Dr. Clark Donlin, of Cape May Court House, NJ, provides an intimate glimpse of Henry Washington Sawyer who embodied the spirit of Victorian Cape May County.  Donlin portrays Sawyer on patriotic holidays and at Civil War encampments and reenactments. He describes the social and political landscape of New Jersey before, during and after the Civil War, and concludes with a complete biographical sketch of Sawyer’s life. 

New Jersey's Story

           New Jersey was officially a slave state until just 15 years before the start of the American Civil War.  Slaves arrived as early as 1688 to work on the 400-to-500 acre labor-intensive farms that dotted the land. However, by 1820 all but 18 slaves in New Jersey had been voluntarily freed.  In 1846, New Jersey adopted a new constitution in which the "vile institution" of slavery was abolished and any current slaves were emancipated.  At that time, only one former slave resided in Cape May Co.  She was an 82-year-old domestic who was cared for by her former owners.

          Unionists generally considered New Jersey to be "soft" on slavery, possibly because it was the only free state to reject Abraham Lincoln in both the1860 and 1864 presidential elections.  “Copperheads” controlled four county freeholder boards. These were either ex-Whigs (now Republicans) or Democrats who favored allowing the seceding states to withdraw from the Union without penalty.  Their name derived from the large copper pennies that they wore as lapel pins, tie stick -pins, brooches, etc. to identify themselves.  Altogether six freeholder boards had "copperhead" members, but neither the City nor County of Cape May ever elected any.

          There was never a motion before the New Jersey state legislature to secede.  During the Civil War era both New Jersey governors supported the Union.  Charles Smith Olden, an ex-Whig, was active in raising and equipping troops for the army.   Olden’s successor was Joel Parker, a "war Democrat" who supported Lincoln on constitutional grounds.  New Jersey ultimately provided 78,000 troops to the Union cause.

          Nevertheless, following the 1864 presidential election some in the press opined that New Jersey was the "South Carolina of the North." The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that New Jersey was " ... not true to the Union."  When James Wall of Burlington was appointed to fill an unexpired U.S. Senate term and pressed his pro-peace leanings, Congress punished N.J. by canceling a planned munitions factory in Weehawken.  Hundreds of jobs were lost. 

                                       Sawyer's Roots and Early Life

 During the seventeen hundreds, Johann Nicholas Saeger emigrated from Reichanbach, a small town in Germany.  He settled in Philadelphia and then moved to Egypt, PA.  Henry Washington Saeger was born on March 16, 1829.  He was named for George Washington, whom his father greatly admired.  His father, also Henry, was Pennsylvania Dutch, while his mother was of French Swiss descent.  The Saegers operated a prosperous Lehigh Valley farm.

          Young Henry was sent to "common school" as there were no public high schools in rural areas at that time.  He was a big strong lad and his father looked forward to his help on the family farm.  Young Henry, however, had different ideas.  He wanted to become a carpenter.  His father opposed this at first, but finally became convinced that every farmer could use someone with carpentry and woodworking skills.

          While serving his apprenticeship, young Saeger heard about Cape Island, New Jersey, America's first seaside resort.  As extensive development was going on there, he thought that his carpentry skills might be in demand.  Hotels were being built to meet the demand for tourist lodging.  Work and pleasure boats were plying the ocean and bay.  When Saeger announced his plans to relocate, his father became enraged saying that if the young man left home, he could never return.  Henry left anyhow, and sadly, never saw any of his family again.

          Saeger arrived in Cape Island in November of 1848.  He was 19 years old, stood 5 feet 10 and 1/2 inches tall and weighed about 190 lbs.  His ambition, excellent health and physical strength plus his carpentry skills stood him in good stead as he began his career in the new location.

          Saeger took up residence in Eldredge, a section of Lower Township known today as West Cape May.  The town had been founded and was heavily populated by members of the Eldredge family, who were descendents of people who had come to America on the Mayflower.  In order to fit in with his new neighbors, he Anglicized his name from the German Saeger (Saw Man) to Sawyer.

          In 1850, Sawyer courted and married Harriet Ware Eldredge in the Cold Spring Presbyterian Church   Rev. Moses Williamson, who founded the first secondary school in the county, performed the ceremony.

