'°^* shipbuilding centres of the world), estab- lished the first brick yards, laid out the first cities, made the first roads, introduced horticulture and scientific forestry two cen^ tunes before these ideas became general in the nation They erected the first temples of worship, they established the first schools, translated Luther's catechism into the Indian language for the first time, and were the first to begin missionary work among the Lenapes They built the first organs south of Bos- ton, drew the first detailed maps of the country, wrote the first geography of the middle eastern States. They made the first astronomical and weather observations; they wrote the first phi ologicaj treaties of the Lenape dialect, and they made the first botanical study of the region. They established the first aw courts and the first trials by jury. They laid the foundation tor a fair and humane treatment of the Indians,^ and saved Penn, sylvania. New Jersey and Delaware from the bloody history of New England, New Amsterdam and Virginia. They were the first to oppose slavery (even before the Germans), they fur- nished the first revivalist in the history of America, and they pro- duced the first American painter of note. Three prominent American poets trace their ancestors to the Delaware Swedes; tl f";ri? S' °^ '^' ^'^'^'" Stocking Tales was a descend- ant of the New Sweden settlers, and from their ranks have come some of the greatest scholars and scientists of America. Some ot the details will appear in the following sections.^ ' See below, page 17 ff. IS AGRICULTURE. Among the foremost achievements of the Swedes in Amer- ica are the vast number of farms which they have brought under cultivation, and the dairies and other agricultural establishments which they have spread over the nation. In the colonial period they were principally farmers, and be- fore 1700 they had dotted the shores of the Delaware from its mouth almost as far up as Trenton for Several miles inland with their farms and plantations, and they had spread to Maryland and even to Virginia. The first thirty years of the migrations of the nineteenth cen- tury brought an overwhelming majority of farmers and settlers who by choice or necessity selected lands in the west and else- where for their homes. Land was plentiful and could be obtained from the government for almost nothing, and from the railway companies for a trifle. It was thus possible to become a farmer without any other capital than a power and will to work. These qualities the Swedes possessed in an eminent degree and hence became particularly successful pioneer farmers. Many of the earlier settlers of other nationalities selected homesteads near rivers and lakes that offered easy means of communication. Not so the Swedes. They plunged straight into the wilderness or wandered into the deep prairies in small groups, where they chose the most inaccessible places, built their log cabins or dug their earth houses. However, in ten years the Swede had transformed the forest into a fertile farm and the desolate prairie into a field of waving grain. His earth house had grown to a two-story dwelling, and the dingy hut had been re- placed by a large, convenient farmhouse. In twenty years he lived in a cottage with all modern improvements. His barn had become an imposing structure with machinery, windmill, gaso- line pumps, separators, grinding devices, wood-cutting apparatus and a dozen other special contrivances for every conceivable pur- pose, besides his regular farming machinery. This is a picture of a typical instance, and is based on a real case. Citizens of Swedish extraction have cleared and cultivated in all over ten million acres in the United States.* Of foreign people only the Germans have surpassed them in the extent, of their farms and the magnitude of their agricultural achievements. There are large Swedish-American agricultural communities in almost every part of the Union, except in a few of the south- ern States. In Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, the Dakotas, Kansas and Ohio, whole counties are exclusively Swedish and some settlements are dozens of miles in extent. If we compare the wealth and prosperity of some of these counties with counties of other nationalities we shall find that the Swedish farmers are among the leaders in wealth and advancement. They are pro- * In Minnesota alone they have over 2,000,000 acres under cultivation. 16 gressive and quick to adopt new ideas and are always on the alert for new machinery and the latest inventions which will aid them to keep abreast with the best.^ In horticulture, landscape-gardening, fruit raising and nurs- ery establishments they have attained remarkable success. In Cromwell, Massachusetts, are located what is claimed to be the most extensive hot-houses in America. The business was founded fifty years ago by a citizen of Swedish birth and is still owned by him. It is said that "more roses are produced there for the retail market than at any other hot-houses in the country." In Chicago is another nursery, founded by S. S. Peterson in 1856, which has grown to be one of the largest and most impor- tant establishments of its kind in the West. This concern has supplied Chicago with millions of plants. It has imported hun- dreds of thousands of bushes, seeds and plants from Europe, and exported equally immense numbers to the Old World. Swedish-Americans have also entered the fruit-raising busi- ness and demonstrated their versatility and ability to specialize, showing a shrewd business sense by succeeding where others have failed. The victory over rough and rugged nature in the northern woods and on the western prairies is a worthy monument to the settlers who, in many cases, came here with nothing but two strong hands and a will to work. There would be a great void in the Northwest today, could a million citizens of Swedish descent be removed from this ter- ritory ; and, but for them, large tracts would be primeval forests and what is now the most fertile fields of this great region would still be waste land. INVENTIONS. It has been asserted that the Swedes, according to their numbers, have added more practical inventions to American industrial life than any other nationality. Whether this is true or not admits of no authoritative opinion, for the simple reason that statistics on the subject are unobtainable. That the Swedes are of a mechanical turn of mind is an acknowledged fact, and their inventive faculties have enriched eveiy nation, where they have come as settlers or mere sojourners for awhile. In the Colonial days the Swedes added several important "mechanical discoveries and improvements" to the United States. It is especially noteworthy that Dr. Nils Collin, one of the Swedish pastors in Philadelphia, constructed an elaborate elevator, exceptionally useful in the case of fire, and received a gold medal for some of his other mechanical contrivances. The early immigrants of the last century, as we have seen, " Electric plants for power and light are common on Swedish- American farms in the West. 17 were mostly farmers and had little inclination for inventions or industrial pursuits, and it was not until a decade after the Civil War, with two or three notable exceptions, that men of Swedish lineage gained important success in the held of inventions and discoveries. One of the exceptions among the early pioneers was John Ericsson, who stands supreme and rather isolated, lit must always be mentioned among those four or five men whose genius made modern