Born in Hanover, Germany, on July 9, 1841, he came to the United States in 1857.
He served as Private, Corporal, Sergeant and First Sergeant, United States Infantry, June 12, 1857 to November 6, 1863. Appointed Second Lieutenant, United States Infantry, October 31, 1863 and rose steadily throught the ranks to Captain, March 14, 1866.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor on December 12, 1898 for “most distinguished gallantry ” in action during the Civil War at Peebles Farm, Virginia, on October 1, 1864.
He was attached to the US Embassy, Berlin, Germany, 1892-93; commanded the 1st Division, 9th Army Corps, 1898; commanded the Western Column in the Puerto Rico Campaign (Spanish-American War); was Chief of Staff in the Philippines in 1899-1900 (Philippine Insurrection).
Honorably discharged after 40 years of service, February 21, 1901. He died on May 27, 1926 and was buried with full military honors in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.
SCHWAN, THEODORE
MAJOR GEN MAJOR GEN USA RETD
VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
DATE OF DEATH: 05/27/1926
DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
BURIED AT: SECTION E-W SITE 860
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
SCHWAN, THEODORE
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 10th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Peebles Farm, Virginia, 1 October 1864. Entered service at: New York. Born: 9 July 1841, Germany. Date of issue: 12 December 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.
MAJOR GENERAL THEODORE SCHWAN
WASHINGTON, May 27, 1926 – Major General Theodore Schwan, who saw Civil War service, died this morning at his residence, 1310 Twentieth Street, in his eighty-fifth year. He was born in Germany on July 9, 1841, entered the United States’ Regular Army in 1857 and was retired at his own request in 1901, after forty-four years of service. For distinguished gallantry in action at Peebles Farm, Virginia, on October 1, 1864, the Medal of Honor was awarded to him in 1898. He was attached to the American Embassy at Berlin in 1892-93 and then submitted a report on the organization of the German Army and its Genreal Staff, which became a “classic.”
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard