Theodore Schwan
Encyclopedia
Theodore Schwan was a Union Army
officer during the American Civil War
who received the Medal of Honor
for his actions at the Battle of Peebles' Farm
. He also served with distinction during the Spanish-American
and Philippine-American War
s.
in 1857. Upon his arrival in the U.S., Schwan enlisted as a private
in the Regular Army at age 16 and served in the 10th U.S. Infantry.
When the Civil War broke out, he served with his regiment, rising from private to Quartermaster-Sergeant by 1863. He was made a First Lieutenant in 1864 and received the Medal of Honor
at the Battle of Peebles' Farm
for dragging a wounded Union
officer to the rear and preventing him from being captured.
, and chief quartermaster District of Minnesota; Fort Snelling, Minn., from May, 1866, to May, 1867; on leave of absence from May to October, 1867 ; commanding company at Fort Snelling, Minn., to April, 1869; unassigned May, 1869 ; on duty at Galveston, Indianola, Corpus Christi, and Jefferson, Texas, 1869.
December, 1869; Commanding Company G, on frontier duty at Fort Griffin
, and a subpost Fort Phantom Hill
, Texas, 1870-73 (the intervening ten months having been spent on sick-leave of absence).
During the Red River War
, 1874-76 he again was commanding Company G, at Fort Griffin. On February 5, 1874, detachments of Companies A and G, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a camp of hostile Qua ha dee Comanches on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
, Texas, killed eleven Indians and captured sixty-five horses. One enlisted man was wounded in the fight.
In August and September, 1876, He was sent with the Eleventh Infantry from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota
for field service in connection with the Great Sioux War of 1876-77
in the Dakota Territory
and in Montana. Captain Schwan served at Cheyenne River Agency
, D.T., Fort Custer
, M.T., Fort Bennett
, D.T., and Fort Sully
, D.T., 1876-80.
On May 16, 1877, Lt. Gen. Sheridan
directed his brother Lt. Col. Michael V. Sheridan to retrieve the bodies of Custer
and his officers. On June 20, 1877, About 7 o'clock Company I, Seventh Cavalry (Captain Nowlan), reached the north bank of the Yellowstone
, having been detached as the escort of Colonel Sheridan, who was to proceed to the Little Bighorn
for the purpose of securing the bodies of the officers who fell in the Custer fight
. Later in the day Colonel Sheridan passed up the river on the steamer Fletcher, being accompanied by Captain Schwan, Company G, Eleventh Infantry.
Headquarters of the Military District of Dakota Territory, March 15, 1878, designated Capt. Theodore Schwan to act as Indian agent
at the Cheyenne Agency, Dakota Territory.
On June 20, the commissioner of Indian Affaires instructed Captain Schwan to form an Indian police force on the Cheyenne River Agency in order to reduce the need of a military force at the agency.
He was then on recruiting service at David's Island
N.Y. Harbor 1880-82. Captain Schwan was an instructor on the staff of the United States School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry
, at Fort Leavenworth
, Kan., 1882-86.
with the rank of major, July 6, 1886, vice Benjamin, deceased.
Maj. (now Lieut. Col.) Theodore Schwan, assistant adjutant-general, detailed as acting inspector-general, Department of Dakota
, July 17, 1894, per Special Orders, No. 140, Adjutaut-General's Office, 1894; relieved April 30, 1895, per Special Orders, No. 75, Adjutant-General's Office, current series (lieutenant colonel
and assistant adjutant general, February 19, 1895).
He was promoted to colonel and assistant adjutant-general, May 18, 1898. The Adjutant-General's Department was then Adjt.-Gen'l, Brig.-Gen. H. C. Corbin
. Assistants, Col. Theodore Schwan, Col. Thos. Ward, Lieut.-Col. W. H. Carter, Maj. H. O. S. Heistand, Maj. J. A. Johnston and Maj. W. A. Simpson.
Two weeks before his last promotion in the regular army he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers
, and in accordance with the Act of Congress, approved March 2, 1899, he will retain that rank until July 1, 1901. He was brevetted several times.
of volunteers and colonel in the Regular Army in May 1898, making him one of the only foreign-born generals in the Spanish-American War. He assumed command of the 1st Division, IV Corps which was stationed in Miami, Florida
. That unit was never called into action, but he assumed command of the Independent Regular Brigade and sailed for Puerto Rico
. His brigade landed at Guánica
and moved west along the coast. On August 10, his brigade won the Battle of Silva Heights. The next day, he entered the town of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
. The Spanish moved up for another attack on Schwan, but a cease fire was enacted before either side attacked. Allegedly during this cease fire, Schwan's troops engaged in the first game of baseball
to be played in Puerto Rico.