Sawyer was always honest and hard working.  He built his first home in 1851, paid it off and sold it two years later for double the original price.  By the mid-1850s he and Harriet had three children, but only their daughter Louisa survived.  Their son Tommy died of typhoid fever at age two.  While on a trip to visit their father at U. S. Cavalry Headquarters in 1864, the Sawyers’ second son died at age nine of a ruptured appendix.  The first successful operation to remove an infected appendix did not happen for twenty more years, in 1884.

          By the early 1850s, Cape Island had a newspaper and a telegraph office.  A two-day stagecoach journey was required to get to the resort from Philadelphia, Pa., but by 1816 steamboats were carrying throngs of people to "the shore" from the city and environs as well as from Delaware.

 Sawyer's Civil War Experiences

          Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, anti-Southern feeling was running high in South Jersey.  In February of 1861 the Palmetto flag of South Carolina was seen flying over the square at Decatur and Washington Streets in Cape Island.  Sawyer, along with other young men, tore it down and burned it in the street.  A few weeks later this incident was repeated.

          On April 15, 1861, following the fall of Ft. Sumter in Charleston, S.C. harbor, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to stamp out the rebellion.  Sawyer heard the news at the telegraph office and immediately went home, put his carpenter tools away, kissed his wife and children good-bye and went to Cape May Court House to volunteer. He was disappointed to learn that no provision had been made to raise troops in the county.

          Sawyer then approached Gov. Olden and was told that the situation was much the same statewide.  Seeing how strong the young man's patriotic feelings were, Gov. Olden told him that he had secret documents destined for then Secretary of War Simon Cameron.  Pro-Southern mobs were rioting in Baltimore, Md. and were disrupting communications with Washington, D.C.  Sawyer agreed to deliver the documents.

          While in the Washington, Sawyer joined the Cassius Marcellus Clay Brigade, a civilian paramilitary group formed for the capital’s defense.  Clay was a nephew of Senator Henry Clay.  The group included 300 “Jayhawkers” from “Bleeding Kansas.”  The group drilled in a churchyard behind the Willard Hotel.  They patrolled the city at night to guard public buildings.

The Allen (town) Rifles, later part of the 25th Pa. Volunteers, were one of the first militia units to arrive.  They had to change railroads in Baltimore before proceeding to Washington.  As they marched to Camden Station (now Camden Yards baseball stadium) pro-southern mobs pelted them with stones, bricks, sticks and any other available missile.  Since they couldn't fire on civilians, including women and children, they just marched as quickly as possible.  Sawyer, along with others, left Clay’s Brigade to enlist for 90 days with the Pennsylvanians, many of whom he knew from his hometown of Egypt.

          In July of 1861, prior to the First Battle of Bull Run, Sawyer’s enlistment was up.  He returned to Cape Island and took up carpentry again.  Two weeks later, he heard of a cavalry regiment being formed in North Jersey.  He had been riding horses since his early days on the farm and rode his stallion on the beach every day to exercise the horse.  Once again he left his wife and family to volunteer.  Since a good carpenter could earn as much as $1.50 a day, Sawyer's family experienced hard financial times during his absence.  When Sawyer was promoted to Captain in October of 1862, his pay of $72.00 per month, together with a $6.00 per month stipend paid by the county to dependents of military men, finally exceeded a good carpenter’s pay.

The 1st New Jersey Cavalry Regiment

           A private unit was being formed by William Halstead who, along with others, was able to raise the half million dollars necessary to form and equip a cavalry regiment.  The 70-year-old attorney was a Congressman and a natural organizer.  He recruited and equiped 1200 men, mostly from Newark, Hackensack and Patterson.  Since Sawyer was one of a few experienced riders in "Halstead's Horse", he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

          Once in the field however, Halstead's inability to command became apparent.  The men drank, fought, swore and generally disregarded their officers.  Something had to be done!  The unit needed to be completely reorganized or its troopers had to be distributed among existing cavalry units.  To solve this problem, trumped up charges of “misuse of government funds” were brought against Halstead.  The Army offered to drop the charges if Halstead would resign.  He did, and returned home a bitter man.  For a time, the unit was leaderless.

