Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/268

 PECK

PECK

PECK, John Hudson, educator, was born in Hudson, N. Y., Feb. 7, 1838; son of Judge Darius aud Harriet Matilda (Hudson) Peck ; grandson John and Sarah (Ferris) Peck and of Horace and Sarah (Robinson) Hudson, and a descendant of William Peck, who emigrated to America in 1638 and was one of the original founders of the colony of New Haven. He attended the Hudson Classical institute and was graduated from Hamilton college in 1859. He was admitted to the bar at Albany, N. Y., m 1861. and practised in partnership with his preceptor, Jeremiah Romeyn, in Troy. N. Y., until 1867, and with Cornelius L. Tracy, another preceptor, until 1888. He was married, Aug. 7, 1883, to Mercy Plum, daughter of Nathaniel Mann of Milton, N. Y. He was made a trustee of Troy Female seminary in 1883, and of the diocese of Albany, and was president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic institute, 1888-1900. The honorary degree of LL. D. was conferred on him by Hamilton college in 1889.

PECK, John James, soldier, was born in Man- lius. N.Y., Jan. 4, 1821. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1843 and assigned to the artillery. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, April 16, 1846. and was engaged in the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, Vera Cruz. Cerro Gordo, and the assault and capture of the city of Mexico, 1846-47. He was promoted first lieutenant, March 3, 1847 ; was brevetted captain, Aug. 20, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Cheru- busco ; major, Sept. 8, 1847, for gallant and mer- itorious conduct at the battle of Molino Del Rey, and was presented with a sword on his return to New York in 1848. He was engaged in scouting and frontier duty, 1849-53. He resigned his com- mission in the army, March 31, 1853 ; was treas- urer of a projected railroad from New York to Syracuse via Newburg, N.Y., 1853-60 ; cashier of Burnet bank, Syracuse, N.Y., 1853-61, and pres- ident of the board of education, 1859-61. He en- tered the U. S. volunteer army as brigadier-gen- eral, Aug. 9, 1861, and served in the defences of Washington. 1861-62. He commanded the 2d and 1st brigades, 1st division, 4th army corps, during the Virginia Peninsular campaign, March- July, 1862, being engaged in the siege of York- town and in the battles of Williamsburg and Fair Oaks. In the operations of the seven days' bat- tles before Richmond on the change of base to the James river, June 26-July 2. 1862. he commanded the 2d division. 4th corps. He was promoted ma- jor-general U.S. volunteers. July 4, 1862. and his division of about 9,000 men, augmented, March 31, 1863, to 15,000. and April 30 to nearly 25.000, embracing all the Federal troops in Virginia south of the James river. He was engaged in the operations about Suffolk, Va., and its defences.

September, 1862, to May, 1864, Suffolk was in- vested by Longstreet, April 11, 1863, and this led to the transfer of the Army of the James to Peck's support. He was in command in North Car- olina, 1863-64, and of the department of the east, with headquarters at New York, 1864-65. He was mustered out Aug. 24, 1865, and returned to Syra- cuse, where he organized and became president of the New York State Life Insurance company in 1866. He died in Syracuse, N.Y., April 28, 1878.

PECK, John Mason, pioneer clergyman, was born at South Farms, Litchfield, Conn., Oct. 31, 1789. He removed to Windham, N.Y., in 1811, and became a Baptist preacher at New Durham, N. Y. He was ordained, June 9, 1813, and preach- ed in Catskill and Amenia, N.Y., 1813-15. He studied mission work under Dr. Stoughton at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1815, and was subsequently appointed a missionary to St. Louis, Mo., preach- ing through Missouri and Illinois, 1817-26. He made a home in Rock Spring, III., in 1822, where he established in 1826 the Rock Spring seminary for training teachers and preachers, which be- came Shurtleff college in 1835, and was located at Upper Alton, 111. He travelled 6,000 miles and collected $20,000 to endow this institution. He established and published tlie Western Pioneer and Baptist, the first official organ of the Baptist church in the west, 1828 ; helped to organize the American Baptist Home Missionary society in 1831 ; established and edited the Illinois Sioiday Sdiool Banner, and was one of the originators and chief factors in establishing the tlieolo- gical institution at Covington. Ky. He was corresponding secretary and financial agent of the American Baptist Publication society, 1843- 45, and held pastorates in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, 1845-58. He received the honorary degrees A. M. from Brown in 1835, and D.D. from Harvard in 1852. He contributed to the his- torical societies of the northwestern states and territories, and is the author of : A Guide for Emigrants (1831); Gazetteer of Illinois (1834); New Guide for Emigrants to the West (1836); Father Clark, or the Pioneer Preacher (1855); Life of Daniel Boone in Sparks's "American Biogra- phy," and edited the second edition of" Annals of tiie West: Forty Years of Pioneer Life"; " Me- moir of John Mason Peck, edited from his Jour- nals and Correspondence" (1864) by the Rev. Rufus Babcock. He died in Rock Spring, III,, March 15. 1858.

PECK, Lucius B., representative, was born in Waterbury,Vt., in October, 1802 ; son of Gen. John and Anna (Benedict) Peck ; grandson of John and Mary (Drown) Peck, and a descendant in the seventh generation of Joseph Peck, who came from Hingham. Norfolk county, England, to Hingham, Mass., in 1638. He was admitted to