, where he became chief-of-staff in the VIII Corps
, engaged in the Philippine-American War
. He personally directed the first Cavite Expedition then took command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, VIII Corps during the second Cavite Expedition.
.
Rank and Organization:
Citation:
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officer during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his actions at the Battle of Peebles' Farm
Battle of Peebles' Farm
The Battle of Peebles' Farm was the western part of a simultaneous Union offensive against the Confederate works guarding Petersburg and Richmond, during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
. He also served with distinction during the Spanish-American
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
s.
Early life and Civil War
Schwan was born in Hanover, Germany, and received his initial schooling in Germany. His family immigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1857. Upon his arrival in the U.S., Schwan enlisted as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Regular Army at age 16 and served in the 10th U.S. Infantry.
When the Civil War broke out, he served with his regiment, rising from private to Quartermaster-Sergeant by 1863. He was made a First Lieutenant in 1864 and received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
at the Battle of Peebles' Farm
Battle of Peebles' Farm
The Battle of Peebles' Farm was the western part of a simultaneous Union offensive against the Confederate works guarding Petersburg and Richmond, during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...
for dragging a wounded Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officer to the rear and preventing him from being captured.
After the war
He remained in the Regular Army after the close of the Civil War and was promoted to captain, March 14, 1866. He was commanding a company, dept. quartermasterQuartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, and chief quartermaster District of Minnesota; Fort Snelling, Minn., from May, 1866, to May, 1867; on leave of absence from May to October, 1867 ; commanding company at Fort Snelling, Minn., to April, 1869; unassigned May, 1869 ; on duty at Galveston, Indianola, Corpus Christi, and Jefferson, Texas, 1869.
Indian Wars
Captain Schwan was assigned to Eleventh U.S. Infantry regiment11th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-The First 11th Infantry:Under the authority granted the President by the Act of July 16, 1798, to raise twelve additional regiments of infantry, the first 11th Infantry came into existence in the Army of the United States in...
December, 1869; Commanding Company G, on frontier duty at Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin was a Cavalry fort established in the late 1860s in the northern part of West Texas, specifically northwestern Shackelford County, to give settlers protection from early Comanche and Kiowa raids...
, and a subpost Fort Phantom Hill
Fort Phantom Hill
Fort Phantom Hill was an United States Army and Confederate Army installation located at the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in Jones County, Texas. The fort was active from 1852 to 1853 and again from 1856 until the 1890s....
, Texas, 1870-73 (the intervening ten months having been spent on sick-leave of absence).
During the Red River War
Red River War
The Red River War was a military campaign launched by the United States Army in 1874, as part of the Comanche War, to remove the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Native American tribes from the Southern Plains and forcibly relocate them to reservations in Indian Territory...
, 1874-76 he again was commanding Company G, at Fort Griffin. On February 5, 1874, detachments of Companies A and G, Eleventh Infantry, attacked a camp of hostile Qua ha dee Comanches on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River is an ephemeral, sandy-braided stream about long, heading on the Llano Estacado of West Texas about southeast of Tahoka, Texas, flowing east-northeast across the western Rolling Plains to join the Salt Fork, forming the Brazos River about west-northwest of...
, Texas, killed eleven Indians and captured sixty-five horses. One enlisted man was wounded in the fight.
In August and September, 1876, He was sent with the Eleventh Infantry from the Department of Texas to the Department of Dakota
Department of Dakota
A subdivision of the Division of the Missouri, the Department of Dakota was established by the United States Army on August 11, 1866 to encompass all military activities and forts within Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Montana Territory. The Department of Dakota was initially headquartered at Fort...
for field service in connection with the Great Sioux War of 1876-77
Great Sioux War of 1876-77
The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations which occurred between 1876 and 1877 involving the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne, against the United States...
in the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
and in Montana. Captain Schwan served at Cheyenne River Agency
Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux.-History:...
, D.T., Fort Custer
Fort Custer (Montana)
Fort Custer was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Indians near present-day Hardin, Montana...
, M.T., Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett
Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux.-History:...
, D.T., and Fort Sully
Fort Sully
Fort Sully was one of the main military posts located on the east bank of the Missouri river in central Dakota built for use in the Indian Wars...
, D.T., 1876-80.
On May 16, 1877, Lt. Gen. Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
directed his brother Lt. Col. Michael V. Sheridan to retrieve the bodies of Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
and his officers. On June 20, 1877, About 7 o'clock Company I, Seventh Cavalry (Captain Nowlan), reached the north bank of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
, having been detached as the escort of Colonel Sheridan, who was to proceed to the Little Bighorn
Little Bighorn River
The Little Bighorn River is a tributary of the Bighorn River in the United States in the states of Wyoming and Montana. The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought on its banks in 1876, as well as the Battle of Crow Agency in 1887....
for the purpose of securing the bodies of the officers who fell in the Custer fight
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
. Later in the day Colonel Sheridan passed up the river on the steamer Fletcher, being accompanied by Captain Schwan, Company G, Eleventh Infantry.
