Major Whistler married for his first wife Mary, daughter of Dr. Foster Swift of the U.S.  Army, and Deborah, daughter of Capt.  Thomas Delano of Nantucket.  By her he had three children:  Deborah, his only daughter, who married Seymour Haden of London, a surgeon, but later and better known for his skill in etching; George William, who became an engineer and railway manager, and who went to Russia, and finally died at Brighton, in England, Dec. 24, 1869; Joseph Swift, born at New London, Aug. 12, 1825, and who died at Stonington, Jan. 1, 1840.  His first wife died Dec. 9, 1827, at the early age of 23 years, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, in the shade of the monument erected to the memory of her husband by the loving hands of his professional brethren.  For his second wife he married Anna Matilda, daughter of Dr. Charles Donald McNeill of Wilmington, N.C., and sister of his friend and associate, William Gibbs McNeill.  By her he had five sons:  James Abbot McNeill, the noted artist, and William Gibbs McNeill, a well known physician, both now living in London; Kirk Boott, born in Stonington, July 16, 1838, and who died at Springfield, July 10, 1842; Charles Donald, born in Springfield, Aug. 27, 1841, and who died in Russia, Sept. 24, 1843; and John Bouttattz, who was born and who died at St. Petersburg, having lived but little more than a year.  His second wife, who outlived him, returned to America, and remained here during the education of her children, after which she moved to England.  She died Jan. 31, 1881, at the age of 76 years, and was buried at Hastings.

At a meeting held in the office of the Panama Railroad Company in New York, August 27, 1849, for the purpose of suggesting measures expressive of their respect for the memory of Major Whistler, Wm. H. Sidell being chairman and A.W.  Craven secretary, it was resolved that a monument in Greenwood Cemetery would be a suitable mode of expressing the feelings of the profession in this respect, and that an association be formed to collect funds and take all necessary steps to carry out the work.  At this meeting Capt.  William H. Swift was appointed president, Major T.S.  Brown treasurer, and A.W.  Craven secretary, and Messrs. Horatio Allen, W.C.  Young, J.W.  Adams, and A.W.  Craven were appointed a committee to procure designs and estimates, and to select a suitable piece of ground.  The design was made by Mr. Adams, and the ground was given by Mr. Kirkwood.  The monument is a beautiful structure of red standstone, about 15 feet high, and stands in “Twilight Dell.”  Upon the several faces are the following inscriptions: 

Upon the Front.

IN MEMORY OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON WHISTLER,
CIVIL ENGINEER,
BORN AT FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, MAY, 1800,
DIED AT ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, APRIL, 1849.

Upon the Right Side.

EDUCATED AT THE U.S.  MILITARY ACADEMY.  HE
RETIRED FROM THE ARMY IN 1833 AND BECAME
ASSOCIATED WITH WILLIAM GIBBS M’NEILL. 
THEY WERE IN THEIR TIME ACKNOWLEDGED TO
BE AT THE HEAD OF THEIR PROFESSION IN THIS
COUNTRY.