Peter Van Hoesen (January 24, 1828 – May 10, 1918), better known by his ''

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

'' James Sullivan, was an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

veteran. Having deserted, he later enlisted on behalf of another individual and performed an act of valor for which he was awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

. However, the circumstances of his enrollment denied him his right to a service pension and the recognition of the award.

Biography

Peter Van Hoesen was born on January 24, 1828, and enlisted with the Army early in the conflict and deserted from Company B of the

18th New York Volunteer Infantry The 18th New York Infantry Regiment ( "New York State Rifles") was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 18th New York Infantry was organized May 13, 1861 at Albany, New York and mustered in on May 1 ...

sometime prior to the

Battle of Crampton's Gap The Battle of Crampton's Gap, or Battle of Burkittsville, was a battle fought between forces under Confederate Brig. Gen. Howell Cobb and Union Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin as part of the Battle of South Mountain on September 14, 1862, at Cr ...

on September 14, 1862. Van Hoesen was arrested in New Scotland, New York, for desertion on July 3, 1863, and was sent to

Albany Barracks Albany Barracks (formerly Parkhurst Barracks) was a military installation on the Isle of Wight. History Construction of the barracks, which were originally named Parkhurst Barracks after the forest where they were located, was completed in Septe ...

. His familiarity with the area helped him to escape and journey to New York City, where he met the real James Sullivan while in hiding. Sullivan was from Connecticut and had been recently drafted to serve in the

7th Connecticut Infantry Regiment The 7th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Because it was in the same brigade as the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, both regiments were often jointly called ...

but did not want to be a part of the war. Sullivan offered Van Hoesen $300 to take his place, which Van Hoesen agreed to do. On October 24, 1863, Van Hoesen joined Company H of the 7th Connecticut Infantry under his new alias, James Sullivan. In April 1864, he was transferred to the Navy to serve aboard the gunboat . On December 2, 1864, he volunteered to take a gunpowder boat to

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River' ...

, North Carolina, and set it on fire. The explosion was not as successful as the Union hoped for, but the explosion did cause some fires to burn for a day or so. For this heroic action, he was awarded the

. After his service in the war, Van Hoesen stopped using the alias James Sullivan, and tried to file for his veteran pension. He was denied his pension due to his desertion while he was in the Albany Barracks. He died on May 10, 1918, without ever getting his pension and without recognition for receiving the Medal of Honor, and was buried in Coeymans Hollow Cemetery in Albany, New York. His service in the Civil War was mentioned at his funeral, but nothing about his Medal of Honor. On August 27, 2016, ninety-eight years after he died, he was finally recognized as a Medal of Honor recipient by a new tombstone bearing the Medal of Honor marker.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, James 1828 births 1918 deaths Union Army soldiers American escapees Escapees from United States military detention United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients People of Connecticut in the American Civil War People of New York (state) in the American Civil War American Civil War recipients of the Medal of Honor