civilization possible. Ericsson's contributions to American progress are too num- erous to be mentioned in a chapter of this character, but his major inventions and achievements must be sketched briefly. His first important addition to the world's material i)rogress, which became intimately interwoven with American industrial life and of special significance to the nation, was the propeller. This invention indeed antedated his coming to America, but the United States enjoyed the first fruits of its success. No historian worthy of the name has ever maintained that Ericsson was the first to hit upon the idea of the propeller — in fact, several nations have claimed the honor — but he was the first to make it a success. Shortly after his arrival in New York Ericsson found an opportunity to execute some of his new ideas. In 18-12-43 he superintended the building of a sloop of war named "Princeton," fitted with his patented propeller and machinery of his own design. This ship, famous in American naval history, was re- markable in many ways and opened a new chapter in naval construction. She was the first screw steam vessel of war ever built. She was the first war-ship in which all the machinery was below the water line. She was the first man-of-war to be supplied with fans for forcing the furnace fires. She was the first battle-ship to carry cannon of modern cali- bre, twelve-inch guns. Ericsson had invented a gun of this calibre before his com- ing to America, but it was first put to the test here and rightly belongs to his American achievements. The importance of the idea, however, was hardly realized by the naval experts of the day. The fire-engine is one of his most useful and valuable gifts to humanity. His first engine was made in England (1828) and became the starting point for the engineers of Europe ; but the idea did not cross the ocean before Ericsson's arrival here, and in 1840 a new and improved fire apparatus was constructed by him, for which he received a gold medal from the American In- stitute. The "Monitor," however, is the most famous of his creations. i8 Its value to the country is described in another chapter," but it may be in place here to present his specific claims to ownership, since these have often been disputed. Certain writers with abund- ant ardor and zeal, but somewhat deficient in historical knowledge and scientific methods and not wholly free from bias, have gone to great lengths in their endeavor to rob John Ericsson of his rightful honors. As in the case of the propeller Ericsson was not the first to think of a revolving turret. In fact one or two patents were registered years before which contained some of the principles of the "Monitor." The best known of these are a plan "for a revolving iron battery," submitted by Theodore R. Timby to the War Department in 1841, and a patent, filed in 1843, for "a metallic revolving fort to be used on land or water, and to be revolved by propelling engines located within the same, and acting upon suitable machinery." '^ But these contrivances were impractical and never reached a workable stage. Ericsson was the first to put the propeller and the revolving turret into practical use, in the same sense that Marconi made the wireless an efficient agent for sending long-distance messages and Fulton made the steamboat a public means of conveyance, which finally developed into one of the most essential posses- sion of the modern world. Space does not permit a full presentation of the case, but if Marconi is to be credited with the invention of the wireless, Fulton with the steamboat, Stevenson with the locomotive and Morse with the telegraph, then surely John Ericsson, and for similar reasons and in some cases with more propriety, must be credited with the invention of the propeller and the "Monitor." To do otherwise would be to deny credit and honor to some of the greatest benefactors of mankind. In the world of progress it is not the air-castles that count, however wonderfully conceived, but the solid structures of wood, iron and stone. A builder of palaces in the air may be an m- teresting member of the community and a worthy object of historical discussion, but even the most biased will admit that the builder of palaces on the ground is a slightly more useful citizen and deserves a somewhat greater recognition. John Adolph Dahlgren, the famous admiral of the United States Navy, must also be mentioned here. His best known in- vention was the gun that bore his name. It was the result of elaborate experiments and based on accurate and scientific prin- ciples. "The experts" shook their heads and predicted failure, but it finally won the day and opened a new era in naval arma- * See below, page 57 fif. ' As early as 1812 Colonel John Stevens proposed heavily armored circu- lar vessels which could be revolved at will. Vessels of a somewhat similar type were actually built in Russia about 1872, but they proved to be failures. 19 ment.® Besides he invented a cannon-rifle and boat-howitzer with iron carriages, unsurpassed for combined Hghtness and accuracy. Inventions of lesser men are too numerous and too varied to be mentioned in the space allotted for this purpose. Among the earlier of these contributions perhaps the Nelson knitting ma- chine is the most important and useful. Since then there is not a field of industry, a branch of science or a section of mechanics that has not been enriched by the inventive genius of Swedish- Americans. New processes of steel hardening (the most ef- ficient armor plate for battleships in the world is said to be made in Philadelphia according to a formula of a Swedish-American engineer), new methods of mining, improved ways of iron and steel manufacturing, new systems of tunneling and a variety of other processes, farming machinery of every description, auto- matic devices, labor-saving machines of a hundred different designs in the carpenter trade, book-binding and other industries; hook and eye machinery, wire-bending machinery, baking ma- chinery, locks and firearms, shells and explosives, die-cutting" devices, metal working machines, generators and dynamos, alter- nators, new system of wireless telegraphy and telephony, the locomotive, internal combustion engines, automatic weighing scales, rotary pumps, the motorcycle, lubricating systems and various devices connected with automobiles, signal systems, storage batteries, musical instruments and a thousand other devices have either been improved, invented or discovered by citizens of Swedish lineage in this country. The mere names of these inventions, improvements and discoveries would fill many large pages, and the benefit they have been to the nation, and the part they have played in its industrial development is commensurate only with what the Swedish-Americans have ac- complished in agriculture, lumbering and other pursuits. ^ CONTRACTING, BUILDING, ENGINEERING, BUSINESS, BANKING, MANUFACTURING, LUMBERING AND MECHANICAL PURSUITS. Even in the colonial period there were builders, contractors and skilled laborers of Swedish origin, but few of them rose to distinction. The Swedish immigrants before 1870 were mostly untrained and except in isolated cases possessed no desire for business or the larger affairs of the country. However, forty years ago, or more, citizens of Swedish origin began to invade practically every line of business, every branch of industry and commerce and every vocation and profession, and they have forged to the front in all these fields. ' For its value to the Union cause in the