Nelson Bowman Sweitzer – Colonel, United States Army

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Nelson Bowman Sweitzer of Pennsylvania

Appointed from Pennsylvania, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 July 1849 (24)
Brevet Second Lieutenant, 2nd U. S. Dragoons, 1 July 1853
Second Lieutenant, 1st U. S. Dragoons, 25 July 1854
First Lieutenant, 3 September 1855
Captain, 7 May 1861
1st U. S. Cavalry, 3 August 1861
Lieutenant Colonel, Aide-de-Camp, 28 September 1861
Honorably mustered out as Aide-de-Camp, 31 March 1863
Colonel, 16th New York Volunteer Cavalry, 12 November 1864
Transfereed to the 3rd New York Provisional Cavalry, 23 June 1865
Honorably mustered out of the volunteer service, 21 September 1865
Major, 2nd U. S. Cavalry, 28 July 1866
Lieutenant Colonel, 8th U. S. Cavalry, 25 June 1877
Colonel, 2nd U. S. Cavalry, 9 January 1886
Retired 29 October 1888
Breveted Major, 1 July 1862, for gallant and meritorious service in the Peninsular Campaign in Virginia
Breveted Lieutenant Colonel, 19 September 1864, for gallant and meritorious service in the battle of Winchester, Virginia
Breveted Colonel, 13 March 1865, for distinguished gallantry in the battles of Yellow Tavern and Meadow Bridge, Virginia
Breveted Brigadier General, U. S. Volunteers, 13 March 1865, for gallant and meritorious service during the war
Died 7 march 1898

Nelson Bowman Sweitzer, a West Pointer, who was an aide-de-camp to McClellan and, most famously, commander of the regiment that tracked down and killed John Wilkes Booth.

Nelson B. Sweitzer, as far as can be told, had little to do with the capture of Booth, however. Lieutenant Edward P. Doherty was assigned to lead a detachment of twenty-five men from the Sixteenth New York Cavalry for the special assignment. They tracked down Booth and David Herold to the barn on the Richard Garrett farm.

DEATH OF GENERAL NELSON B. SWEITZER

WASHINGTON, March 8, 1898 – General Nelson B. Sweitzer, United States Army, retired, died at Washington yesterday.  He was a native of Pennsylvania and was graduated from West Point in the same class as McPherson, Schofield and Sheridan in the class of 1853.

During the war he served gallantly as a Colonel of New York Cavalry regiments and was brevetted five times for meritorious services in the peninsula campaign in Virginia.

He leaves a wife, two sons and a daughter.

SWEITZER, N B

  • COL 2ND U S CAVALRY
  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/07/1898
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 21-A
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

SWEITZER, HELEN MCGREGOR W/O NELSON B

  • DATE OF DEATH: 08/19/1914
  • BURIED AT: SECTION W D E  SITE 21-A
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF NB SWEITZER, COL 2ND U S CAVALRY

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