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Peter Williams of the "USS Monitor."

by Terry Foenander.

In a letter to his wife, Anna, dated aboard the USS Florida, at sea, October 28th, 1863, paymaster William Frederick Keeler notes: "In this I enclose the photograph of Ensign [Peter} Williams who steered the Monitor in the Merrimac fight & was made a master's mate [from quartermaster] & at the sinking of the Monitor was promoted to an Ensign. You will observe his "medal of honor" given him by Congress attached to his breast. In the photograph of the crew of the Monitor he is sitting reading a paper." [1]

The photograph referred to in that last sentence is more than likely the well known one included in many modern publications, a copy of which is shown below.

Part of the crew of the USS Monitor, relaxing on deck in the James River, July 9, 1862.
Photo by James F. Gibson.
(Image number NH 574, courtesy Naval Historical Center collection, from an original copy at the Library of Congress.)

Amongst the crew of 24 personnel shown in this view is one sailor, shown at left center, reading a paper. A close up view of this sailor, assumed to be Peter Williams, is shown below.

Peter Williams was a native of Norway, who had enlisted from the state of Pennsylvania. He had served creditably aboard the USS Monitorpiloting the vessel during the battle at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on March 9, 1862, and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. He later showed further valorous conduct during the final hours of the Monitor when she went down in a storm on the last day of 1862. For his conduct during the battle at Hampton Roads, he was promoted Mate in late March, 1862, and received a further promotion to Acting Ensign on January 10, 1863. He was honorably discharged the service in late 1867. [2]

Postscript: There seems to be some confusion about the dates, although the image above is most definitely the one referred to in the Keeler letter. Peter Williams is shown to have been promoted Mate in March, 1862, but the image above is listed by at least one source as having been taken four months later, even though Williams is still shown in his ranking of an enlisted man. Further details, when known, will be posted at this site.

Reference Sources:

[1] Aboard the USS Florida: 1863-1865, The Letters of Paymaster William Frederick Keeler, U.S. Navy, To his Wife, Anna, page 108. Edited by Robert W. Daly, Professor, U.S. Naval Academy; 1968, United States Naval Institute, Annapolia, Maryland.

[2] The Congressional Medal of Honor, page 947. Sharp & Dunnigan Publications, Forest Ranch, California, 1984; and List of Officers of the U.S. Navy and of the Marine Corps, 1775-1900, page 591; reprinted by Olde Soldier Books, Gaithersburg, Maryland.

February, 2001