Civil War, see below, page 53 ff. ' Statistics and a full account with a bibliography will appear in Swedes in America, IV. "It is hardly an exaggeration to say that there is not a single business community of any importance" in the country today, except in the South, where they have "not established themselves." The business man of Swedish origin has retained much of the conservatism of his ancestors. "He avoids great risks and builds on a solid foundation," hence "his achievements are seldom spectacular or sensational," and his success is mod- erate but sure. He has thus exerted an influence on his com- munity for sound and honest business principles and for high ideals in trade. The Swedish-Americans are also well represented in banking and other pursuits connected with business. In tailoring likewise they stand very high and their shops cater mostly to the finest trade, many of the fashionable tailor- ing establishments in the country being owned and operated by Swedish-Americans. "In proportion to their numbers," says the Report of the Immigrant Commission, "the Swedes of the first generation are engaged in building trades to a greater extent than . . . any other nationality" except two. The foremost building contractor in Chicago, 111., is of Swedish birth. The Pugh Terminal Warehouse (the largest building in the city) and about forty of the public schools there have been erected by him. The largest contracting firms in Kansas City and several other building centres of the West are operated by Swedish-Americans. Many of the largest structures in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Seattle, Omaha, Cleveland and other cities have been built by architects or contractors of Swedish lineag'e. ^° Some of the most extensive water systems in the country (Chicago, Seattle, etc.) have been either planned or partly planned and constructed by citizens of Swedish extraction. Some of the longest and most important bridges of the nation have been built by Swedes, and they have constructed dry-docks and ship-building plants for the Government and private in- dividuals. Portions of western railroads and other large engin- eering works have also been constructed by Swedes. In manufacturing and mechanical pursuits along many lines they occupy an even more important position, and in proportion to their numbers employed, in their skill, as evidenced by the product they turn out, the confidence placed in them by the owners of industrial plants and the positions they occupy, they surpass all other nationalities without exception. ^^ The man- agers, superintendents, presidents and other executive officers in many of our industrial establishments, such as steel mills, auto- mobile factories, machine works, etc., are citizens of Swedish origin (the manager of the Corbin Screw Corporation, General "The steel plant and rolling mill of John A. Roebling's Sons, at Tren- ton, N. J., were designed and the erection superintended by a Swede, etc. " See report of Im. Covi., 191 1 ; private reports from factories in the New England States ; Illinois ; Michigan, etc. Manager of the Reed-Prentice Company, the Superintendent of the American Glass Factory, the Chief Engineer of the Cadillac Motor Car Co., the President of the Compo Board Company, etc.). Swedish carpenters are recognized as among the best and they generally command the highest wages. They have fur- nished about five times their proportionate share of this class of skilled labor (/w. Com. Rep., 191 1). As joiners and cabinet makers they also occupy a unique place in American industry. I believe that it is no exaggeration to say that there is not a furniture factory or cabinet plant of any consequence in the country in which they are not employed as mechanics or foremen. In such important furniture centres as Rockford and Grand Rapids, they hold a dominant and leading place. Some of the largest factories are not only managed but owned by citizens of Swedish birth or descent. The same is true in Jamestown, Phil- adelphia,^- Minneapolis and many other places (where there are such establishments turning out doors, sash, office partitions, and other mill work and specialties). The output of all these plants is not only immense, but the product is in most cases of the very best workmanship. Many factories specialize in the highest grade of furniture ; copies of antiques, period designs, etc. In lumber manufacturing and the lumber business generally they have been leaders and innovators (the first band gang saw constructed in the United States was in one of the C. A. Smith Mills ; the manufacture of by-products on a large scale, thus in- creasing the productivity and profit of the plants, was first be- gun by Swedes ; the first private employment of trained foresters and the establishment of nurseries, for the purpose of making lumbering perpetual in adaptable territories, were inaugurated by Swedes, etc.) The C. A. Smith lumber interests, which the American Lum- berman for November 11, 191 1, calls "the world's most advanced example of a lumber manufacturing and distributing organiza- tion," was founded and has been headed since its origin by C. A. Smith (born in Sweden in 1853). This vast corporation, which owns and controls enough logs and lumber "to build houses for a nation," and whose weekly output runs into millions of feet, is probably the largest lumber and timber concern not only in the United States but anywhere. Several other important plants '^ are and have been owned and operated by Swedes in the lumber centres of America.^'* '^In Philadelphia there are three important factories operated and owned by Swedes from the Aland Islands. " The Western Lumber Manufacturing Company, Mansfield, Oregon, to mention one of the many, is specializing in veneer, and separators for stor- age batteries. "The late Lewis Sands, of Michigan, was in his day one of the fore- most lumbermen of the West. 22 The Swedish-Americans are also numerous as skilled and unskilled laborers and foremen in the saw mills, as well as lum- bermen and raftsmen in the logging operations, supplying a lit- tle more than twice their proportionate share. RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS. The religious activities of the Swedish-Americans conform to one of their most characteristic traits. There are, of course, irre- ligious Swedes, and Swedes indifferent to all forms of organized creeds, but the majority are deeply religious, although not al- ways affiliated with any particular denomination. "Whether church members or not, parents send their children to the Sun- day schools, convinced that the church is one of the bulwarks of citizenship and an indispensable pillar of society." -" -fc4% of the total). 8 Attorneys (9% of the total). 13 Judges of Probate (15% of the total). .11 Surveyors (12J^% of the total). 17 Coroners (19>^% of the total). 17 Clerks of Court (19>^% of the total). 6 Court Commissioners (6^% of the total). 10 Superintendents of Schools (11>^% of the total). 