George E. Stewart
An American soldier who earned the Medal of Honor in the Philippines and later led the controversial 'Polar Bear' expedition in the Russian Civil War.
1872–1946 (age 74)·Birthday: August 2·The Gilded Age
Biography
George Evans Stewart's military career was a journey from tropical guerrilla warfare to the frozen trenches of the Russian Arctic. He first distinguished himself as a young lieutenant in the Philippine-American War, where his daring capture of a enemy flag under heavy fire earned him the Medal of Honor. This act of bravery set the course for a steady rise through the ranks. His defining and most difficult command came during World War I's messy aftermath. In 1918-1919, he was given leadership of the American North Russia Expeditionary Force, known as the 'Polar Bears.' Tasked with a vague and ultimately futile mission alongside Allied forces against the Bolsheviks near Archangel, Stewart managed the morale and survival of his isolated troops through a brutal northern winter. The experience was politically fraught and militarily stagnant, a forgotten chapter of American history that defined the latter part of his service.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
George was born in 1872, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1872
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1872Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1877Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1885Became a teenager
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1888Could drive
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Could vote
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1893Turned 21
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1902Turned 30
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Turned 40
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1922Turned 50
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1932Turned 60
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 70
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1946Died at 74
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing an enemy flag during the Battle of Paye in the Philippine-American War.
- Commanded the 339th Infantry Regiment, the core of the American Expeditionary Force in North Russia.
- Served as the overall commander of American forces in the North Russia intervention during the Russian Civil War.
- Retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of brigadier general.
Did You Know?
His Medal of Honor citation specifically notes he captured the flag 'under heavy fire.'
The forces he commanded in Russia were primarily drawn from Michigan, earning them the 'Polar Bears' nickname.
The intervention in Russia was deeply unpopular with the soldiers, who questioned why they were still fighting after the Armistice.
There is a Polar Bear Monument in White Chapel Cemetery, Michigan, dedicated to the soldiers who died in North Russia.
“I took the flag from the dead color bearer under heavy fire.”
