Peter⁵ Diederich (John⁴, Johann Nicolaus³, Paul², Johann Nicolaus¹) was born 1 May 1840 at Arbach, Province of the Rhineland, the son of John and Anna (Clausen) Diederich.

He died sometime after 14 August 1891, age approximately 51, probably at Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana. The funeral was held ____________________, at ___________ Church, _________, and he is buried in __________ Cemetery at _______. His death is recorded in Deer Lodge County death records, v. ____, no. _____, and obituaries were published in _____________________.

14 August 1891 is the date on an affidavit filed when he applied for a pension for Civil War service. At the time he filed for the pension, he was living at Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana. He did not receive the pension to which he would seem to have been entitled. Nor is there any evidence that he made any further effort to obtain a pension so he may have died soon thereafter.

There is no evidence that he ever married. If he did, his widow never applied for a Civil War widow's pension.

Peter Diederich's baptism is recorded in the register of St. Remiguis Catholic Church at Retterath which contains this entry for 1 May 1840, translated from Latin:

Petrus Diederich of Arbach. 1st. Born and baptized, Petrus, the legitimate son of Joannes Diederich and of Anna Claasen, married couple at Arbach. Presented at the holy baptismal font by Petrus Michels, married man of Arbach, and Anna Maria Diederich, single, of Liersthal.

See Kirchenbuch Retterath, Abt. 72/685, no. 2, p. 49, now preserved in the Bistumsarchiv (diocesan archive) at Trier. Retterath is in the Archdiocese Trier.

Peter Diederich came to the United States with his parents sometime between 1843 and 1847. When the 1860 Census was taken, he was still living with them on the family farm at Town of Lawrence, Brown county, Wisconsin.

His compiled service record, filed in the National Archives at Washington, D.C., shows he enlisted under the name of "Peter Diderick" as a private in Captain Loy's Company (Company H), 4th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry at Oconto, Oconto County, Wisconsin on 4 June 1861 for three years. In July or August 1863, this unit was redesignated Company H, 4th Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry. The variant spelling of his surname was the result of his inability to read and write and the tendency of recruiting officers to spell foreign names phonetically.

The Company muster roll for January/February 1863 shows he was absent because of arrest by the provost marshal at Indian Village, Louisiana, and the muster roll for September/October 1863 shows a court martial sentenced him to forfeit $5. No details concerning the offense are given.

The Company muster-out roll, dated 10 January 1864 at Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, shows he was discharged 4 January 1864 by virtue of re-enlistment as a veteran volunteer under the provisions of War Department General Order No. 191, Series of 1863.

He re-enlisted under the name of "Peter Didrick" as a private in the same company the following day, 5 January 1864, at Baton Rouge. His enlistment contract states that he was then 21 years, 10 months old (which was incorrect), born in Prussia, occupation: lumberman. His physical features are described as: gray eyes, black hair, dark complexion, height 5 feet, 7 inches. He signed the contract with his mark an "X." Inducement for re-enlistment was a bounty of $402, $62 of which was paid immediately and the balance in quarterly installments of $50 each.

The Company muster roll for March/April 1864 lists him as "veteran absent on furlough since 9 April 1864." The Company muster roll for May/June 1864 shows him present again.

He was promoted to Corporal on 12 November 1864.

The Company muster roll for July/August 1865 lists him as "Absent, sick, in Shreveport, Louisiana." The Company muster rolls for the period September to December 1865 lists him as "Veteran Volunteer absent sick at New Orleans, Louisiana."

The Company muster roll for January/February 1866 states he was "discharged at New Orleans, Louisiana, 19 December 1865 by Military Division of the Gulf Special Order No. 133, his services being no longer required."

He may have returned home after his discharge, but he is not recorded in the 1870 Census of Brown County. He was living at Miles City, Custer County, Montana Territory, on 19 June 1881 when he signed a deed conveying his one-eighth interest in a portion of the Brown County land inherited from his parents. See Brown County Deed Book 42, p. 459. He was living at Fort Benton, Choto County, Montana, on 21 May 1883 when he signed a deed conveying his one-eighth interest in the balance of the land he inherited from his parents. See Brown County Deed Book 47, p. 419.

He was living at Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana, on 5 January 1891 when he applied for an invalid pension under the act of 27 June 1890. He swore that he was "the identical Peter Diderick who was enrolled on the 4th day of June 1861 in the 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry subsequently Cavalry and was Corporal therein in the service of the United States in the War of the Rebellion and served at least ninety days and was honorably discharged at New Orleans on the 19th day of December 1865. That he is partially unable to earn a support by manual labor by reason of Physical Disability." He signed the declaration "Peter Diderick", with a very shaky hand. His signature was attested to by Peter Grosius (who signed with his mark) and C. M. Ennis, both of Anaconda. Grosius said he had known him for 32 years, and Ennis said he had known him for one year.

On 26 May 1891, "John C. Ruffner, aged 63 years, a resident of Anaconda...and is a miner, and Charles A. Meyer, aged 37 years, a resident of Anaconda...and is a miner" signed a "Neighbors' Affidavit" that "they have been well and personally acquainted with Peter Didrick for 5 years, and 4 years, respectively, and that they have worked with him off and on a number of times in mines around Anaconda and in Anaconda. That they have known him to (be) suffering from Piles and have seen him often stop work on that account. They have known him also to be suffering from Rheumatism. That he is a willing and good workman when well but lately has been compelled to give up work on account of the disabilities named. They say that now at this time he is not able to do more the ½ days’ labor and is fully disabled at least one half from what other miners are. That this disability is not the result of vicious habits on his part."

On 14 August 1891, Peter Dideick signed a general affidavit at Anaconda in which he swore that "he has not been employed in the Military or Naval service since the 19th day of Dec. 1865." This affidavit was filed at the pension office in Washington on 31 August 1891 and assigned No. 982675. Civil War pension files are now kept at the National Archives.

There is no evidence in the file that he ever received a pension, nor is there any evidence that he made any further effort to obtain one. He may have become discouraged by the bureaucratic red tape, or he may have died shortly after signing his last affidavit. We have been unable to find any further record of Peter Diederich.