Oswego Palladium (Oswego, NY), 16 Apr 1887

I dropped into the office of Captain John Van Alstyne the other day to see if I could pick up a story from some "old tar." You see the captain's office is the central resort for old lake captains when they are in the city. They all know Cap'n John and never miss the opportunity of giving him a friendly call. As a general thing from one to half a dozen veterans of the unsalted seas can be found sitting about his office and a jolly time they have together. On the occasion of which I speak, I had been in the office but a few moments when is walked one of the oldest captains that ever sailed out of Oswego--Captain William M. Sweetland of Scriba. Captain Sweetland is one [of] the very few sailors who have lived to enjoy the savings of a lifetime in a snug little home on shore. He has lived a retired life on a nice little farm in Scriba for several years. He began sailing in 1829 and received many hard knocks in all that time, but is still hale and hearty and rides to town behind a spanking team quite often to visit his son in law, our well known citizen, Mr. John Barnett. As I said before, Capt. Sweetland began sailing in 1829, when he boiled potatoes and fried salt pork for the crew in that historic old craft called the Rob Roy. She was built for a gunboat at Sackets harbor in 1812 but at the close of the war was sold and fitted out as a schooner. After serving his time in the "galley" the young man shipped before the mast with good old Capt. Throop in the schooner Enterprise. He learned rapidly and in a very short time was signed as mate by Capt. Lewis Turner, another Oswegonian, who then sailed the schooner Robert Burns.

The year 1837 found him as proud as an Admiral walking the quarter deck of the schooner Willett as captain. He had splendid luck and sailed the O. P. Starkey, the Franklyn, the Josephine and the Texas--all Oswego vessels--until 1844, when he was given command of the Revenue Cutter John Y. Mason, stationed at Genesee river. In 1845 he was mate of the propeller Ontario and in '46 and '47 sailed a schooner owned at Rochester. In 1849 he took command of the schooner Rip Van Winkle, which he sailed until 1852 when she was totally wrecked at Long Point, Lake Erie. In 1853 he built the schooner Carrington at Cleveland and sailed her until 1855, when he took the Star of the North, and in 1856 the S. H. Lathrop. In 1857 he fitted out the schooner Cataract at Buffalo and sailed from that port bound for Chicago with a mixed cargo. While going up Lake Erie, and when off Long Point, the vessel collided with the propeller Kentucky. The Cataract sank in 11 fathoms of water in 30 minutes. Captain Sweetland was below at the time, but hurried on deck and called out to the officer on the propeller to come and take them off. They made no reply and steamed out of sight. Captain Sweetland hurried his crew into the small boat and the following morning after a rough passage arrived at Coneaut, Ohio.

From 1858 to 1861 Captain Sweetland commanded the brig William Lewis. In the latter year he took the schooner Knight Templar and sailed her up to 1871. In 1872 he sailed the George C. Finney, in 1873 the West Side, in 1874 the M. J. Cummings, after which he retired. While sailing the brig Lewis, Captain Sweetland quelled a little mutiny among his sailors in a novel manner. While the vessel was in Toledo one fall the crew struck for more wages. They had signed articles at Oswego for the round trip. They entered the forecastle and prepared to remain there until the captain would yield. The captain at once took a tug and towed well out into the lake. He then plugged up the stovepipe hole leading from the forecastle, and as there was a good fire in the stove the sailors were soon smoked out, and offered their services. Captain Sweetland had many wild adventures on the lakes. He will be 73 years old a week from next Tuesday.