Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/240

 DE PEYSTER

DE PEYSTER

debate And testimony, conferred upon him tlie brevet-rank of major-general for •"meritorious services rendered to the National guard and to the United Stiites prior to and during the Rebel- lion." He iLsetl a large portion of his fortune iulierited from his grandfather. John Watts, and from his father, in building a hospital for consumptives and St. Paul's training school for boj's at Priory Farm, Union Vale, Duchess county, N. Y. , on an estate of 200 acres which he also gave to the institu- tions; and in found- ing and maintaining the Watts de Peyster industrial home and school for girls at Madalin, N.Y'., a sec- ond hospital for con- sumptives on his own lands adjoining Priory Farm ; a Methodist church at Madalin, N.Y.. a library for Franklin and Mar- shall college, Lancaster, Pa., a tiremens hall at Madalin. and an annex to the Leake and Watts Orphan house, Yonkers, N.Y., founded and en- dowed by his grandfather, the Hon. John Watts. He cau.sed to be erected in the historic Bo^vling Green park in New Y^ork in 1896 by permis- sion of the common council of the city, a statue in bronze of Col. Abraham de Peyster, his an- cestor, the president of the Kings council of New York and acting governor of the province in 17MJ: and in 1898 in Trinity churchyard a heroic size statue in bronze of his grandfather, tlie Hon. John Watts. He was elected a mem- ber or honorary correspondent of many learned societies. In 1898 he was selected "Associate (ad- herent ) or Regular member of the International congress of la Haye, representing the United States at the coronation of Queen Wilhelmina in i'<9M." Nebraska college conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1870. Columbia col- lege that of A.M. in 1872, and Franklin and Mar- shall college that of Litt.D. in 1892 and LL.D. in 1M96. The titles of his writings, biograph- ical and military, fill eleven pages of the " Bib- liography of the American historical associa- tion," be-sides a subsequent list .sufficient to fill more than 48 pages. 12mo., brevier. His first important work, Life of Fii-hl Marshal Torstenson IM.",), won for its author gifts from Oscar I., King of Sweden, of three .silver medals. His i.amphlet Prnrtiral Straternj elicited from Gen- eral Sir Edward Custer of the British army e.s- pecial commendation of twenty seven pages in

one of the series of his Annals of Wars. His nu- merous treatises and biographies constitute a very comprehensive presentation not only of the American war for independence but of all the events incident to the civil war. His Medical Organization of the Ancients and his Studies of Mary, Queen of Scots; Life of Blucher ; several treatises on Napoleon Bonaparte, and three on Waterloo, are notable examples of painstaking research and acute discernment.

DE PEYSTER, John Watts, soldier, was born in New York city, Dec. 2, 1841; son of Maj.-Gen. John Watts and Estelle (Livingston) de Peyster. He was educated by private tutors and entered the service of the Union in 1862. The story of his life is told on the monument erected to his memory in the churchyard of St. Paul's Episcopal church, Tivoli, N.Y^., as follows: "In memory of John Watts de Peyster, Jr., major 1st New York vol. ar- tillery, brevet-colonel, U.S.V. and N. Y.V. Greatly distinguished for gallantry and good conduct at the battle of Williamsburg (Monday, May 5, 1862, as volunteer aide-de-camp to his cousin, Maj.-Gen. Philip Kearny) and no less remarkable for his coolness and courage imder me [Maj.Gen. Jcseph Hooker] at the battle of Chance llorsville (May 2, 8, 4, 1863) as chief of artillery (2d division, 6th corps) to Maj.-Gen. Albion P. Howe. After nearly ten years' unremitting suffering, the con- sequence of injuries and arduous service in the field, he died, April 12, 1873, in his native city of New York, aged 31 years. 4 months and 10 daj's."'

DE PEYSTER, Johnston Livingston, soldier, was born in Tivoli-on-the-Hudson, N.Y., June 14, 1846; theyounge.st son of Maj.-Gen. John Watts and Estelle (Livingston) de Peyster, and eighth in descent from Johannes de Peyster, burgomaster in New Amsterdam, 1673. He was educated by private tutoi-s, attended Highland military acad- emy, Newburg, N. Y., and Columbia college gram- mar school. He raised the larger portion of company C of the 128th N.Y. volunteers in 186',' but his youth prevented his active participation in the earlj- campaigns of the war. In May. 1864. he entered the volunteer army as 2d lieutenant. 13th N.Y. heavy artillery and gained promotion to the rank of 1st lieutenant. He was then com missioned captain of the 96th N.Y. volunteer infantry but was not mustered into service with that regiment. While in service at Riclimond. "ST'a., in 1865, he was with the advance troop that took po,s.session of the Confederate cai)itol, and mounting to the roof, he attached to the halliards the Stars and Stripes and ran it to the head of the flagstaff surmounting thecapitol, the " first real American flag " (as expressed V\v the vote of thanks he received from the municipality of New York in 1867) "hoisted over Richmond." He was brevetted major and lieutenant colonel.