Sir Percy Wyndham (courtesy Library of Congress)

          General George B. McClellan, who considered New Jersey his home, thought he had just the man for the job and put forward his recommendation to Gov. Olden.  Since he was a West Point graduate and a professional officer, his views carried great weight.  McClellan had been a military observer during the Crimean War.  There he had met, and been very impressed by, a British cavalry officer, Sir Percy Windham.  Sir Percy, the son of a cavalry officer, had a great military background including service in the French Navy as an ensign, as an Austrian lancer and as a brigadier general with Guiseppi Garibaldi's "red shirts" in Italy.  He was appointed Colonel of the 1st New Jersey, while the second in command would be Joseph Karge`, a Pole who had fought in the wars of Prussian unification.  Upon McClellan's recommendation the two were put in command of the unit, which was incorporated into the Union Army as the 1^st New Jersey Cavalry Regiment.  It was the first of three cavalry regiments that New Jersey would supply to the Union cause.

          Under the exemplary leadership of these officers, the 1st New Jersey became one of the best cavalry units in the Union Army, excelling in the European methods of cavalry swordsmanship.  The saber became their weapon of choice and was the first to be used in an engagement, whereas J. E. B.  Stuart's southern cavalry used the pistol, saber and carbine in that order.  The New Jersey regiment never had a "catchy" name like the Pennsylvania “Bucktails” or the Michigan “Wolverines.”  They also did not wear distinctive uniforms like the “Iron Brigade’s” frock coats and “Black Hats.”  This, and the fact that New Jersey fell between the metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia limited their publicity.

 Sawyer's Combat Experience

          Sawyer was wounded in 1862 at Woodstock, Va. when his horse was shot out from under him.  The 1,200 lb. animal, probably a Morgan, a horse greatly admired for cavalry work due to its great strength and stamina, fell on Sawyer' right leg.  He later developed "extosis of the bone" in his thigh as the femur had sharp edges protruding from it.  Sawyer was always in pain and limped for the rest of his life.

          On October 31, 1862, at Aldie, Va., Sawyer was wounded again.  He led a small group on a reconnaissance mission.  About 1,500 Southern cavalrymen attacked them.  Sawyer stayed behind to cover his men's escape, but was shot in the stomach.  During the Civil War, about 90% of all abdominal wounds were fatal.  Surgeons could not repair internal organs and keep the wounds sterile.  Most “gut shot” soldiers were made as comfortable as possible and left to bleed to death internally.  However, Sawyer survived.  The bullet had lodged near his spine so Army surgeons were afraid to remove it.  He was sent home to Cape Island to recover.  There, civilian surgeons successfully removed the bullet.

The Battle of Brandy Station

          Sawyer returned to service in 1863 in time to participate in the Battle of Brandy Station, the largest cavalry engagement ever fought in the Western Hemisphere.  The Confederate cavalry held two reviews in 1863 near Auburn, just west of the town of Brandy Station.  The first was for visiting dignitaries and their ladies while the second was for Robert E. Lee, who missed the first.

Dr. Donlin describes the action at Fleetwod Hill during the Battle of Brandy Station.

Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was camped in Culpeper, Va.  The Union cavalry believed the Southern cavalry was there also.  Unbeknownst to the Northerners, the main body of Stuart's cavalry of about 10,000 were resting on Fleetwood Hill, about six miles from Culpeper.  They were packed up, ready to screen Lee’s three infantry corps as they advanced up the Shenandoah Valley into Pennsylvania.  The Union cavalry, which had been formed into a full corps of about 11,000 by Gen. Joseph "Fightin' Joe" Hooker, was commanded by General Alfred Pleasanton.  They crossed the Rappahannock River at two points.  “JEB” Stuart was at St. James Episcopal Church, the foundation of which can still be seen.  He had moved his forces off the hill and concentrated them, under Gen. “Grumble” Jones, to contain the main Union advance under General Buford.

