Theodore Schwan 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 War 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 States 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 . 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 . quartermaster , 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 regiment 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 $ 3 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 . 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 . Adjutant - General ' s Department . Captain Theodore Schwan , of the 11th Infantry , to be assistant adjutant general 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 . Spanish - American War . When the Spanish - American War erupted , Lt . Col . Schwan was appointed brigadier general 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 ball $ 2 $ 3 to be played in Puerto Rico . Philippine - American War . With the fighting on Puerto Rico over , General Schwan was transferred to the Philippines , 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 . 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 Cemetery . Medal of Honor citation . Rank and Organization : Citation :