William J. Sewell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Medal of Honor recipient | |
| United States Senator fromNew Jersey | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Theodore F. Randolph |
| Succeeded by | Rufus Blodgett |
| In office March 4, 1895 – December 27, 1901 | |
| Preceded by | John R. McPherson |
| Succeeded by | John F. Dryden |
| President of theNew Jersey Senate | |
| In office 1876 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Leon Abbett |
| In office 1879–1880 | |
| Preceded by | George C. Ludlow |
| Succeeded by | Garret Hobart |
| Member of theNew Jersey Senate fromCamden County | |
| In office 1872 – March 4, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Bettle |
| Succeeded by | Albert Merritt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1835-12-06)December 6, 1835 Castlebar,County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | December 27, 1901(1901-12-27) (aged 66) Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Resting place | Harleigh Cemetery Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Colonel BrevetMajor General |
| Commands | 5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
William Joyce Sewell (December 6, 1835 – December 27, 1901) was an AmericanRepublican Party politician, merchant, and military officer who served as a U.S. senator from New Jersey for two non-consecutive terms from 1881 to 1887 and 1895 until his death in 1901.
Sewell was born inCastlebar,County Mayo, Ireland. He immigrated to theUnited States in 1851, where he worked in the merchant industry inChicago, Illinois, before moving toCamden, New Jersey in 1860. He served as an officer in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War, receiving theMedal of Honor for his actions at theBattle of Chancellorsville. He was also aReconstruction Erastate senator andU.S. Senator. The community ofSewell, New Jersey, is named for him.[1]
He was married with four children, two daughters and two sons. He immigrated from Ireland when he was a young boy.[2]
Sewell began his Civil War service as acaptain with the5th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry on August 28, 1861.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on July 7, 1862, and colonel on January 6, 1863. Sewell commanded abrigade at theBattle of Chancellorsville,Virginia, where he was wounded.[3] He was awarded theMedal of Honor in 1896 for his actions. Sewell was the only officer to be awarded the Medal of Honor while in command of a New Jersey regiment.
Sewell was severely wounded again at theBattle of Gettysburg,Pennsylvania, while commanding his unit along Emmitsburg Road on the second day of the battle, July 2, 1863. His wounds forced him from the field for a significant period. He resigned on July 6, 1863, and returned on October 1, 1864.[3][4] On his return, he was given command of the38th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, but his wounds eventually caused him to end his Civil War field service. He was reassigned as commander of Fort Powhatan in the Department of Virginia from January to April 1865. Sewell was mustered out of the volunteers on June 30, 1865.[3]
In recognition of Sewell's service, on January 13, 1866,PresidentAndrew Johnson nominated Sewell for appointment to thebrevet grade ofbrigadier general,United States Volunteers for "gallant and meritorious services at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Va.," to rank from March 13, 1865, and theU.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.[5] On July 18, 1868, President Andrew Johnson nominated Sewell for appointment to the brevet grade ofmajor general of volunteers for "gallant and meritorious services during the war," to rank from March 13, 1865 and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1868.[6]
After the war, Sewell started in the railroad industry as a yardmaster for theCamden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company and eventually became the president of theWest Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Sewell was then elected to theState senate, serving from 1872 until 1881, and as the senate's president in 1876 from 1879 to 1880.[7] Subsequently, he was elected to theUnited States Senate as aRepublican and served from March 4, 1881, to March 3, 1887. During this period hechairedtheCommittee on Enrolled Bills (Forty-seventh Congress andForty-eighth Congress),theCommittee on Military Affairs (Forty-ninth Congress), andtheCommittee on the Library (Forty-ninth Congress).
He held the post as chairman of the New Jersey delegation at the Republican National Convention five times. He was also President of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad Company, a post he held until his death.
Sewell served as one of the national commissioners for New Jersey to theWorld's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, commanded the Second Brigade of theNational Guard of New Jersey, and was appointed a member of the Board of Managers of theNational Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1887, 1889 and 1893, but was again elected to the United States Senate in 1895, serving from 1895 until 1901. During this term, he chaired theCommittee on Enrolled Bills (Fifty-fourth Congress throughFifty-seventh Congress).
Sewell died of complications from heart disease anddiabetes at 9:40am on December 27, 1901, at age 66, in his home atCamden, New Jersey.[3][2] His vacant Senate seat was filled byPrudential Insurance founderJohn F. Dryden. Sewell received full Military Honors at the funeral by both the State National Guard and the Federal Military. During the funeral, official state business was suspended in Camden as a token of respect for his service. He was buried inHarleigh Cemetery, in Camden, New Jersey,[3] in the Spring Grove Section, Lot 75. His grave is marked by a cross designed by sculptorAlexander Stirling Calder.
In 2005, a government-issuedMedal of Honor marker was erected on his grave site. He is one of three Civil War Union Brevet Generals interred in Harleigh, the others being ColonelGeorge C. Burling of the6th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry and ColonelTimothy C. Moore of the34th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.
Rank and Organization:
Citation:
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from New Jersey 1881–1887 Served alongside:John R. McPherson | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from New Jersey 1895–1901 Served alongside:James Smith, Jr.,John Kean | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of theNew Jersey Senate 1876 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of theNew Jersey Senate 1879–1880 | Succeeded by |
Chairs of theUnited States Senate Committee on Armed Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) |  | |
| Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | ||
| Armed Services Committee (1947–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
