Frederick Phisterer (October 11, 1836 – July 13, 1909) was a German immigrant,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

soldier, and writer who fought for the United States in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Phisterer received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, his country's highest award for bravery during combat. On December 12, 1894, Phisterer was recognized for actions at the Battle of Stones River at

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

in December 1862 and January 1863; the site of the fighting is now the

Stones River National Battlefield Stones River National Battlefield, a park along the Stones River in Rutherford County, Tennessee, three miles (5 km) northwest of Murfreesboro and twenty-eight miles southeast of Nashville, memorializes the Battle of Stones River. This ke ...

Biography

Phisterer was born in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

. He joined the Army from Medina County, Ohio, in December 1855, and served in the 3rd Artillery Regiment for 5 years. He re-enlisted with the 18th Infantry Regiment in July 1861, and was commissioned as an officer the following October. He eventually rose to the rank of captain, and was honorably discharged in August 1870.Historical Register and Dictionary of the US Army
/ref> He was a longtime officer of the New York Militia, and played a large role in the militia's reorganization as part of the National Guard. He attained the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge of ...

, and was promoted to the

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

for his service to organize and train soldiers for the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. He acted as New York's Adjutant General in 1901 and 1902, and was promoted to brevet

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

at his retirement as recognition of his many years of successful service. General Phisterer was a companion of the New York Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

and a member of the

Order of Indian Wars of the United States Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

. He died in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, and was buried at Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio.

Medal of Honor citation

Bibliography

*
The Regular Brigade of the Fourteenth Army Corps, the Army of the Cumberland, in the battle of Stone River, or Murfreesboro, Tennessee, from December 31st, 1862, to January 3d, 1863
' (1883) *
Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States
' (1883) *
New York in the War of Rebellion, 1861-1865
' (1912)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phisterer, Frederick 1836 births 1909 deaths American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor 19th-century German people German-born Medal of Honor recipients Württemberger emigrants to the United States People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers United States Army Medal of Honor recipients Phisterer Military personnel from Stuttgart

Biography

Medal of Honor citation

Bibliography

See also

References

External links