A unique ceremony took place in the Armidale Cemetery on the weekend. A plaque on a previously unmarked grave was formally unveiled by descendents of American Civil War veteran, William Jean Schwalbach. The ceremony was part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the Armidale Family History Group Inc. The plaque and the story of William Jean Schwalbach were the culmination of six years of research by the Family History Group. It all began when a member of the ‘Sons of Confederate Veterans’ contacted the Family History Group to determine where William Schwalbach was buried. His extraordinary life was lived around the globe and concluded in Armidale.
Four generations of William Schwalbach descendants attended the ceremony, mostly coming from Tamworth and Sydney. Two brothers, Trevor (aged 86) and Keith (aged 87) Schwalbach came up to Armidale from Tamworth and Ebenezer, respectively. They were William Schwalbach’s grandsons.
The family members expressed their gratitude to the Armidale Family History Group for the research and ceremony. The commemoration of their little known ancestor was an emotional event, as pride swelled in hearts and tears crept from eyes. Former Armidale local, Wayne Schwalbach, lives and works in Tamworth. He said the plaque and the history of William Schwalbach meant a lot to his family. “It is just great that there are people doing this sort of volunteer work in an organisation like the Armidale Family History Group. The internet makes research quick and easy these days but many of these records cannot be found online,” he said.
Wayne’s father, Trevor, said he is very proud of his American Civil War veteran grandfather’s story. “He had died before I was born. So, to learn of his life now – it does make me proud.”
The Service was conducted by Armidale Presbyterian Minister, Rev David Seaman. The Armidale City band played both the Star Spangled Banner and Advance Australia Fair. Local military history stalwarts also attended.
It is now understood that the American Civil War veteran would have been on the Union side, fighting the Confederates. William Schwalbach died on March 27, 1909. He was buried in the Old Presbyterian Portion of the Armidale Cemetery, without a headstone.
Born in 1844 in Geneva, Switzerland, Schwalbach was recruited into military service straight off the boat, upon arrival in New York. He was unable to speak English at the time. On February 26, 1864, he enlisted into Company D, 25th New York Cavalry during the American Civil War. The 25th Regiment fought a number of bloody battles and were engaged in the defence of Washington in the year of Schwalbach’s enlistment.
He was ‘mustered out’ on June 27, 1865 at Hart’s Island, New York. He remained in New York for some time after leaving the US Army. He then spent some time at sea, including a stint with the Italian navy.
In 1882, William Jean Schwalbach met and married Francis Emily Nichols in Stepney, Middlesex, England. They migrated to Australia to start a new life.
William and Francis Schwalbach settled near Armidale, where William worked as a miner, though he had begun his working life as a clerk. The Schwalbachs had seven children. William Schwalbach became a naturalised Australian in 1904. In that year, he applied for an American military pension, describing his role in the last major battle of the Civil War at Waynesboro, Virginia in mid-March, 1865.
William Schwalbach died five years later of bronchial asthma at Plumpton, near Armidale. Francis did receive an American Widow’s pension of US$12 per month, plus an extra US$2 per month for each child under the age of 16. Francis died on March 14, 1923 and is understood to be buried alongside her husband. Memorialising her grave site is the next step, according to the Schwalbach family.
Story: Gary Fry