Headquarters of the Military District of Dakota Territory, March 15, 1878, designated Capt. Theodore Schwan to act as Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
at the Cheyenne Agency, Dakota Territory.
On June 20, the commissioner of Indian Affaires instructed Captain Schwan to form an Indian police force on the Cheyenne River Agency in order to reduce the need of a military force at the agency.
He was then on recruiting service at David's Island
Davids' Island (New York)
Davids' Island is a island off the coast of New Rochelle, New York, in Long Island Sound. Currently uninhabited, in the past it was the site of Fort Slocum. Plans are to preserve the island as public parkland under the Westchester County Parks system. The island is home to the endangered Kemp’s...
N.Y. Harbor 1880-82. Captain Schwan was an instructor on the staff of the United States School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry
United States Army Cavalry School
The United States Army Cavalry School was part of a series of training programs and centers for its horse mounted troops or cavalry branch.-History:...
, at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kan., 1882-86.
Adjutant-General's Department
Captain Theodore Schwan, of the 11th Infantry, to be assistant adjutant generalAdjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
with the rank of major, July 6, 1886, vice Benjamin, deceased.
Maj. (now Lieut. Col.) Theodore Schwan, assistant adjutant-general, detailed as acting inspector-general, Department of Dakota
Department of Dakota
A subdivision of the Division of the Missouri, the Department of Dakota was established by the United States Army on August 11, 1866 to encompass all military activities and forts within Minnesota, Dakota Territory and Montana Territory. The Department of Dakota was initially headquartered at Fort...
, July 17, 1894, per Special Orders, No. 140, Adjutaut-General's Office, 1894; relieved April 30, 1895, per Special Orders, No. 75, Adjutant-General's Office, current series (lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and assistant adjutant general, February 19, 1895).
He was promoted to colonel and assistant adjutant-general, May 18, 1898. The Adjutant-General's Department was then Adjt.-Gen'l, Brig.-Gen. H. C. Corbin
Henry Clarke Corbin
Henry Clark Corbin was an officer in the United States Army who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1898 to 1904.-Life and career:...
. Assistants, Col. Theodore Schwan, Col. Thos. Ward, Lieut.-Col. W. H. Carter, Maj. H. O. S. Heistand, Maj. J. A. Johnston and Maj. W. A. Simpson.
Two weeks before his last promotion in the regular army he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers
United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
, and in accordance with the Act of Congress, approved March 2, 1899, he will retain that rank until July 1, 1901. He was brevetted several times.
Spanish-American War
When the Spanish-American War erupted, Lt. Col. Schwan was appointed brigadier generalBrigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of volunteers and colonel in the Regular Army in May 1898, making him one of the only foreign-born generals in the Spanish-American War. He assumed command of the 1st Division, IV Corps which was stationed in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. That unit was never called into action, but he assumed command of the Independent Regular Brigade and sailed for Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. His brigade landed at Guánica
Guánica, Puerto Rico
Guánica is a municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located on southern coast, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Sabana Grande, east of Lajas, and west of Yauco. It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and moved west along the coast. On August 10, his brigade won the Battle of Silva Heights. The next day, he entered the town of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...
. The Spanish moved up for another attack on Schwan, but a cease fire was enacted before either side attacked. Allegedly during this cease fire, Schwan's troops engaged in the first game of baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
to be played in Puerto Rico.
Philippine-American War
With the fighting on Puerto Rico over, General Schwan was transferred to the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where he became chief-of-staff in the VIII Corps
VIII Corps (PE)
The VIII Corps was formed on June 21, 1898 to provide a ground contingent to exploit Admiral Dewey's success in defeating the Spanish fleet in Manila harbor...
, engaged in the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
. He personally directed the first Cavite Expedition then took command of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, VIII Corps during the second Cavite Expedition.
Retirement and death
He retired from the army in 1901 and was made a Major General of Regulars and put on the retired list. Theodore Schwan died in 1926 and was buried in Arlington National CemeteryArlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Medal of Honor citation
- First Lieutenant, 10th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peebles Farm, Va., October 1, 1864. Entered service at: New York. Born: July 9, 1841, Germany. Date of issue: December 12, 1898.
Citation:
- At the imminent risk of his own life, while his regiment was falling back before a superior force of the enemy, he dragged a wounded and helpless officer to the rear, thus saving him from death or capture.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: Q–S
- Puerto Rican CampaignPuerto Rican CampaignThe Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago’s capital, San Juan. Though the damage inflicted on the city was minimal,...