Frederick William Swift (January 30, 1831 – January 30, 1916) was a

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

who was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for gallantry in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was awarded the medal on February 15, 1897, for actions performed at the Battle of Lenoir's Station in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

in November 1863.

Personal life

Swift was born on January 30, 1831, in

Mansfield, Connecticut Mansfield ( ) is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 25,892 at the 2020 census. Pequot and Mohegan people lived in this region for centuries before the arri ...

. He married twice, first to Mary Amelia Bradford in 1855 and then to Ella Berdan and fathered three total children. After the war, he served as

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. He died on January 30, 1916, in Detroit and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.

Military service

Swift enlisted in the Army as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on July 29, 1862, in Detroit and was assigned to Company F of the 17th Michigan Infantry Regiment on August 26, 1862. On November 16, 1863, while acting as the rearguard of the Union force under General

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everts Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the American Civil War and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successfu ...

in their retreat towards

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

, the 17th was attacked by the advance units of

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

general James Longstreet's force. Demoralised and facing a charge from Confederate troops, the 17th's line was about to break. Swift, however, was able to take command by grabbing the unit colors and inspiring the men to form up on him. With a volley of musket fire, Swift was able to repulse the Confederate advance. For this action, Swift was awarded the Medal of Honor. Swift's Medal of Honor citation reads: Swift was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 26, 1863, and assumed command of the 17th that same day. He was captured by the Confederates on May 12, 1864, at the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and was held in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, until he was exchanged for Confederate prisoners of war on August 3, 1864, in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. He was added to General Cadmus M. Wilcox's staff in October 1864. He was promoted to colonel in December 1864 and after the war received a brevet promotion to brigadier general, backdated to March 13, 1865. He was mustered out of the army on June 3, 1865, at Delaney House,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Frederick W. 1831 births 1916 deaths People from Mansfield, Connecticut American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor Union army colonels American Civil War prisoners of war Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit)

Personal life

Military service

See also

References