Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1176

1100 Hampton and educated at John B. Gary's military academy. In 1859 he became instructor in mathematics in a college at Florence, Ala., where in 1861 he entered the Confederate service, and was made major of the Twenty-sixth Alabama regiment of infantry, which he drilled for the service. After the regiment reached Richmond Colonel O'Neal, afterward governor of Alabama was assigned to command it. Major Peek served with his regiment, in the brigade of General Rodes, in the battles of Boonsboro, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the regiment in the latter battle suffering severe loss while participating in Jackson's flank movement. After this battle Major Peek, having failed in health, was detailed as instructor in mathematics on board the naval school ship the Patrick Henry, under command of Capt. W. H. Parker. He continued in this service until the evacuation of Richmond. Subsequently he entered upon the study of law at the university of Virginia, under John B. Minor, and devoted the remainder of his life to that profession. He served several years as superintendent of the schools of Elizabeth City county, held the office of attorney for the commonwealth one term, and in 1892 was appointed judge of the county court. He was reappointed in 1896 and held the office at the time of his death, January 6, 1896. By his marriage to Sarah, King Holt, a native of Portsmouth, who survives, he had six children. William Holt Peek, the second of these children, was born at Hampton May 30, 1870. He was educated at the Virginia military institute, and graduated in 1896, after completing a course in civil engineering, a profession in which he shows great talent and natural aptitude for a successful career. He is a member of the Hampton camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Thomas Peek, father of Major Peek, mentioned above, was born in Elizabeth City county in 1803, and was a well-known merchant of Hampton for many years, and until his death in 1866. He gave six sons to the Confederate service. He was married in youth to Eliza Kirby, and after her decease he wedded Janet Hope, a cousin of the poet James Barron Hope, and member of a family that also displayed patriotic devotion. The Washington artillery included in 1861 eight members of the two families. By his first marriage Thomas Peek had three sons: John, who served in the Washington artillery, later was attached to the war department at Richmond, and died in 1890; Thomas, who served as an officer in the commissary department in the army of the West, and is now a resident of San Antonio, Tex.; and Edward K., who enlisted as a private in the Washington artillery in 1861, upon the reorganization became a member of Company I of the Thirty-second Virginia regiment, was wounded at Sharpsburg, and paroled at Appomattox, and is now living at the soldiers' home in Richmond, Va. The sons by the second marriage who were of age for military service were William Hope, who served as an assistant surgeon of the Third Virginia cavalry, and died at Williamsport during the exhausting labors attending the retreat from Gettysburg; George Meredith, whose career is mentioned above; and Charles Smith, who entered the service as a private in the Washington artillery, upon the reorganization became an assistant engineer in the Confederate States navy, served until the close of hostilities, then followed the trade of a machinist, later was engaged in mercantile pursuits, and died in 1887. The only