Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/271

 PEEL

PEET

PEEL, Samuel W., representative, was born near Batesville, Independence county, Ark., Sept. 13, 1831 ; son of John W. and Elizabeth Peel; grandson of Ricliard Peel, who with his brothers, John, Thomas and James, sons of Thomas Peel, an immigrant from Ireland to Vir- ginia and thence to Kentucky with Daniel Boone, settled in Batesville in 1815. Samuel W. received a common scliool education and was clerk of the Carroll county court, 1858-61 ; was major of the 3d Arkansas militia in the state service in 1861 ; colonel of the 4th Arkansas volunteers. Confed- erate service, 1863-65, and saw service at Wilson's Creek, Prairie Grove, and in later engagements. He read law with his brother-in-law. Judge J. M. Pitman, and came to the bar in 1866. He was married, Jan. 80, 1853, to Mary E., sister of Senator J. H. Berry (q.v.), and practised law in Benton- ville. Ark., in pai-tnership with his brother-in- law, who removed to Bentonville in 1869. He was prosecuting attorney for the fourth judicial circuit, 1873-76, and Democratic representative from the fifth district of Arkansas in the 48th- 52d congresses, 1883-93, serving as chairman of the committee on Indian afifairs in the 50th and 52d congresses.

PEELLE, Stanton Judkins, jurist, was born in Wayne county, Ind., Feb. 11, 1843 ; son of John Cox and Ruth ( Smith) Peelle ; grandson of William and Sally (Cox) Peelle, and of Eleazer and Ruth (Davis) Smith. He attended the public schools in Wayne and Randolph counties, Ind., and a seminary in Winchester, Ind., until the outbreak of the civil war, when he joined the 8th Indiana volunteers as corporal. He served at Pea Ridge, and for meritorious conduct in that battle was promoted 2d lieutenant, 57th Indiana volun- teers, Dec. 10, 1863, and took part in the battle at Stone's River, Tenn., serving on the left wing in General Crittenden's corps, and was slightly wounded. He was admitted to the bar, 1866 ; practised at Winchester, Ind., 1866-69, and re- moved to Indianapolis in 1869. He was twice married ; first, July 16, 1867. to Lou R. Perkins, daughter of Jonathan Perkins of South Bend, Ind., and secondly, Oct. 16, 1878, to Arabella, daughter of Judge Milton C. Canfield of Pains- ville, Ohio. He was a representative in the In- diana legislature, 1877-79 ; a representative from the seventh district in the 47th and 48th con- gresses, 1881-85 ; alternate delegate from the state at large to the Republican national conven- tion of 1888, and was chosen a delegate to that of 1893, but did not serve, having been appointed, March 28, 1893, a judge of the U. S. court of claims and took the oath of office, April 7, 1893. He also was elected a professor in the law de- partment of the Columbian university at Wash- ington, D.C., a trustee of Howard university and a member of the board of managers of the Young Men's Christian association of Washington, D.C. VIII. — 17

PEERS, Benjamin Orr, educator, was born in Loudoun county, Va., April 20,1800 ; son of Maj. Valentine Peers, a native of Ireland and soldier in the Revolutionary army, who married Elea- nor, daughter of John Alexander and Susannah (Grayson) Orr, and a descendant of the Rev. Alexander and Agnes (Dalrymple) Orr from Scotland. His parents removed to Kentucky in 1803. He was graduated at the Transylvania university in 1831, and entered Princeton Theolo- gical seminary, but left at the close of his first year. He afterward took orders in the Protes- tant Episcopal church, and settled in Lexington, Ky., where he established the Eclectic institute of which he was principal, 1834-27. He was presi- dent of Transylvania university, 1833-35 ; de- voted himself to furthering education in Ken- tucky, and established the public school system of the state. He edited the Sunday school publi- cations of the Episcopal church and the Journal of Christian Education, New York city. He is the author of National Education Suited to the United States (1838). He died in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 20, 1842.

PEET, Harvey Prindle, educator, was born in Bethlehem, Conn., Nov. 19, 1794; son of Richard and Joanna (Prindle) Peet. He attended the district schools, and in 1810 engaged in teaching, thereby earning the money to prepare for college at Phillips academy, Andover, Mass. He was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1822, A.M., 1825; was a teacher in the Amer- ican Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Hartford, Conn., 1822-31 ; principal of the New York Insti- tution for the Deaf and Dumb in New York city, 1831-67; president of the board of directors fourteen years, and emeritus principal of that institution, 1867-73. Under his direction the New York institution grew to be the largest and the most successful in the world. He was married, Nov. 27, 1823, to Mar- garet Maria, daughter of the Rev. Isaac Lewis, D.D. ; secondly, in 1835, to Sarah Ann, daughter of Dr. Matson Smith, and thirdly, Jan. 15, 1868, to Mrs, Louisa P. Hotchkiss. He received the degree LL.D. from the regents of the University of the State of New York in 1849, and that of Ph.D. from Gallaudet college in 1871. Of his sons, Isaac Lewis (q.v.) succeeded him as princi- pal of the institute; Edward (1826-1862.) was an instructor in the institute, 1848-62, and Dud- ley (1830-1863), was a practising physician and also

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