83 County Commissioners (19% of the total). They have furnished the State with four governors who held office eighteen years, or 28>^ per cent, of the period since the first governor was installed in 1858. They have supplied four Sec- retaries of State, who served fifteen years, or 23 per cent, of the total, and ten Assistant Secretaries of State, who served twenty- three years, or 361^^ per cent, of the total. Thus we see that while the Swedes or their descendants constitute about 17 per cent, of the population of the State, they have in some cases contributed as high as 36 per cent, of its political officers, while their average is over 19 per cent., a record that is surely worthy of respect, and surpassed by few. In their political capacity they are generally of a construc- tive trend of mind. Perhaps no governor in any of the forty- eight States has to his record so large a number of beneficial and important, in some cases almost epochal, measures as Gov- ^ Three or four born in Canada, England and Ireland are not included for reasons given above. ' 47 ernor John A. Johnson, of Minnesota. As individuals and as a group they have exerted their influence for good government and their record in public office is untarnished. Some of their most influmential men, like Carl Swensson, John Enander and others, although, not politicians by profession, have taken an active and leading part in the presidential and State campaigns. Dr. Swensson especially traveled from coast to coast in the in- terest of the election of Harrison and McKinley and was uni- versally considered one of the ablest and most versatile campaign speakers of the nation. C. A. Swensson, Founder of Bethany College and Messiah Chorus. The Swedes, except in one or two isolated cases, have never been driven from their mother country by religious or political persecutions. The mainspring of their desires to migrate has been economic. To seek new and larger fortunes in the land of "unlimited possibilities," to hunt a better market for their work, or to find more fertile soil for their farms, this has been the cause that impelled the vast majority to leave "the land of the midnight sun." They have been accustomed to free gov- 48 ernment, based on the consent of the governed, and they appre- ciate our democratic organization and free institutions. They are conservative by nature ; new and untried theories do not ap- peal to them. Hence you rarely find Swedish members in radical organizations or pronounced Bolshevistic societies. People who have been oppressed, persecuted and downtrodden in their na- tive land come here to gain liberty, but they are seldom satis- fied with the freedom they find. It does not conform to the ideas they have pictured, constructed out of imaginary conditions, and when they find that our Government does not measure up to their fantastic creations, they at once become its enemies and grow more dissatisfied with our political conditions than they were in their old home. Not so the Swedes or Swedish-Americans. They are nearly all Republicans and they generally vote the Republican platform without being influenced by religion, race or nationality. Loyalty to their affiliations is a basic characteristic of their make-up and sometimes they have carried this quality nearly beyond what was conducive to good government. Lately, however, they have shown considerable independ- ence. They flocked by the thousands to Roosevelt's banner, and on one occason since then they have voted the Democratic ticket in large numbers. In a few cases the Swedes have also formed very successful political organizations like the "Swedish- American Republican Club of Massachusetts," ^^ and the "John Ericsson Republican League." According to official figures fur- nished me by Dr. Hugo O. Peterson, of Worcester, President of the Eastern Section of the League, it has a voting strength in the eastern States, and some other, as follows : New York 108,000 Massachusetts 80,000 Pennsylvania 92,000 Connecticut 72,000 . New Jersey 42,000 Rhode Island 28,000 ' Ohio 11,000 Maine 10,000 New Hampshire 8,000 Maryland 5,000 Delaware 1,000 Michigan 60,000 Missouri 15,000 Texas 10,000 ''The object of this organization is thus described in the Preamble to the Constitution and By-Laws: "We, Swedish-American Voters of Massachus- etts, in order to further the cause of good Government, Naturalization, Reg- istration and Patriotic Citizenship, in a field where we feel we can accom- plish the greatest results, organized this club to be known as 'The Swedish- American Club of Massachusetts.' " 49 A rather curious reason has been assigned for the Republi- can tendencies of the Swedish-Americans. It has been stated that their affiliations with the Republican Party is due to the fact that this organization has possessed the most forceful and most heroic leaders, such as Lincoln, Grant, Roosevelt and others, whose deeds and impressive personalities have appealed to the Swedes. "For the Swedes," it has been stated, "are a mon- archial people who admire great leaders." In other words, they are hero worshippers. This undoubtedly is not the true ex- planation for their decided "Republican faith." It is due to quite other circumstances. • The Swedes settled largely in the Northern States, where the Republican Party was strong, and furthermore their leaders and teachers like Hasselquist, Olson, Enander and others, who left an indelible imprint on the religious and political life of the Swedes in America, were, as a body, opposed to slavery, and thus naturally sided with the party, which in public thought became associated with the freeing of the slaves.^'* The early Swedish papers, whose editors were Republicans for the reason stated above, also had a large share in forming the political opinions of the Swedish immigrants. Besides, some of the principles of the Republican Party that have occasioned most debate, and that have recurred in practically every election, such as the tariff question, are "articles of political faith" which the majority of "the agricultural Swedes" take for granted, as they have been the working tenets of the Swedish Government for generations. "A Swedish farmer is by nature and inclination a protectionist," it has been said, and we re- member that the early immigrants of the nineteenth century were from the farming communities in the old country .^^ These to my mind are the causes that have brought the Swedish-Americans as a body into the Republican fold. SWEDES IN AMERICAN WARS. No nationality can show a more brilliant or more dis- tinguished record in the wars of America than the Swedes. Even in the early Indian wars they played a small but illustrious part. It was not until the Revolution, however, that they were sufficiently numerous to play a rather conspicuous role. In no country in Europe did the American Revolution find so great a sympathy as in Sweden, and dozens of officers offered their services. Even the famous General Sandels, whose father had '" It is to be remembered that the negroes are largely Republican for the same reason. *°When later immigrants arrived from Sweden they were confronted with "the solid Republicanism" of the Swedish-American press and of their predecessors, who were established in the country and hence spoke with authority, and the newcomers thus naturally fell in line with the rest. SO been a pastor in Philadelphia, prepared to go to America, but was turned back at Paris. King Gustav III wrote as follows to a friend: "If I were not King I would proceed to America and offer my sword on behalf of the brave colonists." As a mat- ter of fact, fourteen Swedish officers fought for American free- dom^*^ in Washington's armies, and in that section of the French fleet which aided the American campaigns. The descendants of the early Swedes were the bravest of the brave in the Continental army, and the settlers along the Delaware were subjected to great hardships and untold suffering by the English troops for their loyalty to the Revolutionary cause. They fought in large numbers in the ranks, and they furnished some of the most