Thinking the battle was won, Stuart was surprised to receive word that a second Union group, under Gen. Gregg, had charged up the now lightly defended hill to his rear, shocking the Southerners with the speed and ferocity of their attack.  The 1^st New Jersey was at the head of this group.  Confederate artillery attempted to blunt the attack.  Stuart fed in reinforcements, including Gen. Wade Hampton’s “Comanches.”  The two cavalry forces charged and countercharged, fighting “saddle to saddle” for 12 hours in the hot sun.  Both sides were exhausted.  A Southern infantry division under Gen. Robert Rodes arrived too late to support Stuart. The Union cavalry withdrew in good order back across the river.  There was no pursuit.

Tactically, the battle was a draw although Stuart's men retained possession of the field.  Strategically, however, many consider the engagement a strategic victory for the Union since the Southern cavalry could never again regain the superiority for which it had been famous.  Stuart's cavalry was neutralized at Gettysburg by Union forces, including the 1st New Jersey and General Custer's Michigan "Wolverines".

          During the battle of Brandy Station, Sawyer was attempting to rescue his commander, Virgil Broderick, when he was shot in the thigh and the neck.  His horse was shot in the head.  Sawyer was thrown about 12 ft. in the air and sustained a concussion when he landed.  He awoke in the dark to the groans and cries of other wounded and dying all around him.  A wounded Confederate trooper gave him his last ounces of water.  Sawyer awoke in the morning surrounded by dead cavalrymen and horses.

          During the day, a Southern surgeon and an orderly were checking to see if any of the fallen troops were alive.  When they came upon Sawyer, the orderly asked, "What should we do with this Yank"?  The surgeon replied, "Don't worry!  He'll be dead by nightfall."  Sawyer confounded the surgeon and lived.  He was laid in the yard of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, a beautiful brick church still standing in Culpeper.  All of the pews were filled with wounded.  This bullet had also just missed his spine, passing through his neck.  He was taken by wagon to Gordonsville, Va. and put on a train bound for Richmond.

Sawyer’s Imprisonment

          Arriving at the infamous Libby Prison on June 20, 1863, Sawyer was left to complete his recovery.  Second only to Andersonville in the horrors visited upon the inmates - all Union officers - Libby was widely known for its bad living conditions.

          In 1863, the Union army caught two Confederate captains in the border state of Kentucky.  They were tried as spies, convicted and hanged.  Confederates were enraged and soon orders came down from Jefferson Davis that two Union captains being held in Libby Prison were to be summarily hanged.  Prison officials decided to draw the names of two of the 74 captains out of a hat.  None of the prisoners would draw and neither would prison officials.  Finally, Sawyer suggested that one of the three captive chaplains be pressed into service.  All three refused.  One chaplain was finally prevailed upon to perform the detestable job.  Imagine Sawyer's chagrin when his name was the first to be drawn, along with that of a Captain John Flinn of the 51st Indiana Infantry.  Sawyer asked that they be shot "as befits officers and gentlemen", but his request was denied.

          The two men were put in a wagon and escorted to a "hanging tree" just outside Richmond.  Fate smiled on the two condemned men.  A carriage pulled up beside them.  The traveler asked what was happening.  The officer in charge explained the situation.  The man then asked the two captains for their side of the story.  They said that they were to be hanged without trial in retribution for the deaths of the two Confederate captains in Kentucky.  Both said they had never been in Kentucky and didn't know either of the victims.  Flinn added that he was a Roman Catholic and would die without benefit of clergy.  The occupant of the carriage agreed that this would be a terrible injustice.  He explained that he was none other than Bishop Patrick Niessen Lynch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of South Carolina, and that he was on his way to an appointment with Jefferson Davis in 15 minutes.  He told the officer in charge to proceed very slowly and that he would try to rectify the situation.

          Bishop Lynch was well known and respected throughout the South by Protestants and Catholics alike as a kind, just and caring man.  He was renowned as a great preacher.  Many Protestants would come to his cathedral on Sunday Mornings just to hear his homilies.  Since there were so few Roman Catholics in the South at that time, his diocese included all of North and South Carolina, East Georgia, North Florida and even the Bahamas.  Jefferson Davis thought so highly of him that he commissioned him as an envoy to the Vatican.  He was to plead with the Pope to recognize the Confederacy as a separate nation with the hope that England, France and other European powers might follow suit.  The Pope issued the proclamation, but nothing came of it.

          The execution party reached the "hanging tree" and prepared to carry out their orders.  Just as they were about to execute the two victims a horseman appeared with an order signed by Jefferson Davis.  The two men were to be given ten days to put their personal and religious affairs in order.

          Sawyer and Flinn were returned to Libby Prison and placed together in an 8 x 8 foot cell with only a hole in the ceiling for light and ventilation.  The only other occupants of the cell were rats.  The cell was located next to the "Dead Room" where bodies were kept until there were enough to fill a wagon.  Then the bodies were taken outside of Richmond and buried in mass graves.  The stench was horrible.  In addition, their jailers would bang their rifle butts on the door every half hour to make sure that the two occupants never got more than 30 minutes sleep.  Sawyer said that the lack of sleep was not so bad since he could sleep while Flinn brushed the rats off his face.  For the next half hour Sawyer would return the favor.  As far as the two prisoners knew the execution order was never rescinded.  They woke up every morning thinking this would be their last day on earth.

          Early in their incarceration, Sawyer had asked to be allowed to write a letter to his wife.  He received permission, but his captors would read the letter.  When he finished writing the letter, he asked to be excused, turned to the wall and expressed the only emotion that Dr. Donlin found in all his studies of Sawyer's life.   He was seen to be sobbing and was heard to murmur "Goodbye wife, goodbye children, goodbye mother."  He then turned around and recomposed himself.  After all the intervening years he still carried genuine love for his mother in his heart.

          Harriet received his letter requesting her to bring a clean shirt and the two children to Richmond for the hanging.  It instructed her to enter the Confederacy at City Point, Va.  Sawyer asked that John Nixon, the district's Congressman, and Captain Whilldin Wilmon, Harriet’s second cousin and the ferry boat captain, go to Washington, D.C. to see if a prisoner exchange that included himself and Flinn could be arranged.  Harriet was denied admission to the Confederacy and returned home to Cape Island, N.J.

          In March of 1864, Sawyer and two others, including Flinn, were exchanged for three Confederate captains .  John Flinn left prison a broken man.  His shock of jet-black hair had turned snow white.  He returned home to Indiana where he died at 39 of alcoholism and tuberculosis contracted in prison.

          Sawyer fared much better.  He soon returned to the Army where he received two minor wounds at the Second Battle of Kernstown, Va.  After his recovery he was stationed at U. S. Cavalry Headquarters in Washington, D. C. as an inspector of horses.  He left the Army as a permanent major, although he had temporarily held the rank of Lt. Colonel.  Battlefield, or brevet, promotions were granted when leaders were needed to replace those officers of higher rank who were wounded, sick or killed.  These promotions lasted for the duration of the war, at which time the recipients would revert to their permanent ranks.  For example, Custer fought at Little Big Horn as a Lt. Colonel, not as a brigadier general, his temporary rank during the Civil War.           

        On April 30, 1865, shortly after Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House, Sawyer, now back with the 1^st New Jersey, participated in a Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac, marching down Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D. C. 

An indignity occurred when every member of the 1^st New Jersey, which had fought and distinguished itself in over 100 engagements, was required to sign a loyalty oath to the Constitution before they were allowed to return home.  They boarded a noon train in Vienna, Va. on July 25, 1865.  When they arrived at Trenton, N.J., at 6 PM, they were hot and sweaty in their woolen uniforms, but there was a reception at the station.

Sawyer in Post-Civil War South Jersey

           Upon his return to Cape May, Sawyer was treated as a hero.  He was addressed as "Colonel" and was feted in Millville, NJ, where he was given a gold watch.  Sawyer’s career as an innkeeper began in 1867 when he was appointed manager of the Ocean House Hotel, a position he held until 1873. 

