Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/273

 PEGRAM

PEGRAM

in 1874, and was chairman of the joint legislative committee on the Centennial exposition in 1876. He engaged in the practice of law in the adjoin- ing county of Montgomery, 1875-78, and estab- lished the Coffeyville Journal in 1875. He was a presidential elector on the Garfield and Arthur ticket in 1880, and in 1881 became editor of the Kansas Farmer at Topeka. He was elected U.S. senator by the People's party and served, 1891-97 ; was chairman of the committee to examine the several branches of the civil service, and a mem- ber of the committees on claims, pensions, agricul- ture, census, railroads, and improvement of the Mississippi River. He was defeated as Prohibi- tion candidate for governor of Kansas in 1898, and took an active part in the campaign of 1900, favoring the re-election of McKinley. He wrote many articles on political science for the Forum and the North American Review, and is the author of : Myriorama (1869) ; The Carjjet Bag- ger in Tennessee (1869) ; Geraldine, or Wliat May Happen (1882) ; Peffer's Tariff Manual (1888) ; TJie Way Out (1890) ; TJie Farmers' Side (1891); Americanism in the Philippines (1900); Rise and Fall of Populism in the United States (1900), and in 1901 began the preparation of a subject index to the debates of congress from 1789 to date.

PEQRAM, John, soldier, was born in Dinwid- dle county, Va., Nov. 16, 1773; son of Capt. Edward and Mary (Lyle) Pegram. His grand- father, Edward Pegram, came from England in the fall of 1699 with a party of engineers under Col. Daniel Baker, whose daughter, Mary Scott Baker, he married. Their second son, Capt. Edward Pegram (born about 1744, died, March 30, 1816), was appointed " special commander " to de- fend his parish and county against the Indians, and thus became known as " King Pegram." He was also a captain in the American Revolution and a juror in the trial of Aaron Burr. John Pegram was a magistrate for more than twenty years, a member of the house of delegates for many years and of the state senate for eight years ; a rep- resentative in the 15tli congress, 1818-19, com- pleting the term of Peterson Goodwin, deceased ; major-general of state militia in the war of 1812, and U.S. marslial of the eastern district of Vir- ginia in Monroe's administi-ation. He married, first. Miss Coleman of Dinwiddle ; and secondly, Martha Ward Gregory, and was the father of fourteen children. He died in Dinwiddle county, Va., April 8, 1831.

PEQRAM, John, soldier, was born in Peters- burg, Va., Jan. 24, 1832; son of James West (1803-1844) and Virginia (Johnson) Pegram, and grandson of John (q.v.) and Martha Ward (Gregory) Pegram and of William R. and Mary (Evans) Johnson. John Pegram was graduated

from the U.S. Military academy in 1854 and was assigned to the dragoons. He served in Cal- ifornia, 1854-57 ; was promoted 2d lieutenant of 2d dragoons, March 3, 1855, and served in Kansas and Dakota, 1855-57. He was promoted first lieu- tenant, Feb. 28, 1857 ; was assistant instruct- or of cavalry at the U. S. Military academy, Jan. 12 to Sept. 11, 1857 ; served as adjutant of 2d dragoons in the Utah expedition, 1857-58 ; was on leave of absence in Europe, 1858-60, and served on the Navajo expedition of 1860. He was stationed in New Mexico, 1860-61, and resigned his commission May 10, 1861. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel in the provisional army of Virginia ; commanded a detachment of about 1300 men and four cannon at Ricli Moun- tain, Va., in July, 1861, and sent a force of 350 men and one cannon, with orders to guard the road at the mountain summit. The force was attacked by General Rosecrans and after a gallant defence defeated, and Colonel Pegram was forced to abandon his position, July 12, 1861. He retreated to Beverly and on account of scarcity of food, and on learning of Gen- eral Garnett's retreat, surrendered his force of 30 officers and 525 men to General McClellan, July 13, 1861. He was commissioned brigadier- general in the Confederate army, Nov. 7, 1862 ; was assigned to the command of a brigade made up of the 1st Georgia and 1st Louisiana cavalry regiments in Wheeler's cavalry corps, in the Army of Tennessee, and engaged in the battle of Stone's River, Tenn., where he was posted on the Lebanon Pike in the advance of Breckenridge's right. He was promoted major- general and took part in the battle of Chicka- mauga in command of the 2d division of Forrest's cavalry corps, and his divison was held in re- serve by General Breckinridge. He commanded a brigade in Early's division, Ewell's corps, in the Wilderness and at Cold Harbor, and when Early assumed command of the Confederate army in the Shenandoah Valley he succeeded to the command of Early's division and took a conspi- cuous part in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. He commanded his divi- sion in Gordon's corps at Petersburg and Ricli- mond, December, 1864, to February, 1865. He was married in January, 1865, to Hetty Gary of Baltimore, Md. He was fatally wounded at Hatcher's Run near Petersburg, and died on the battlefield, Feb. 6, 1865.

PEQRAM, Robert Baker, naval oflScer, was born in Dinwiddle county, Va., Dec. 10, 1811 ; son of Gen. John (q.v.) and Martha Ward (Gregory) Pegram. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, Feb. 2, 1829, and served in the Mediterranean squadron. He was promoted lieutenant, Sept. 8, 1841, and during the war with