Second Class Boy Oscar E. Peck was a sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on April 24, 1862 in Forts Jackson & St. Philip, Louisiana during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with U.S.S. Varuna. Peck was about 14 years old.
18 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day.
Peck was born in 1848 in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut. His Medal of Honor is credited to Connecticut. Peck died on October 23, 1906 in Norton Heights, Connecticut, at the age of about 58. He is buried at State Veterans Cemetery in Darien, Connecticut.
Peck is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 57 credited to Connecticut.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Peck served as second class boy on board the Varuna during attacks on Forts Jackson and St. Philip, 24 April 1862. Acting as powder boy of the after rifle, Peck served gallantly while the Varuna was repeatedly attacked and rammed and finally sunk. This was an extremely close-range action and, although badly damaged, the Varuna delivered shells abaft the Morgan's armor.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: American Civil War.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Connecticut →
Timeline
- 1848Born in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
- April 24, 1862Act of valor — Forts Jackson & St. Philip, LouisianaAge about 14. U.S.S. Varuna
- October 23, 1906Died in Norton Heights, ConnecticutAge about 58.
- Resting placeState Veterans CemeteryDarien, Connecticut
Biography
Oscar E. Peck (1848 – October 23, 1906) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Born in 1848 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Peck was still living in that city when he joined the Navy. He served during the Civil War as a second class boy on the USS Varuna. At the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip near New Orleans on April 24, 1862, Varuna was rammed twice by the Confederate steamer CSS Governor Moore (formerly known as the Charles Morgan) and eventually sunk. Peck acted as a powder boy and "served gallantly" throughout the close-range fight.
From the Wikipedia article “Oscar E. Peck”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
