Norwegians in the Civil War
PETERSON, Alfred
US Navy. Born 1838 in Sweden. Civil War: Enlisted from New York. Seaman. Awarded the Medal of Honor. On board the U.S.S. Commodore Perry in the attack upon Franklin, Virginia, on 3 Oct 1862. With enemy fire raking the deck of his ship and blockades thwarting her progress, Peterson remained at his post and performed his duties with skill and courage as the Commodore Perry fought a gallant battle to silence many rebel batteries as she steamed down the Blackwater River. Sources: (“America’s Medal of Honor Recipients”. Publ. 1977, pp 188, 1019)