John Peterson (b. ca. 1821) was a Catawba County, North Carolina farmer and gunsmith. At the time of the 1860 Federal Census, Peterson and his wife, Hannah (b. ca. 1820) were living in the Hickory Tavern neighborhood of Catawba County with their eight children. His son, Peter J. Peterson (b. ca. 1846), enlisted in the 28th North Carolina Infantry on March 1, 1864 and died of wounds on May 20, 1864. John Peterson joined the 28th North Carolina on October 28, 1864. He was captured at Petersburg on April 2, 1865 and confined at Point Lookout, Maryland before being released on June 16, 1865.