Peter Cotton

A Coxswain's Courage on the Yazoo River

Peter Cotton was an American sailor and recipient of the United States Medal of Honor whose distinguished service during the American Civil War became part of the naval history of the Mississippi River campaigns. Serving as an Ordinary Seaman and performing the duties of Coxswain aboard USS Baron De Kalb, Cotton demonstrated courage during the Yazoo River Expedition of December 23–27, 1862. His conduct under enemy fire earned him the Medal of Honor, formally recorded under Navy General Order No. 11, dated April 3, 1863.

Cotton was born on June 17, 1839, in New York City, New York. Little reliable information survives concerning his parents, childhood, education, or early civilian life. His documented military history places him in the United States naval forces during the Civil War, serving aboard an ironclad gunboat engaged in operations against Confederate positions along the western rivers.

The vessel with which Cotton became associated was originally named USS St. Louis. Built by James B. Eads at Carondelet, Missouri, and launched on October 12, 1861, St. Louis was a sternwheel casemate gunboat constructed for the United States War Department. Designed for river operations, the vessel carried heavy artillery protected by an armored casemate.

During the opening months of 1862, St. Louis served with the Western Gunboat Flotilla under Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. On February 6, the gunboat participated in the Union attack on Fort Henry, a Confederate stronghold on the Tennessee River. The fort's surrender opened an important river route to Union forces.

The vessel subsequently participated in operations against Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River in February 1862. During the naval engagement, Union gunboats supported the wider campaign that ended with the Confederate surrender of the fort on February 16.

Cotton's connection with these early battles is preserved on the reverse of his original Medal of Honor, which identifies him as Coxswain of USS St. Louis and records Fort Henry and Fort Donelson among the actions associated with his service. Although the engraving establishes this historical connection, surviving records do not describe his precise individual duties during either engagement.

St. Louis continued operating on the western rivers throughout 1862. On September 8, the gunboat was renamed USS Baron De Kalb, honoring the Revolutionary War officer Johann de Kalb. On October 1, the vessel was transferred from the War Department to the Navy Department.

By December 1862, Baron De Kalb was participating in Union operations along the Yazoo River in Mississippi. The river formed part of the Confederate defensive system protecting Vicksburg, a strategically important stronghold on the Mississippi River.

Between December 23 and 27, Baron De Kalb advanced up the Yazoo River under orders to capture or destroy Confederate transports. During the expedition, the gunboat encountered four steamers identified as John Walsh, R. J. Locklan, Golden Age, and Scotland. The vessels had been sunk on a bar to obstruct the passage of Union gunboats and were ordered to be burned.

As Baron De Kalb continued upriver, Confederate forces opened fire upon the Union vessel. The gunboat returned fire, forcing the opposing forces to retreat. The expedition involved repeated dangers as the crew operated in waterways where Confederate defenders could fire from positions along the riverbanks.

Peter Cotton served as Coxswain during these operations. Although his recorded naval rating was Ordinary Seaman, his duties as Coxswain placed him in a responsible position aboard the gunboat.

The official account of the expedition specifically recognized Cotton for his bravery throughout the action. His conduct was distinguished not by a single isolated incident but by his performance during the various encounters in which Baron De Kalb was engaged.

After the exchange of fire upriver, the gunboat began its return journey. During the movement downstream, Union personnel destroyed or captured substantial quantities of Confederate military equipment and took several prisoners. These operations formed part of the expedition's effort to disrupt Confederate transportation and military activity along the Yazoo River.

Cotton continued fulfilling his duties throughout the expedition. His official Medal of Honor citation recognized the courage he displayed while serving as Coxswain during the series of engagements between December 23 and 27, 1862.

The actions of Baron De Kalb contributed to the broader Union effort to challenge Confederate control of the waterways surrounding Vicksburg. The expedition also demonstrated the importance of river gunboats, whose crews operated close to hostile shore positions while navigating waterways containing obstructions and other hazards.

Cotton's wartime conduct received formal recognition on April 3, 1863, when Navy General Order No. 11 recorded his award of the Medal of Honor. The decoration was among the early Medals of Honor awarded to naval personnel during the American Civil War.

An especially important part of Cotton's historical record is the survival of his original Medal of Honor. Preserved in the collection of the United States Naval History and Heritage Command, the medal bears an engraving identifying him as Peter Cotton, Coxswain, USS St. Louis, with references to Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and other actions.

The engraving uses the ship's earlier name, while the official Medal of Honor citation identifies USS Baron De Kalb. Both names refer to the same vessel. Together, the medal and the surviving naval records preserve evidence of Cotton's association with the gunboat during its early Civil War operations and the later Yazoo River Expedition.

USS Baron De Kalb continued participating in Union naval campaigns during 1863, including operations along the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The vessel was eventually sunk by a Confederate mine near Yazoo City on July 13, 1863. However, Cotton's presence aboard the gunboat at the time of its loss has not been established.

The surviving biographical record does not reliably document Cotton's subsequent naval assignments, discharge date, postwar occupation, family life, date of death, or burial location. His later life therefore remains largely unknown.

Peter Cotton's military legacy rests upon his documented courage during the December 1862 Yazoo River Expedition and the extraordinary distinction of having his original Medal of Honor preserved in a national naval collection. His service aboard USS Baron De Kalb earned him recognition among the sailors whose bravery contributed to Union naval operations during the American Civil War. His Medal of Honor remains a lasting testament to that service and to his conduct under fire on the Yazoo River.