Society of the Cincinnati
Brevet Brigadier General Heman Swift is your 2nd cousin, 7 times removed. Both lines descend from William Swift II (1627–1705) of Sandwich — your line through his son William III, Heman's through his son Jirah.
This page documents the research into whether any of the Long family’s Revolutionary War ancestors connect to an eligible officer with a vacant seat in the Society of the Cincinnati. It includes eliminated paths alongside the active leads, because showing the methodology matters more than the conclusion.
About the Society
On May 10, 1783, at the Cantonment on the Hudson River, officers of the Continental Army gathered to form a fraternal organization before disbanding. Henry Knox proposed it. The first meeting included Baron von Steuben, who had drilled the army at Valley Forge; Jedidiah Huntington, whose family fortune suffered from his long absence at war; and Samuel Shaw, a Quaker who faced religious shunning for serving. These were men who had sacrificed everything — many went unpaid for years while neighbors who stayed home bought their farms — and didn’t want to lose each other.
They named the society after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, the Roman dictator who left his plow to save the republic and then returned to his farm. The motto: “Omnia relinquit servare rempublicam”— He left everything to save the republic.
Membership is hereditary, passing through eldest male posterity of an original qualifying officer. A critical rule: when direct male lineage dies out, a daughter’s male descendantshave priority over collateral male branches. This is directly relevant to our family’s application path — descent runs through Thankful Jenkins (daughter) to Captain Nathaniel Swift, meaning the daughter-line rule governs eligibility.
Larz Anderson House in Washington, D.C. has served as the Society’s headquarters since 1938. It is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization.
In 1983, President Reagan was made an honorary member and told the gathering that their ancestors “served seven or eight years without pay, leaving families behind, fighting with courage and few supplies.”
Brevet Brigadier General Heman Swift (1733–1814)
Heman Swift was born October 14, 1733, in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. His father Jabez Swift moved the family to Kent, Litchfield County, Connecticut, in 1743. Heman served as a private in the French and Indian War, rose to lieutenant, and was elected deputy to the Connecticut General Assembly before the Revolution.
In June 1776 he was appointed Colonel of a Connecticut State Regiment and reinforced Fort Ticonderoga. On January 1, 1777, he received his Continental commission as Colonel of the 7th Connecticut Regiment. At the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, he carried the wounded Marquis de Lafayette from the field—an act for which he became famous. He wintered at Valley Forge and took the Oath of Allegiance there. On January 1, 1781, he transferred to Colonel of the 2nd Connecticut Regiment upon consolidation of the Connecticut Line. He was brevetted Brigadier General on September 30, 1783.
At the Battle of Brandywine, Colonel Swift carried the wounded Marquis de Lafayette from the field.
On July 4, 1783, Heman was elected Vice President of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati at the founding meeting of Connecticut officers at West Point. After the war he served as Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors (1790–1802). He was known as “Washington’s Colonel.” He died November 12, 1814, in Cornwall, Connecticut.
Heman Swift’s Paternal Line
Heman descends from William Swyft, a leatherseller of London who emigrated in 1634, settling first in Watertown and then in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. The line runs through five generations:
| Name | Born | PID | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●William Swyft | ~1597 | LYQG-HBN | Immigrant — London → Watertown → Sandwich |
| ●William Swift II | 25 Apr 1627 | LYXS-6VT | Sandwich, Deputy to General Court |
| ●Deacon Jirah Swift | ~1670 | LWR9-322 | Sandwich → Wareham, m. Abigail Gibbs |
| ●Jabez Swift | 16 Mar 1701 | — | Sandwich → Kent, CT, m. Abigail Pope |
| ●BG Heman Swift | 14 Oct 1733 | LHGH-GC6 | Cincinnati founding member, CT Vice President |
The Connection: Two Brothers, One Immigrant
Heman Swift and your 6th great-grandfather Solomon Swift (1745, Falmouth) both descend from William Swift II (1627–1705)of Sandwich—the common ancestor. The lines split at the third generation: William II had at least eleven children, including William III (b. 1654) and Jirah (b. ~1670). William III’s descendants moved to Falmouth and became your direct ancestors. Jirah’s descendants moved to Connecticut and produced Heman.
Solomon Swift and Heman Swift are second cousins once removed. Solomon’s great-grandfather (William III) and Heman’s grandfather (Jirah) were brothers.
