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Honoring American TroopsMedal of Honor Archive

Private · U.S. Army

Peter F. Rafferty

Private Peter F. Rafferty, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on July 1, 1862 at Malvern Hill, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War July 1, 1862Born in Ireland

Private Peter F. Rafferty, a soldier in the U.S. Army, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry on July 1, 1862 at Malvern Hill, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with Company B, 69th New York Infantry. Rafferty was 17 years old.

3 other service members also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on August 2, 1897, 35 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Captain.

Rafferty was born on June 12, 1845 in County Tyrone, Ireland — one of 258 recipients born in Ireland. His Medal of Honor is credited to New York, New York. Rafferty died on April 30, 1910, at the age of 64. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, New York.

Rafferty is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 678 credited to New York.

★ Wounded but Fought On

Official Medal of Honor citation

Having been wounded and directed to the rear, declined to go, but continued in action, receiving several additional wounds, which resulted in his capture by the enemy and his total disability for military service.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and injuries

What the citation records about his wounds:

Having been wounded and directed to the rear, declined to go, but continued in action, receiving several additional wounds, which resulted in his capture by the enemy and his total disability for military service.

Places

  • Buried: Calvary Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in New York →

Timeline

  1. June 12, 1845
    Born in County Tyrone, Ireland
  2. July 1, 1862
    Act of valor — Malvern Hill, Virginia
    Age 17. Company B, 69th New York Infantry
  3. August 2, 1897
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. April 30, 1910
    Died
    Age 64.
  5. Resting place
    Calvary Cemetery
    Woodside, New York

Biography

Peter F. Rafferty (1845-1910) was an American soldier, who served as a private in the Union Army. He received the Medal of Honor after being injured in the Battle of Malvern Hill.

From the Wikipedia article “Peter Rafferty (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Further reading

Also honored for actions on July 1, 1862

WO William Henry Osborne Private · Army Civil War · 1862 William Young warren Ripley Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1862 John Michael Tobin First Lieutenant & Adjutant · Army Civil War · 1862

Same unit

TD Timothy Donoghue Private · Army Civil War · 1862

More Civil War recipients from New York

AB Asa Betham Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 CT Clifford Thomson First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863 JL James H. Lee Seaman · Navy Civil War · 1864 Francis Irsch Captain · Army Civil War · 1863 HH Hugh Hamilton Coxswain · Navy Civil War · 1864 MM Michael C. Murphy Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1864
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.