Aaron Anderson (Sanderson)

Landsman Aaron Anderson (Sanderson)

Aaron Anderson, whose Medal of Honor was recorded under the name Aaron Sanderson, was an African American sailor in the Union Navy. He was born about 1811. His birthplace remains disputed: the Congressional Medal of Honor Society lists North Carolina, while the Mariners' Museum gives Arkansas. His childhood and family circumstances are poorly documented in the sources reviewed. [1][2]

Anderson was living in Philadelphia when he enlisted in the Navy on 17 April 1863, reportedly aged 52. He served as a landsman aboard USS Wyandank, a stores ship attached to the Potomac Flotilla. His wartime service placed him among the Black sailors supporting Union naval operations along the Potomac River and its tributaries. [1][2]

On 17 March 1865 he took part in a boat expedition into Mattox Creek, Virginia. Anderson was one of the oarsmen in a cutter sent to clear the creek. Confederate fire damaged the launch, destroyed half its oars and struck a musket being used against the enemy. He continued his duties under this fire, helping the boat crew carry out the operation and withdraw. His Medal of Honor recognized this courage in a small, exposed vessel. This account summarizes the official citation rather than reproducing it verbatim. [1][2]

The award was announced in General Order No. 59, dated 22 June 1865, under the name Sanderson. His recorded naval rating was Landsman. [3]

Anderson left the Navy when his enlistment ended. Reliable detail about his later employment and family life remains limited. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society records his death in Philadelphia on 9 January 1886 and identifies Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, as his burial place following reinterment from Lebanon Cemetery. His naval service is also commemorated in a later U.S. Navy poster, preserved by the Naval History and Heritage Command. [1][2][4]

Sources [1] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Aaron Sanderson: https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/aaron-sanderson [2] John V. Quarstein, Mariners' Museum, African American US Medal of Honor Recipients During the Civil War, Part I: https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/02/african-american-us-navy-medal-of-honor-recipients-during-the-civil-war/ [3] U.S. Army, Civil War Medal of Honor citations, M-Z, Sanderson entry: https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/citations2.html [4] Naval History and Heritage Command, Anderson, Aaron: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/a/anderson-aaron.html