Jacob B. Sweitzer

Last updated
Jacob Bowman Sweitzer
Pennsylvania-Sweitzer.jpg
Born(1821-07-04)July 4, 1821
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
DiedNovember 7, 1888(1888-11-07) (aged 67)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Place of burial
Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Allegiance United States of America
Union
Service/branch United States Army
Union Army
Years of service1861-1864
Rank Union Army colonel rank insignia.png Colonel
Union Army brigadier general rank insignia.svg Brevet Brigadier General
Commands held 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry
Sweitzer's Brigade, V Corps
Battles/wars American Civil War
Other workAttorney

Jacob Bowman Sweitzer (July 4, 1821 November 7, 1888) was a Pennsylvania lawyer and soldier who commanded a regiment and then a brigade in the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War. He and his men were significantly engaged at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, where they reinforced and helped temporarily stabilize the Union defensive line on the second day of fighting.

Pennsylvania State of the United States of America

Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle. The Commonwealth is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.

Regiment Military unit

A regiment is a military unit. Their role and size varies markedly, depending on the country and the arm of service.

Brigade Military formation size designation, typically of 3-6 battalions

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.

Contents

Early life

Jacob Bowman Sweitzer was born July 4, 1821, in Brownsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Henry Sweitzer 1780-1852, and Ann Elliott Bowman 1790-1876. His Paternal ancestors were George Ludwig "Lewis" Sweitzer 1740-1795, and Conrad Sweitzer/Schweitzer 1706-1770, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749, from Germany. His brother, Nelson Bowman Sweitzer, who became a career army officer, was born in Brownsville seven years later. Jacob Sweitzer studied at Jefferson College, graduating in 1843.

Washington & Jefferson College college in Washington, Pennsylvania, USA

Washington & Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania. The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to the American frontier in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing academies, with Jefferson College located in Canonsburg and Washington College located in Washington. The two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College. The 60 acre (0.2 km2) campus has more than 40 buildings, with the oldest dating to 1793.

He later studied law, passed the bar exam, and established a legal practice.

Civil War

Sweitzer was named major of the 62nd Pennsylvania Infantry on July 4, 1861. He became lieutenant colonel on November 17 of that year and colonel on June 27, 1862. Sweitzer served in the Seven Days Battles, being wounded and captured at the Battle of Gaines's Mill. After being exchanged on August 15, 1862, he led his regiment in the First Division, V Corps at the Second Battle of Bull Run and at Antietam in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin.

Major (United States) rank in the United States uniformed services, O-4

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, major is a field grade military officer rank above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services. Although lieutenant commanders are considered junior officers by their respective services, the rank of major is considered field grade in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps.

Lieutenant colonel (United States) U.S. military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel

In the United States Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force, 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.

Colonel (United States) Military rank of the United States

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, colonel is the most senior field grade military officer rank, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and immediately below the rank of brigadier general. It is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the other uniformed services. The pay grade for colonel is O-6.

When Griffin became commander of the First Division, Sweitzer was temporarily his successor in brigade command, including at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Subsequently, Sweitzer returned to his regimental role. He resumed command of the brigade at the Battle of Chancellorsville, succeeding Col. James McQuade. (McQuade was senior to Sweitzer, but he had missed Fredericksburg.)

Battle of Fredericksburg major battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee, was part of the Union Army's futile frontal attacks on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city. It is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the war, with Union casualties more than twice as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates. A visitor to the battlefield described the battle to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln as a "butchery."

Battle of Chancellorsville major battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on May 3 in the vicinity of Fredericksburg. The campaign pitted Union Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's Army of the Potomac against an army less than half its size, General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because his risky decision to divide his army in the presence of a much larger enemy force resulted in a significant Confederate victory. The victory, a product of Lee's audacity and Hooker's timid decision making, was tempered by heavy casualties, including Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Jackson was hit by friendly fire, requiring his left arm to be amputated; he died of pneumonia eight days later, a loss that Lee likened to losing his right arm. Lee's difficulty in replacing his lost men as well as his inability to prevent the Union Withdrawal effectively have led to his great victory being regarded as a Pyrrhic one.

Gettysburg

At the Battle of Gettysburg, the V Corps arrived early on July 2, 1863, after a hard march from Unionville, Maryland. The First Division, temporarily led by Brig. Gen. James Barnes, was sent to the left flank to aid III Corps. Sweitzer’s brigade and that of Col. William S. Tilton went into action between the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard. (The Third Brigade, under Col. Strong Vincent was detached and sent to Little Round Top.) The two brigades were deployed at a perpendicular angle to one another, which made their position hard to maintain under attack. After enduring Confederate assaults, General Barnes decided to withdraw from an exposed position. Sweitzer’s report describes the order to withdraw as "peremptory". [1]

Unionville, Frederick County, Maryland Unincorporated community in Maryland, United States

Unionville is an unincorporated community in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. It is located approximately halfway between Frederick and Westminster, just east of Libertytown off Maryland Route 26. The Pearre-Metcalfe House, which sits on Albaugh Road, just outside the town's center, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

James Barnes (general) Union Army general

James Barnes was a railroad executive and a Union Army general in the American Civil War.

III Corps (Union Army) corps-sized formation of the Union Army

There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.

Sweitzer’s command, however, was sent back into the fight, entering the Wheatfield. It was flanked, however, by Confederate Brig. Gen. William T. Wofford's brigade, suffering serious losses. Col. Harrison Jeffords of the 4th Michigan Infantry was killed when Confederate soldiers tried to capture his regiment’s flag. The brigade withdrew toward Little Round Top and was positioned in that vicinity for the remainder of the battle. It later participated in the retreat of the Confederate army. Sweitzer had only three regiments present (the 9th Massachusetts Regiment was on detached duty). He reported that his regiments lost 466 out of 1,010 present on the field. [2]

Sweitzer retained his brigade in the autumn of 1863, participating in the earlier stages of Bristoe Campaign and in the Mine Run Campaign.

After Gettysburg

When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized preceding Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign, Sweitzer retained brigade command in Griffin’s First Division. His brigade absorbed Tilton’s 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Sweitzer led the brigade at the Battle of the Wilderness and the Battle of Spotsylvania. Sweitzer distinguished himself at the Battle of North Anna, holding the exposed right flank of V Corps during a Confederate attack near Jericho Mills. [3] He also commanded these troops at the Battle of Cold Harbor and the early stages of the Siege of Petersburg.

Sweitzer was mustered out with his regiment on July 13, 1864. He received a brevet promotion to the rank of brigadier general for "war service" on March 13, 1865.

Postbellum activities

After leaving the army, Sweitzer settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He resumed legal practice in Pittsburgh. Sweitzer died on November 7, 1888, and was buried at Allegheny Cemetery.

See also

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References

Notes

  1. Sweitzer's official report
  2. Sweitzer's official report.
  3. Rhea, pp. 304, 305 [map], 307-312, 313 [map], 317.