Theodore Schwan

Theodore Schwan
Medal of Honor recipient
Born	(1841-07-09)July 9, 1841 Bremerhaven, Germany
Died	May 27, 1926(1926-05-27) (aged 84) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1857–1901
Rank	Major General
Unit	10th U.S. Infantry 11th U.S. Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Peebles' Farm Indian Wars Red River War Great Sioux War of 1876-77 Spanish–American War Battle of Silva Heights Philippine–American War
Awards	Medal of Honor

American Civil War

Indian Wars

Spanish–American War

Theodore Schwan (July 9, 1841 – May 27, 1926) 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 Wars.

Theodore Schwan was the son of Rev. Georg Heinrich Christian Schwan and his second wife, Dorette Polemann, and the half-brother of Rev. Heinrich Christian Schwan. Schwan was born in Wulsdorf, now a neighborhood in the city of Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany, but in 1841 part of the Kingdom of Hanover, and received his initial schooling in Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1857, arriving at New York on 30 May 1857 on the sailing ship Ariel. On 12 June 1857, Schwan enlisted as a Private in the Regular Army, four weeks before his 16th birthday, 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 October 1863, when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in April 1864 and later received the Medal of Honor for dragging a wounded Union officer to the rear and preventing him from being captured at the October 1864 Battle of Peebles Farm.