It was not, however, until after the close of the Civil War that the opportunity arrived. In 1865 the Fenian congress assembled in Philadelphia to decide upon the best means to adopt to obtain the liberation of Ireland. General Sweeny appeared before this convention and submitted to it his plan for the invasion of Canada. He also offered his services to aid in carrying out the plan, both plan and services being accepted. He was appointed secretary of war of the Fenian Brotherhood, and commander-in-chief of the Irish forces with the rank of major-general; William R. Roberts, a prominent merchant of New York and afterwards United States minister to Chili, was appointed president. In 1866, General Sweeny was offered, by the Mexican government, the grade of general of division in the Mexican army, which he declined. He was finally retired from active service May 11, 1870, with the rank of brigadier-general, U. S. A. He was wounded so often in battle that on one occasion, after an engagement, General Grant met him and laughingly said: “How is it, Sweeny, that you have not been hit? There must be some mistake. This fight will hardly count unless you can show another wound!” In a sketch of General Sweeny published some years ago, Junius Henri Browne, war correspondent of the _New York Tribune_, says: “Sweeny is, as his name indicates, an Irishman by birth, but an American to the backbone. No soldier was more devoted to the Union cause, or fought more valiantly for the integrity of the republic.” General Sweeny was twice married. His first wife was Eleanor Swain Clark of Brooklyn, N. Y., daughter of John and Hepsabeth (Paddock) Clark. In both the paternal and maternal line, she was descended from the Coffins, Barnards, Folgers, Husseys, Macys and Swains, who were among the ten purchasers of Nantucket in 1659. She was sixth in descent from John Swain, 2d, son of John Swain, 1st, and Mary (Weir) Swain, the first male white child born on the island (in 1664), and seventh in descent from Benjamin Franklin. General Sweeny’s second wife—who survives him—was Eugenia Octavia Reagan of Augusta, Ga., daughter of Dr. Francis Washington Reagan and Sarah Cecelia (Refo) Reagan. Her paternal ancestors were among the first settlers of the present states of Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Through her paternal great-grandmother, Mary Dandridge of Virginia, Mrs. Sweeny is descended from Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge, the second wife of Patrick Henry, and Martha Dandridge Custis, the wife of George Washington. After retirement from the army General Sweeny virtually withdrew to private life. The last public act of his “long, varied and useful career,” was to use his personal aid and influence to secure a fund for the erection of a home at Austin, Texas, for disabled Confederate veterans.