brilliant officers and leaders in the struggle. John Hanson, John Morton, Thomas Sinnixon are names that need no eulogy; they are enrolled among the founders of the Republic. But not only as warriors did they contribute to the victory of the Revolution. Rev. Nils Collin did notable service with his pen, and the moral influence of the Swedish Govern- ment was great. (Our first Treaty of Commerce and Amity with any nation was concluded with Sweden.) The Swedes who took part in the Mexican War were few; but Captain Malmborg and one or two others distinguished them- selves in that struggle. * * * In the Civil War they stood as a man behind Lincoln. The citizens of Swedish birth, in these early days, were to some ex- tent influenced by opinions in the mother country. The whole Swedish nation was heart and soul with the Northern States. This naturally strengthened the convictions of the Swedes here. When Lincoln issued his first call for volunteers no foreign- born citizen responded more enthusiastically than the Swedes, who sometimes formed whole companies and offered themselves in a body. The response was so great that about 16^ per cent, of the total Swedish-American population volunteered for serv- ice in the Northern armies, which would have swelled their num- ber to the vast sum total of 3,800,000 men if the native popula- tion and other nationalities had responded in equal proportion to the Swedes. The majority of the Swedish-Americans were private sol- diers, but they had had previous military training, and therefore possessed an advantage over the native-born. From their ranks rose officers of every class, many of whom were recognized as among the foremost tacticians of the American army. The un- stinted praise lavished on Captain Malmborg and General Stol- brand deserves to be known by every one interested in Swedish- American history. This is what Colonel Stuart says of Captain Malmborg: ^ Von Fersen, Stedingk, Peterson, etc. 51 "I was under great obligations to Lieutenant Colonel Malmborg whose military education and experience were of every importance to me. Comprehending at a glance the purpose and object of every movement of the enemy, he was able to advise me promptly and intelligently as to the disposition of my men. He was cool, observant, discreet and brave, and of infinite service to me." The great General Sherman^^ knew war and he knew a war- rior when he saw one. This is his opinion of the Swedish-Amer- ican, General Stolbrand : "A braver man and a better artillery officer than General Stolbrand could not be found in the entire army." The story of General Stolbrand's promotion is worthy of re- peating. It has been told as follows : "Stolbrand had served in his corps for some time with the rank of major, and performed such services as properly belonged to a colonel or brigadier-general without being promoted according to his merits, because there had been no vacancy in the regiment to which he belonged. Displeased with this, Stolbrand sent in his resignation, which was accepted, but Sherman had made up his mind not to let him leave the army and asked him to go by way of Washington on his return home, pretending that he wished to send im- portant dispatches to President Lincoln. In due time Stol- brand arrived in the capital and handed a sealed package to the President in person. Having looked the papers through, Lincoln extended his hand, exclaiming, 'How do you do, General,' Stolbrand, correcting him, said, T am no general ; I am only a major.' 'You are mistaken,' said Lincoln; 'you are a general' — and he was from that moment. In a few hours he received his commission and later returned to the army." It would take us too far afield to relate in detail the serv- ices of these or other Swedish-American officers who gave their best energies, and sometimes their lives, that "the government of the people, for the people and by the people should not perish from the earth." But we cannot leave this section without an account of at least two members of the famous Dahlgren family. Admiral John Adolph Dahlgren and his son, Ulric. Before the war Admiral Dahlgren had served several years in the navy, and was assigned to ordnance duty at Washington in 1843, "much against his wish, as his inclination was for active service afloat." His progress and promotion was rapid and he introduced improvements and innovations that "made the U. " General Sherman was in advance of his times in his employment of artillery which foreshadowed the tactics of today. 52 S. Navy the most efficient and formidable in the world." At the outbreak of the war he was the only commissioned officer in the Washington Navy Yard who did not go over to the Confederate side, and through his bravery and decisive action he saved this important military establishment from destruction or capture. In July, 1862, he was made chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and the following year he received "the thanks of Congress" and was given the rank of Rear Admiral. In July, 1863, he was made commander of the South Atlantic blockading squadron, which comprised over ninety ships. In this capacity he performed sig- nal service for his country and materially shortened the war.^^ But his aid in the war was not confined to the navy. The army also profited by his genius. The Dahlgren cannon, were like the "Berthas" of the late war, a new departure and gave the North a decided advantage in several engagements. This is how the "National Cyclopeedia of American Biography" speaks of them : "The Dahlgren guns, for whose recognition he workeu vainly for years, are historic, not only the fact that they furnished the model and impetus for model naval arma- ments, but also for their wonderful part in saving the in- tegrity of the Federal Union. They were many strides in advance of anything that preceded them, in scientific prin- ciple of construction, accuracy, power and endurance ; they necessitated ironclad ships and also set a period to the old theories of land fortification. . . ." In "nine important engagements in the Civil War . . . they turned the tide of success. At Port Royal, S. C, No- vember 6, 1861, where the frigate 'Wabash' with her forty Dahlgren guns silenced the forts and secured a harbor for the Federal fleet ; at the attacks on Forts Jackson and St ^hilip, April 24, 1862, when the fleet under Farragut and Porter destroyed the Confederate rams and earthworks ; at the battle between the U. S. 