The Sawyers’ two sons had died.  Their daughter, Louisa had attended the Cold Spring Academy and then the Normal School in Trenton.  Normal schools were two year, non-degree schools that prepared students to be public school teachers.  They later became state teachers colleges, then state colleges and, finally state universities.  The Normal school in Trenton became Trenton State College, and recently, after a controversy with Princeton University, the State College of New Jersey, which was Princeton’s original name.  If a student promised to teach for two years following graduation, the tuition was free.  Books were provided for a nominal fee, as was room and board for women.  Men had to find a room in the town.  There was only one Normal school in New Jersey.  It was the eighth in the nation.  Louisa left the school after one year, married a doctor, Samuel Fithian Ware in 1871.  In 1876, she moved to Washington D. C. with her husband and family.

Sawyer was offered the chance to manage a brand new hotel, the Clayton House, in Wilmington, Delaware.  Since Sawyer and Harriet were alone at home, he seized the opportunity.  His logbook at the Clayton House contains notes and drawings that represented his ideas for a new hotel.

          In 1875, Sawyer and his wife returned to Cape May, N.J. where they began construction on the Chalfonte Hotel.  The left wing was completed and the Sawyers took up residence while also renting rooms.  In 1876 the remainder of the hotel was completed.  It extended to Sewell Ave. and Howard Street.  A beautiful cupola added the finishing touch.

          Sawyer's morning ritual involved climbing to the cupola to watch the sunrise.  On Nov. 9, 1878 he noticed smoke coming from the Ocean House.  He quickly turned in the alarm.  This was the Great Fire of 1878, which burned the Congress Hall and 35 acres of downtown Cape May.

          Sawyer also took over the management of the Excursion House, now the Coachman Motor Inn and the Rusty Nail.  Its dining room could seat up to 1000 people.  A train siding next to it allowed passengers to get off the train and go right into the dining room where Sawyer served meals at "Philadelphia prices."  Ultimately, Sawyer owned or managed 10 hotels.

          Harriet died in 1889 after 39 years of marriage.  Having no other family at home, Sawyer was lonely.  The Piermont Hotel was being built in Avalon, NJ.  While visiting it, he met Mary Emma McKissick, a 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher who was working as a waitress there.  She came to the shore in the summer with her mother, Eliza, to work in the hotel and enjoy the beach.  Sawyer fell in love with Mary Emma, the daughter of a Methodist minister.  They decided to marry.  Since her parents were Methodist and Sawyer was Presbyterian, they needed someone neutral to perform the ceremony.  One of Eliza’s friends, the Rev. Dr. Russell H. Conwell, a Baptist minister and the founder of Temple University, gladly agreed to perform the ceremony.  Although Sawyer was 33 years his wife's senior, the marriage was a happy one.

          Mary Emma was a petite and retiring woman whereas Sawyer's first wife Harriet had been large and aggressive.  Sawyer and his first wife had many squabbles over money and other matters, yet they had loved each other and stayed together.  Their first son was named Thomas Eldredge Sawyer, and after young Tommy's death, their second son was named Thomas E. Sawyer, both after Harriet's father.  Their daughter, Louisa, who lived to age 88, was named for Harriet’s uncle Daniel’s wife.  Sawyer and Mary Emma had two sons, Henry Washington Sawyer II born in 1890 and Thomas Robb Sawyer born in 1893.

          As the owner of several properties in West Cape May and other South Jersey communities, Sawyer enjoyed riding around on a white stallion, his trademark, to inspect them.  Known as a "man of good counsel" he was often called upon to decide civil disputes even though he was not an attorney or judge.

          Sawyer's civic service included three terms on the Cape May City Council, where he was instrumental in turning back a move to have the city purchase the local gas works.  He inspected the facility and claimed it was a "bad investment."  Two years later he was proven right.  The facility was decrepit and needed extensive maintenance and repairs.

          Sawyer was a lifelong Republican.  He was appointed Commissioner of the New Jersey Sinking Fund.  This group developed recommendations for methods of paying off the public debt.  He was also the Superintendent of the Life Saving Stations along New Jersey’s coast.  He was appointed to this post through the efforts of State Senator Freylingheusen and William Sewell, the U. S. Senator.  The Life Saving Service and the U. S. Cutter Service were later merged to become the U. S. Coast Guard.