Your Line: William II → Falmouth → You
| Name | Born | PID | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●William Swift II | 25 Apr 1627 | LYXS-6VT | Common ancestor, Sandwich |
| ●William Swift III | 28 Aug 1654 | L6L7-VF5 | Sandwich, carpenter |
| ●William Swift IV | 24 Jan 1679 | LZG2-8LM | Sandwich → Falmouth, m. Lydia Weeks |
| ●William Swift V | 11 Apr 1719 | LWJP-78R | Falmouth, m. Dorcas Hatch |
| ●Solomon Swift | 15 Oct 1745 | KH2D-K3J | 6th great-grandfather, Falmouth |
| ●Capt. Nathaniel Swift | 19 Jun 1776 | MF8H-YW2 | 5th great-grandfather |
| ●Solomon Swift | 26 Aug 1804 | MYBT-VP3 | 4th great-grandfather |
| ●Leroy E. Swift | 7 Jun 1836 | L1VB-5P9 | 3rd great-grandfather |
| ●Le Roy Warren Swift | 1869 | LW29-V4G | 2nd great-grandfather |
| ●Rachael Winter Swift | 1896 | 9JGN-43B | Great-grandmother |
Heman Swift’s Military Service
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| French and Indian War | Sep 1755 | 1760 | Private → Lieutenant, 4th CT Provincial Regiment |
| CT State Regiment | Jun 1776 | Nov 1776 | Colonel — reinforced Fort Ticonderoga |
| 7th Connecticut Regiment | 1 Jan 1777 | 31 Dec 1780 | Colonel, Continental Army |
| Battle of Brandywine | 11 Sep 1777 | — | Carried wounded Lafayette from the field |
| Valley Forge | Winter 1777 | 1778 | Took Oath of Allegiance |
| 2nd Connecticut Regiment | 1 Jan 1781 | Jun 1783 | Colonel (consolidated CT Line) |
| Brevet Promotion | 30 Sep 1783 | — | Brigadier General |
| Society of the Cincinnati | 4 Jul 1783 | — | Vice President, CT Society (founding) |
Eligibility note:Heman Swift’s Cincinnati seat is currently represented. The connection is documented here for genealogical interest, not as a membership pathway.
Captain Barber Peckham (~1756–1807)
Captain Barber Peckham (PID: M2WB-3BG) was born around 1756 in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and served as a captain in Rhode Island forces during the Revolution. He married Sarah Sheffield and drowned in Newport Harbor on May 7, 1807. He is a direct ancestor through the Peckham line.
The Peckham Chain to You
Barber Peckham connects to you through the Harrison and Winter families, and through the Peckham line back to the Mayflower passengers. Mary Peckham (PID: LR79-JWN) married into the Harrison family, and that line flows through Fanny Harrison Winter into Rachael Winter Swift—your maternal great-grandmother.
| Name | Born | PID | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●Capt. Barber Peckham | ~1756 | M2WB-3BG | 5th great-grandfather, S. Kingstown RI |
| ●Mary Peckham | 7 Aug 1792 | LR79-JWN | 4th great-grandmother |
| ●...Harrison family... | — | Intermediate generations — see note | |
| ●Fanny Harrison Winter | 1869 | — | 2nd great-grandmother |
| ●Rachael Winter Swift | 1896 | 9JGN-43B | Great-grandmother |
| ●Charles Franklin Perry | 1895 | L1VB-T1N | Great-grandfather |
| ●Francis Swift Perry | 1923 | — | Grandfather |
| ●[living] | — | Mother |
Eligibility note:Barber Peckham’s Cincinnati seat is currently represented by the Wickes family line. Unless that line goes extinct, the seat is blocked.
Captain Benjamin Lawton Peckham (1753–1821)
Olney’s Rhode Island Continental Battalion — Original Member
Captain Benjamin Lawton Peckham was born July 1, 1753, in Newport, Rhode Island (PID: K4NQ-B7N). He served as Captain in Olney’s Rhode Island Continental Battalion to November 3, 1783, making him an Original Member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He died August 15, 1821, in Wickford, Rhode Island.
Benjamin was the 2nd son of Benoni Peckham and Mary Lawton. He married Hannah Wall, who died March 10, 1805. They had one child.
Full details, PID chains, and application status on the dedicated Captain Benjamin Peckham page.
Extinction of Direct Line
Benjamin’s only child, Elizabeth Peckham (1789–1820, PID: L4QZ-ZC4), married Capt. Christopher Low Phillips. Their three children all died without issue:
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hannah W. Phillips | 1813 | June 23, 1848 | Never married, no children |
| Dorothy Phillips | 1814 | 1820 | Died age 6 |
| Samuel Phillips | 1818 | 1819 | Died as infant |
Captain Benjamin Peckham’s direct line has been extinct since 1848. No living direct descendants exist.
Source: Peckham Genealogy (Stephen Farnum Peckham, 1922, p. 271); FamilySearch vital records.