'Monitor,' 'Weehawken,' and the Confederate iron-clad, 'Atlanta,' June 17, 1863, when the two Dahlgren guns of the former crushed the sides of the enemy in twenty-six minutes; at the blockade of Charleston Harbor, when the Dahlgren guns not only silenced the forts, but put an effective stop to blockade running; during the siege of Vicksburg, May to July, 1863, when the heavy Dahl- grens, loaned by Admiral Porter, accomplished the silenc- ing of the forts in four days ; at the battle between the 'Kearsarge' and 'Alabama,' July 19, 1864, when the two eleven-inch Dahlgrens of the Federal ship sunk the enemy in fifty-nine minutes ; at Farragut's attack on Mobile, in August, 1864, when the formidable ram 'Tennessee,' a terror ^ The Dahlgren Proving Grounds of the American Navy are named in his honor. S3 to ships of every class, was destroyed by the steady fire of the monitors 'Manhattan' and 'Chickasaw' ; at Fort Fisher, Jan- uary 15, 1865, where the roar from the crescent of Dahlgren guns of Admiral Porter's fleet resembled Niagara, and their precision of fire was wonderful, knocking the Confederate guns quickly out of existence, as well as the gunners. The most memorable occasion of their use, however, was at the battle of Hampton Roads, between the 'Monitor' and the Admiral Dahlgren's son, Ulric Dahlgren, was a young law student, only nineteen, when the war broke out. A year later he volunteered for service and advanced rapidly. After brilliant exploits in several engagements, some of which were celebrated in poetry and painting ^^ he was wounded in the Gettysburg campaign, and invalided home. From the very inception of the war, reports of southern atrocities of the most horrible character circulated in the north- ern papers, of course matched by equally horrible tales in south- ern publications, supposed to have been perpetrated by Union soldiers. These stories poisoned the minds and made the strug- gle exceptionally bitter. The most widely circulated tales cen- tred around "the horrible dungeons of Richmond," where our soldiers "in filth, want and disease were suffering all that neglect and vengeance could inflict." It aroused the deepest indigna- tion in all circles of the North, and was something akin to the submarine campaign of the late war in its effect on public opin- ion. Appeals were made by the Washington Government and privately but to no avail. Finally an expedition was fitted out to release the Union soldiers confined in the prisons of Richmond. The entire force was to be composed of cavalry, four thousand strong. An in- dependent column of five hundred men, picked from all the regi- ments, was to perform the most difficult part of the mission by leading the way and reconnoitering. It was placed under the command of young Dahlgren, who had volunteered for service in the enterprise. He was not even fully restored to health when the expedition was prepared (he had lost one leg as a result of his wound), but he was anxious and eager to take part. His let- ter to his father on the eve of departure to the South is interest- ing: "^ Major General Sigel wrote as follows about one of these exploits : "Dear Sir: — It affords me pleasure to say that your son Ulric Dahlgren, on my staff, has returned from Fredericksburg, after executing one of the most brilliant and daring expeditions since the breaking out of the war, the par- ticulars of which you will learn from the newspapers, and from a copy of his report to me which I enclose to you. His modesty is as commendable as his skill and bravery. I esteem his soldierly and good manly qualities very highly, and think you have much to be gratified at in him." 54 "Headquarters, Third Division Cavalry Corps, "Stevensburg, Feb. 26, 1864. "Dear Father, — I have not returned to the fleet, because there is a grand raid to be made, and I am to have a very- important command. If successful, it v^ill be the grandest thing on record; and if it fails, many of us will 'go up.' I may be captured, or I may be 'tumbled over' ; but it is an undertaking that if I were not in, I should be ashamed to show my face again. With such an important command, I am afraid to mention it, for fear this letter might fall into wrong hands before reaching you. I find that I can stand the service perfectly well without my leg. I think we will be successful, although a desperate undertaking. "Aunt Patty can tell you, when you return. I will write you more fully when we return. If we do not return, there is no better place to 'give up the ghost.' "Your affectionate son, "ULRIC DAHLGREN." But the expedition was not successful. Dahlgren was mis- led by a blundering guide. His column was ambushed near its objective, and the young officer met a heroic though horrible death. It was said that his body was stripped, mutilated and buried in an unknown grave. It was this the poet had in mind when he said : "Sentry stand the Southern pines. Tenderly the moonlight shines, Where the mould hath hidden deep Hero-dust where none may weep ; Ever towards that lonely glen Turn the hearts of Northern men ; Voices 'neath a Southern sky Breathe a name that cannot die, — DAHLGREN!" His body was later recovered and carried to a place of safety. The event caused a wave of indignation throughout the Northern States and the treatment to which Colonel Dahlgren's body was supposed to have been submitted was featured by the Union press in issue after issue. The death of no other Union officer caused such widespread comment and aroused the nation to such fiery patriotism and such determined cries for revenge. In its effect on the public mind it can be compared only to the execution of Edith Cavell. It was like a clarion call to the Northern youth. Speeches and articles, recounting his death and calling for a reckoning grew and gathered in force. Poets without number joined in the chorus. Charles Henry Brock ex- claimed: 55 "Quench the burning indignation, Check the rising tear; Be his sepulchre the Nation, And the Land his bier! Hellish vengeance hath consigned him To a grave unknown ; Freedom's angel hath enshrined him By Bier altar-stone. Curse and mangle, O ye traitors ! What is left of him ; Crush and sever, ruthless haters ! Every youthful limb ; Blide him in your dark morasses, That no verdant sod E'er may tell, to him who passes, Where he rests with God. But ye cannot crush the story Of his hero-worth, Nor debase his wealth of glory With ignoble earth. And ye cannot hide the gleaming Of his hero-name. For it kindles with each beaming Of his Country's fame ! Spirit of the son immortal ! Wailings of the sire ! Peace, for in your Nation's portal Hangs the funeral lyre ; Breathing there the mighty chorus Of the young and brave. Blow he died, awhile before us. Liberty to save ! Oh ! be this the consolation, This the mourner's pride. That the story fires the Nation, How he lived and died ! Be the sepulchre that holds him Hidden as it may, 'Tis his Country that enfolds him With her native clay." 56 After the war the remains were brought North and laid in state in the City Hall of Washington, guarded by officers, and on the following day Henry Ward Beecher delivered the funeral sermon in the presence of the "President, with nearly all his cabinet, the mayor of the city and other distinguished persons." In the course of his oration Rev. Beecher took occasion to say: "Dahlgren ! The name aforetime was strange to English lips, and of sound foreign to English ears. But now it is no longer your land from which it came ! It is ours ; it is Amer- ican. Our children shall wear it, and, as long as our history lasts, Dahlgren shall mean truth, honor, bravery, and heroic sacrifice." On the way to its final resting place the body was escourted through Baltimore by Union soldiers, and upon arriving at Phil- adelphia it was placed in the Hall of Independence "in the time- honored chamber, whence issued that declaration which ranked this country in the family of recognized nationalities." From there it was taken to the Laurel Plill Cemetery. * * * One of the decisive, according to some critics, the decisive, factor in the war, was the battle between the "Monitor" and the "Merrimac." There may be differences of opinion as to the priority of the claims for some of the features that made the "Monitor" a new and destructive weapon of the ocean, but there is no doubt that John Ericsson's "Monitor" was the first ship of its kind to ride the waves, that it won a fight which became a turning point in the Civil War, that it revolutionized naval war- fare and made all the fleets of the Seven Seas obsolete over night.*° Credit has been given to a Swedish petty officer for the de- cision which gave victory to Ericsson's ship.