In 1882, the Cape May Ocean Wave, one of Cape May's two local newspapers, supported Sawyer for the Republican nomination for the New Jersey  Senate.  The Cape May Star, however, came out against him, claiming he was too straight-laced, inflexible and opinionated.  It is true that Sawyer was always most forthright and honest.  He said what was on his mind whether his audience wanted to hear it or not.  The Republican Party bosses did not think they could control him and so nominated someone else.  Their candidate was actually beaten by a Democrat!

          Another civic duty that Sawyer enjoyed was being the official greeter for the City of Cape May.  He would meet important people, show them around town and introduce them to influential city leaders.  He introduced John Phillip Souza and his U. S. Marine band when they played on the lawn of Congress Hall.

          Sawyer was also an active volunteer.  He served for 25 years as a trustee of the Cape May First Presbyterian Church, was active in the Masons and served as Commander of Chapter 40 of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), a group that was active in trying to better the lot of Union Civil War veterans.  In this capacity, he traveled to many towns and cities to speak on veterans' affairs.  Sawyer was also the Commissioner of the Home for Disabled Soldiers in Newark, NJ.

 Sawyer's Death and Legacy

          On October 16, 1893, Sawyer was talking with some friends when he mentioned an upset stomach.  Later, he spoke of a heavy pressure in his chest.  Since his doctor's office was closed, his friends took him to Marcy & McCray's Drug Store, today's Central Pharmacy, for some soda mint from the fountain.  After taking the mints Sawyer went into the bathroom.  A few minutes later, a loud crash was heard.  His friends helped him to a sofa.  The pharmacist, who was also a doctor, pronounced him dead of "paralysis of the heart", a massive heart attack.  Sawyer was 64 at the time of his death and left a young wife aged 31 with two small boys aged 3 months and 3 years.

          A large funeral was provided.  The cortege of wagons, carriages and horses was over a mile long.  Sawyer was laid to rest in the cemetery of the Cape May First Presbyterian Church alongside his first wife Harriet and their two sons.

           Sawyer left only five family pictures to his daughter Louisa who was married to a well-to-do Washington, D.C. physician.  All his worldly possessions were left to his young widow Mary Emma, who also received his Major's pension.  There was only $300.00 in cash, but there was real estate scattered throughout South Jersey.  In later years, whenever cash was required, his widow would sell a parcel of property.  Mary Emma never remarried and died in 1948, having successfully raised their two sons.  She lived to know their grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She was buried in the other side of the same churchyard where her husband rests.

Sawyer's "Footprints in the Sands of Time"

          Sawyer's descendants have followed in his footsteps in many ways:

          1) Sawyer's older son, Henry II went to military school and then medical school, becoming a physician. This shows both military and medical connections.  His son,

          2) Henry III became an attorney and retired from the U.S. Navy as a full Commander, comparable to a Lt. Colonel in the Army, after service in WW-II and Korea.  He also served on the Philadelphia City Council.  He specialized in Constitutional law and argued five cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning four.  He died on July 31, 1999.  His life provides both military and political connections.  His daughter is a successful attorney in California, while his son,

          3) Henry IV became a carpenter specializing in the restoration of old buildings, including intricate woodwork.

          4) Sawyer's younger son, Thomas Robb, was somewhat of a non-conformist, actually becoming a Democrat!  His daughter

          5) Sally Sawyer Gearu lives in Salem Co.  She fondly recalls the time her father rode a horse into a bar naked.  Her husband was killed in Vietnam and she has never remarried.  This provides yet another military connection.

          Finally, Sawyer's daughter Louisa, by his first wife, married a doctor providing another medical connection.  Dr. Donlin found a man named Harold Knight in Maryland who operates and teaches at his own school, the International Language School in Spain.  He proved to be Louisa's great grandson and had pictures of her and her family.  His father was killed on Okinawa in WW-II thus providing a final military connection to Sawyer.

          Donlin expresses fascination with Sawyer's descendants.  They have followed closely in their forbearer's names, professions and interests.

          Dr. Donlin’s talks about Sawyer usually end with discussions about the lack of respect shown New Jersey and its military units during the Civil War era.  Donlin suggests further research and writing in this area.  He is currently working on a book on Sawyer's life, times and legacy.  He expects it to be finished in a year or two and hopes to have a TV program based on it.