Peter Howard (Medal of Honor)

Steady service as Mississippi grounded at Port Hudson

Peter Howard was born in France in 1829. He served as a boatswain's mate in the United States Navy aboard USS Mississippi during the American Civil War.

On 14 March 1863 during the action against Port Hudson, Louisiana, Mississippi grounded under fire from shore batteries. Howard continued his duties while the crew maintained fire and attempted to free the ship. It was eventually set afire and abandoned, then drifted downstream and exploded.

Howard received the Medal of Honor for his gallant service and later attained the rank of acting ensign. He died on 25 March 1875 in Brooklyn, New York.

Medal of Honor citation

Served on board the U.S.S. Mississippi during the action against Port Hudson, 14 March 1863. Running aground during the darkness and in the midst of battle while exposed to a devastating fire from enemy shore batteries, the Mississippi was ordered abandoned after a long and desperate attempt to free her. Serving courageously throughout this period in which a steady fire was kept up against the enemy until the ship was enveloped in flames and abandoned, Howard acted gallantly in his duties as boatswain's mate. Soon after the firing of the Mississippi and its abandonment, it was seen to slide off the shoal, drift downstream, and explode, leaving no possibility of its falling into enemy hands.