*^ Several veterans from the period claimed the honor of belonging to the crew of the ship during the battle in Hampton Roads, and only recently "the last survivor" died in the East. But there seems to be no doubt that Hans Anderson was the last survivor, and accord- ing to him the happy outcome of the battle was due to the sug- gestion of Carl Peterson, who proposed that the cannon, as the shells did not seem to harm the well-protected "Merrimac," *" "The 'Monitor' was the crystallization of forty centuries of thought on attack and defense, and exhib'ted in a singular manner the old Norse ele- ment of the American Navy; Ericsson (Swedish, son of Eric) built her; Dahlgren (Swedish, branch of the valley) armed her; and Worden (Swed- ish, wording, worthy), fought her. How the ancient skalds would have struck their wild harps on hearing such names in heroic verse ! How they would have written them in immortal runes !" Admiral Luce in a paper before the Naval Institute, April 20, 1876. See Church, Life of Ericsson, I. " The majority of the crew on Ericsson's "Monitor" were Swedes. 57 should be loaded with a double charge. This was done and the "Merrimac" soon withdrew from the combat. Volumes have been written in dispute as to which of the two ironclads won the day. On the surface the result seems like a draw, but if we look deeper and inquire into the facts of the combat, the result must be decided a complete victory for the "Monitor." In war it is our aim to check the enemy's designs, and eventually to capture or destroy his forces. "The task of the day chosen by the 'Merrimac'," says a naval officer, "was to destroy the 'Minnesota,' to clear Hamp- ton Roads of hostile ships, and to open a free seaway for herself for wider operations. The task of the 'Monitor' was to prevent the execution of this design, which she did with complete success by checking the enemy at the very first stage of his program. Baffled in the attack upon the 'Minne- sota,' the 'Merrimac' abandoned the field and left her enemy in possession; instead of destroying the Federal ships, she did not destroy anything, and at the end of the day was not even in their presence. The duty assigned to the 'Monitor' was to protect the wooden ships, and she protected them ; when night fell, she was still on guard over them, grim, ugly and ready to fight." "The success of the 'Monitor' completely changed the aspect of the opening military campaign, and raised the North from the depths of apprehension to a pinnacle of hope and celebration. No single event of the Civil War, as has been often said, so excited popular enthusiasm, and the 'Monitor' furnished for a long time material for public dis- cussion and applause. The officers — Worden, Greene, and Stimers, particularly — found themselves suddenly popular heroes, and in all this adulation it is pleasant to know that the real author of all the success, John Ericsson, was not overlooked. He who had been looked at with suspicion as an 'inventive crank' was now overwhelmed with honors, and recognized as a national benefactor, and the foremost engi- neer of his time." No other sea conflict in history ever attracted such wide- spread attention and comment, and the revolution in naval archi- tecture, that has led to the super-dreadnoughts of today, began at once among all maritime nations. Within a week after the battle the Government at Washing- ton ordered the construction of six ships of the "Monitor" type. The contract was given to Ericsson, who rushed the work with such speed that they were all ready in about ten months. Several improvements were introduced and it is worth remembering that all, except one (which was sunk by a Southern torpedo), re- mained on the list of naval ships for a generation and were pre- 58 pared for coast defense duty during our war with Spain in 1898. * * * In the Spanish-American war the Swedish-Americans again rushed to the colors. They served in the army and in the navy and were engaged in every battle. Among the men who volun- teered to sink the "Merrimac" in Santiago Harbor, were two Swedes. One of these, for "bravery and coolness in action" re- ceived a medal and a personal letter from President Roosevelt, couched in his usual vigorous language. Statistics of the number of Swedes who volunteered for service in the various branches of the army and navy are not available, but the total was large, and undoubtedly compared favorably with their records in other wars. The Swede is not easily influenced by propaganda. His na- ture is not subject to sudden impulses to the same extent as more nervous temperaments. This trait caused much misunderstand- ing during the early stages of the late war. In war, thinking is a crime and independence, a misdemeanor. You are supposed to follow and swallow undigested anything and everything the powers that be or the press gives you. But this is against th6 nature of the Swede. He is apt to question the veracity of state- ments that appear exaggerated or invented. By this he does not mean to take sides; he is simply trying to get at the truth and arrive at a fair conclusion on the question in dispute. When reports of wholesale atrocities filled our press in the Fall of 1914 and the following years, the Swedes were apt to keep their temper. They were well enough informed to know that in every war on record, since the time of ancient Greece and Rome, enemies have always accused each other of unbelievable and un- speakable atrocities, many of them true, but the majority in- vented or exaggerated. The Swedes did not lose their heads and fly off at a tangent in a fit of hysterics. Few of them said or did things they need to be ashamed of now, when, as Sir Phillip Gibbs has so well expressed it, "the truth can be told." But their position was misunderstood, and when they did not join in the silly and abject condemnation of the whole Hun nation with the same vociferous screams, as some of their neighbors, they were often accused of being pro-German. When America finally entered the war even the blindest and most unreasonable partisan could find no fault with the citizens of Swedish extrac- tion. They offered their services by the tens of thousands. In fact the largest percentage of volunteers from any one place in the forty-eight States of the Union came from Lindstrom, Min- nesota, where every inhabitant but two are Swedes or of Swed- ish parentage. It has also been said that Augustana College, the oldest Swedish-American educational institution in the country, furnished the largest number of volunteers, according to its en- rollment, of any college or university in the land. The number 59 of boys of Swedish birth or extraction in the army was estimated at 250,000, or about 12^/^ per cent, of the total Swedish-American population. On this basis, if all other nationalities, including the native-born, had contributed an equal share, our armies during the war would have totalled 18,700,000 men. Their bravery was universally acknowledged. Numerous in- stances of valor among all nationalities were recorded in the official dispatches, but I know no greater compliment to an of- ficer or service man than that paid to Captain Peterson in a personal cablegram from General Pershing to President Wilson in the Spring of 1918. COMMITTEES OF THE SWEDISH SECTION OF AMERICA'S MAKING. Executive and Finance Committee. Dr. Johannes Hoving, President. Dr. Victor O. Freeburg, Vice-President. Gustaf Sundelius, Corresponding Secretary. John H. Johnson, Recording