CAPTAIN RICHARD W. DEWITT

U.S. ARMY

DIVISION: 9th Pennsylvania Infantry

COMPANY: F

DATE OF BIRTH: 25 JUN 1838

PLACE OF BIRTH: Butler County, Ohio

DATE OF DEATH: 16 SEP 1909

PLACE OF DEATH: Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana

NOTEWORTHY FACTS: Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service during the Civil War at Secessionville, South Carolina on 16 June 1862.

CITATION: While retiring with his men before a heavy fire of canister shot at short range, returned in the face of the enemy’s fire and rescued an exhausted private of his company who but for this timely action would have lost his life by drowning in the morass through which the troops were retiring.