Collateral Descent Through Benoni Gardiner
Benoni Gardiner (ca. 1640, PID: LVF7-5YN) is the common ancestor. Two branches descend from him:
Applicant’s Line — William Gardiner
William Gardiner (1671, LVF7-R41)
↓ John Gardiner (1696, LZKQ-TQ5)
↓ Hannah Gardiner (1723, LCJR-J7W)
↓ Elizabeth Westcott (1760, KNWZ-LNK)
↓ Mary Peckham (1792, L879-JWN)
↓ Fanny P. Harrison (1813)
↓ Richmond C. Winter (1839)
↓ Fanny Harrison Winter (1869)
↓ Rachael Winter Swift (1896)
↓ Francis Swift Perry (1923)
↓ [living]
↓ John Francis Long (1976)
Status: Application under review. Extinction of direct line documented April 9, 2026.
Swift Line — Direct Descent from Revolutionary War Soldier
Solomon Swift(1745–1807) of Falmouth, Massachusetts, is your 6th great-grandfather and a documented Revolutionary War soldier. He served in September 1779, placing him in active military service during the war. Solomon was the son of William Swift V (1719–1809) and Dorcas Hatch, and married Susannah Childs on April 8, 1769, in Falmouth.
| Name | Born | PID | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●Solomon Swift | 15 Oct 1745 | KH2D-K3J | 6th great-grandfather, Falmouth — Rev War service Sep 1779 |
| ●Capt. Nathaniel Swift | 19 Jun 1775 | MF8H-YW2 | 5th great-grandfather, m. Thankful Jenkins. Buried Waquoit Cemetery |
| ●Solomon Crowell Swift | ~1804 | MYBT-VP3 | 4th great-grandfather |
| ●Leroy E. Swift | 7 Jun 1836 | L1VB-5P9 | 3rd great-grandfather — Navy Captain, Civil War |
| ●Le Roy Warren Swift | 1869 | LW29-V4G | 2nd great-grandfather — 'Papa' |
SAR/DAR eligibility:Confirmed — Solomon Swift’s documented September 1779 service qualifies for both the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Cincinnati eligibility: Depends on rank. Solomon served as an enlisted soldier, and Cincinnati membership requires commissioned officer status. A lookup of Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Volume 15 (Sma–Ste), is needed to determine whether he held any commission during his service.
Active Leads — Updated S45
Cincinnati membership requires descent from a commissioned Continental officer who served 3+ years (or died/was incapacitated in service). Militia service after June 1775 does notcount. Each officer has one “seat” — if living descendants represent it, the seat is blocked. Vacant seats are the opportunity. What follows is where the research stands.
●Green — 4 Vacant Seats (Under Investigation)
Confirmed PID chain: James Green (1640, PID: LTVK-5Z4) → Samuel Green (1680, PID: G4RN-WPH) → Rebecca Green (1710, PID: L7VM-LS4) → John Jenkins (1709, PID: GQKC-28G) → James Jenkins (1735, PID: GWZX-1MP) → Thankful Jenkins (1776, PID: MF8H-Y4S) → Capt. Nathaniel Swift (PID: MF8H-YW2) → Swift line to present.
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green, Francis, Capt. | 1st Reg. MCL | — | VACANT since 1925 |
| Green, James, Lt. | 6th Reg. MCL | — | VACANT since 1866 |
| Green, William, 1st Lt. | 8th Reg. MCL | — | VACANT — never represented |
| Green, William, Lt. Adj. | Prescott's Reg. | Wounded Bunker Hill | VACANT — never represented |
Cincinnati Society response (S45): All four Green officers confirmed to be from a different branch of the Green family. Francis Green = William/Sloan line (Charlestown). James Green Lt. = Israel/Holden line (Paxton). Thomas Green and James Green (1640, our ancestor) are unrelated per published genealogy.
Status: The 4 vacant Green seats do not connect to our James Green (1640). Awaiting Society reply on Swift, Coffin, Warren, Foster, and Gardner surnames. Additional inquiries pending.
●SAR Eligibility — James Jenkins (Confirmed)
James Jenkins(1735–1807, PID: GWZX-1MP), Falmouth, Barnstable County. DAR Ancestor #A062063. Private. Served April 19, 1775 and December 1776. Direct ancestor through his daughter Thankful Jenkins who married Capt. Nathaniel Swift.
SAR/DAR eligibility:Confirmed through James Jenkins. Cincinnati eligibility requires commissioned officer status — Jenkins served as Private, so this path qualifies for SAR/DAR but not Cincinnati.