Secretary. Emil F. Johnson, Treasurer. Axel Hedman. Dr. F. Jacobson. Charles K. Johansen. Ernest Ohnell. Study Committee. Dr. Victor O. Freeburg, Chairman. Erik W. Wallin, Secretary. Dr. Amandus Johnson. Emil F. Johnson. Dr. Henry G. Leach. Book Committee. Dr. F. Jacobson, Chairman. Dr. Victor O. Freeburg, Secretary. Dr. Amandus Johnson. Ernst Skarstedt. Vilhelm Berger. Publicity Committee. Charles K. Johansen, Chairman. Dr. Henry G. Leach. Charles Nieckels. Exhibition Committee. Axel Hedman, Chairman, Mrs. Ingeborg Hansell. John Olin. 6o Program Committee. John H. Johnson, Chairman. Eric Hagstrom. Mrs. Helga Hoving. D. O. Host. Ragnar Ahlin. General Committee. Dr. Johannes Hoving, Chairman, Vasa Temple Association of New York. Dr. Victor O. Freeburg, Vice-Chairman, Swedish-x\merican Trade Journal. Gustaf Sundelius, Corresponding Secretary, Swedish-Amer- ican Chamber of Commerce of the S. S. A. John H. Johnson, Recording Secretary, United Swedish So- cieties of New York. John Olin, United Swedish Societies of New York. Emil F. Johnson, Treasurer, F. and A. Masonic Lodge "Bre- dablick." Henry Johnson, F. and A. Masonic Lodge "Bredablick." Axel Hedman, American Society of Swedish Engineers. Ernest Ohnell, American Society of Swedish Engineers. Erik W. Wallin, St. Erik, Society for Advancement of Swed- ish Music. Mrs. Helga Hoving, St. Erik, Society for Advancement of Swedish Music. Mrs. Alma Berghman, Vasa Temple Association of New York. Dr. Henry G. Leach, American Scandinavian Foundation. Dr. F. Jacobson, Augustana Synod of America. Dr. Mauritz Stolpe, Augustana Synod of America. Eric Hagstrom. Swedish-American Athletic Club of Brook- lyn. D. O. Host, Swedish Club of New York. E. A. Bilgert, Swedish Club of New York. J. Albert Ohman, Swedish Society of New York. Oscar Wijk, Swedish Glee Club of Brooklyn. Axel Wilson, Swedish Glee Club of Brooklyn. Charles A. Ogren, Kallman Orphanage, Brooklyn. Mrs. Nelly Johnson, Swedish Ladies' Society. Eric Johnson, Scandinavian Brotherhood of America, Lodge Oscar n. Ivar Carlson, Scandinavian Brotherhood of America, Lodge! Oscar n. August Johnson, Scandinavian Brotherhood of America, Lodge Kronan. Ragnar Ahlin, Swedish Folkdance Society of New York. Charles du Mar, Hundred Men's Society. Emil Blomquist, Swedish-Norwegian Society. 6i G. A. Bihl, Swedish Singing Society Svea. Gust. A. Wester, Stockholm Club. Adam Lindberg, Stockholm Club. B. A. Lundstedt, Fylgia Society. Edwin Johnson, Society Aland. Albin Rothoff, Society du Nord. Carl J. Swenson, Society du Nord. Charles Paulson, Linnea Association. Mrs. Hilda Molander, Society Freja of Brooklyn. Mrs. Annie Johnson, Society Freja of Brooklyn. Frank Rasmussen, Tegner Club. Axel Swanson, Happy 13 Club. Charles S. Swanson, Happy 13 Club. John Troedson, Singing Society "Lyran." Ewald Thore, Singing Society "Lyran." C. A. Lind, Swedish Chauffeurs Club. Eugene de Brichy, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 33, Sture. E. U. T. Ericsson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 33, Sture. Sven Johnson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. Si, Thor. E. Kellman, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 34, Thor. Mrs. Jenny Gustafson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 35, Valkyrian. Evelyn Armstrong, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 35, Valkyrian. Mrs. Augusta Petterson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 39, Thora. Ellen Johnson. Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 39, Thora. Mrs. Ida Anderson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 51, Odin. Robert Olson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 51, Odin. Axel Bjorkman, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 64, Nobel. Eric Dahlin, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 64, Nobel. John W. Lind, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 75, Kung Gosta. Emil O. Cederholm, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 75, Kung Gosta. Mrs. Alma Anderson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 78, . Saga. Mrs. Erika Ralston, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 78, Saga. Albin O. Ahlgren, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 88, Try ggve. Ellen Youngstrom, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 89, Nordstjarnan. Carl W. Johnson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No, 100, Freja. C. Olson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 100, Freja. Mrs. Gertrude Lundqvist, Vasa Order of America, Lodge 107, Liljan. Mrs. Hilma Staff, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 107, Liljan. August Anderson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 121, Neptun. Aug. E. Johnson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 121, Neptun. Oscar Petterson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 122, Triumf. Oscar Rydstrom, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 194, Hoga Nord. Oscar Eneman, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 194, Hoga Nord. Axel Nelson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 216, Pioneer. W. R. Turnqvist, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 216, Pioneer. Axel Magnusson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 235, Olympic. Oscar Svenson, Vasa Order of America Lodge No. 275, Bjorn. Thore Ladine, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 275, Bjorn. Mrs. Hilma Sandstrom, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 235, Olympic. Albert Rylander, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 304, Gustav n Adolf. Ernst Carlson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 304, Gustav n Adolf. Eric Gordonville, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 306, Syskonkedjan. Mrs. Eric Gordonville, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 306, Syskonkedjan. Emil Anderson, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 338, St. Erik. Torsten Bruhn, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 338, St. Erik. Charles P. Nelson, Vasa Order of x\merica, Lodge No. 340, Svea. O. H. Lanquist, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 360, Baltic. Oscar Bard, Vasa Order of America, Lodge No. 360, Baltic. Honorary and Advisory Committee. John Aspegren, New York. H. Bjornstrom-Steffanson, New York. 63; Karl von Rydingsvard, New York. Hon. Samuel Carlson, Jamestown, N. Y. Charles L. Eckman, Jamestown, N. Y, J. E. Hillberg, Jamestown, N. Y. A. A. Anderson, Jamestown, N. Y. John Soderstrom, Buffalo, N. Y. Ernst J. Berg, Schenectady, N. Y. Dr. Adolph Burnett Benson, New Haven, Conn. Richard Hogner, M. D., Boston, Mass. Olof Ohlson, Waltham, Mass. Frank Mossberg, Attleboro, Mass, Anton H. Trulson, Worcester, Mass. Anders Schon, Worcester, Mass. Hon. Adolph O. Eberhart, Chicago, 111. C. G. Wallenius, Chicago, 111. Nels Hokanson, Chicago, 111. Othelia Myhrman, Chicago, 111. Andrew Tofft, Chicago, 111. Ernest W. Olson, Rock Island, 111. Col. J. A. Ockerson, St. Louis, Mo. Hon. John Lind, Minneapolis, Minn. Dr. Victor Nilsson, Minneapolis, Minn. Prof. A. A. Stomberg, Minneapolis, Minn. Alfred Soderstrom, Minneapolis, Minn. C. J. Larson, St. Paul, Minn. G. N. Swan, Sioux City, Iowa. Alex. Olsson, San Francisco, Calif. Dr. W. W. Keen, Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Gregory B. Keen, Swedish Colonial Society, Philadel- phia, Pa. Henry D. Paxson, Philadelphia, Pa. Prof. A. D. Yocum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. 64 ^RARY OF CONGRESS 011 641 443 ^