●Foster — 4 Vacant Seats (Collateral — Under Review)
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foster, Ebenezer, Ens. | 1st Reg. MCL | — | VACANT |
| Foster, Elisha, Ens. | 2nd Reg. MCL | — | VACANT since 2015 |
| Foster, Isaac, Surg. | Hospital Dept. | — | VACANT |
| Foster, Samuel, Capt. | 3rd Reg. MCL | — | VACANT |
S45 finding: Foster is collateral, not direct line. James Foster (LHTP-LP7) is the husband of a 6th cousin 9x removed, not a direct ancestor through the Perry line. The Foster connection on the Nantucket page has been corrected. Awaiting Society reply on whether any Foster officers connect through other paths.
●Gardner — 2 Vacant Seats (Collateral — Under Review)
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner, Isaac, Capt. | Brookline, MA | KIA Lexington Apr 19, 1775 | VACANT |
| Gardner, James, Capt. Lt. | 3rd Reg. Cont. Artillery | — | VACANT since original member |
S45 finding: Capt. Isaac Gardner (KIA Lexington, April 19, 1775) is collateral— husband of a 3rd cousin 9x removed, not direct line. Awaiting Society reply on whether other Gardner officers connect through direct descent.
Barber — 2 Vacant Seats
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barber, Isaac, 1st Lt. | 3rd Reg. Cont. Artillery | — | VACANT |
| Barber, Nathaniel, Commissary | Cont. Army | — | VACANT |
Status: Barber surname appears in the Westcott/Peckham line (Rhode Island). Needs geographic match to determine if these officers connect.
Perry — 1 Vacant Seat
| Name | Born | Died | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry, William, Ens. | 14th Reg. MCL (Bradford's) | — | VACANT since 1783 — never represented |
Bradford’s Regiment recruited from Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable Counties — exactly the geography of the documented Perry line. What remains to be determined is Ensign Perry’s specific birthplace and parentage. Research avenues include Volume 12 of Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors (digitized on FamilySearch), NARA compiled service records (M881 microfilm on Fold3), and the Valley Forge Muster Roll database.
Closed Leads
The following officers were investigated and eliminated. Showing the eliminated paths is part of showing the work.
Joel Jenkins (Lt., MA) — Eliminated. Different Jenkins family entirely (Westford, Middlesex Co., not Falmouth, Barnstable Co.). 6th cousin 8x removed. Not eligible.
Josiah Jenkins (Capt., MA) — Collateral. 3rd cousin 8x removed. Not direct line. (Confirmed S45)
Aaron Warren — Collateral. 3rd cousin 9x removed. Not direct line. (Confirmed S45)
Isaac Gardner (Capt.) — Collateral. Husband of 3rd cousin 9x removed. Not direct line. (Confirmed S45)
Foster (all officers) — Collateral. James Foster is husband of 6th cousin 9x removed, not direct ancestor. (Confirmed S45)
Warren, James Jr. (Lt.) — 5th cousin 7x removed. Too distant.
Warren, Elijah (Lt.) — Unfindable on FamilySearch. No records located.
Howe, Baxter (Capt. Lt.) — New York Society, not Massachusetts.
Howe, Richard Surcomb (Ens.) — Marriage connection only, no descent.
Hatch, Fisher (Ens.) — From Maine, wrong branch of Hatch family.
Spencer Wood (Ens.) — No records findable.
Col. John Wood — 1st cousin once removed, not descent.
Heman Swift (BG) — Seat represented. Collateral line (2nd cousin 1x removed), not direct.
Barber Peckham (Capt.) — Seat represented by Wickes family. Blocked.
Research Resources
- Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, Vol. 15 — free at archive.org. Solomon Swift’s service confirmed here.
- Barney Genealogical Database — 40,000+ Nantucketers, free. Search Gardner and Foster here.
- Nantucket Historical Association Research Library — library@nha.org — ask about military service records for founding families.
- New Bedford Whaling Museum — Leroy E. Swift Navy records, White Wing ship registry.
- American Revolution Institute — full registry of 3,432 represented officers.
- Eligibility rule: Requires 3+ years Continental service. Militia service after June 1775 does NOT count. State Line regiments adopted into Continental service DO count.
Sources
- Heman Swift — Wikipedia
- Heman Swift — WikiTree
- William Swyft of Sandwitch and Some of His Descendants, 1637–1899— George H. Swift (1900)
- Eben Swift, “William Swift and His Descendants to the Sixth Generation”— Pamphlet No. 15, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy (1923). Available on Ancestry and FamilySearch microfilm.
- American Revolution Institute — Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati
- Peckham Genealogy(1922) — FamilySearch Digital Library