Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/315

 PETTIT

PEYTON

cratic uational convention of 1864 ; was justice of the Indiana supreme court, 1870-76, and was renominated, but owing to scandals in connection with the court that excited popular indignation, his name was withdrawn. He died at Lafayette, Ind., June 17, 1877.

PETTIT, John Upfold, representative, was born in Fabius, N.Y., Sept. 11, 18'30 ; son of George and Jane (Upfold) Pettit, and grandson of Jona- than Pettit. He attended Hamilton college : was graduated at Union college in 1839 ; was admit- ted to the bar in 1841, and settled in practice in Wabash, Ind. He was married, Nov. 25, 1858, to Julia, daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Holmes) Brenton of Fort AVayne, Ind. He was a representa- tive in the state legislature in 1844 and 1864, and speaker of the house, 1864 ; U.S. consul-general at Maranham, Brazil, 1850-53 ; judge of the 8th judi- cial district of Indiana, 1854-55, and a Republican representative from the eleventh district in the 34th, 35th, and 36th congresses, 1855-61, serving as chairman of the library committee. He was engaged in recruiting soldiers, 1861-62 ; assisted in organizing the Orphan's home at Knightstown, Ind., in 1863; and in 1865 was largely instru- mental in securing from President Johnson a commutation of the sentence of Bowles and Milligan, who had been condemned to death by the U.S. military commission for treasonable conspiracy in Indiana. He was professor of law in Indiana university, 1869-70 ; judge of the 17th judicial district of Indiana, 1872-81, and pay- master to disburse the principal due the Miami Indians in 1881. He received the degree LL.D. from Indiana university in 1871. He died at Wabash, Ind., March 21, 1881.

PETTUS, Edmund Winston, senator, was born in Limestone county, Ala., July 6, 1821 ; son of John and Alice T, (Winston) Pettus, and grandson of Capt. Anthony Winston of Hanover county, Va., a colonial officer of 1776, who re- moved first to Tennessee and then to Alabama. John Pettus, served in the Creek war, and settled in Limestone county, Ala. The son attended Clin- ton college, Smith county, Tenn. ; was admitted to the bar in 1842, and practised in Gainesville, Ala., 1842-44. He was married, June 27, 1844, to Mary S. Chapman, and their son, Francis L. Pettus (died March 6, 1901), was speaker of the Alabama house of representatives. He was solicitor for the seventh circuit of Alabama, 1844-49 ; served in the Mexican war as a lieuten- ant ; in 1849 joined a party of gold seekers in California, traveling on horseback to the gold fields, and on his return in 1851 resumed the practice of his profession. He was judge of the seventh Alabama circuit, 1855-58 ; removed to Selma in 1858, and in 1861 joined the Confederate army as major of the 20th Alabama infantry and

was later promoted lieutenant-colonel. On the death of Col. John W. Garrett at Vicksburg, Pettus succeeded him as colonel and led Col. T. N. Waul's Texas legion in a desperate charge at "Vicksburg, May 22, 1863. He was promoted brigadier-general and commanded the second brigade in Stevenson's division in the Atlanta campaign, distinguishing himself by keeping the enemy in check at Rocky-face Ridge, May 8, 1864. In the march to the sea and the Carolina campaign, he continued in command of his brigade in S. D. Lee's corps, surrendering with Johnston in North Carolina. In 1865 he resumed his law practice ; was a delegate to the Democra- tic national conventions of 1872, 1876, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892 and 1896, serving in each as chairman of the Alabama delegation ; was nominated for U.S. senator by the Democratic caucus of the general assembly, Nov. 16, 1896, by a vote of 67 to 26, Governor Oates, Representative Bankhead and Senator Pugh being the other candidates, and was elected for the term beginning I\Iarch 4, 1897, and expiring March 3, 1903. He served on the judiciary committee, and on the com- mittees on military affairs, railroads, privileges, elections and Indian depredations.

PETTUS, John J., governor of Mississippi, was born in Wilson county, Tenn., in 1813 ; son of John and Alice T. (Winston) Pettus. He was educated in Limestone county, Ala., where he also prepared for the law. He t iigaged in practice in Sumter county, and subsequently removed to Kemper county. Miss., where A; '"y» V; he became a planter. He ' served in both branches of the state legislature ; was governor of Mississippi, 1860- 62, and convened a special meeting of the legislature in 1862 to provide for additional troops for the Confederate army. He was a brigadier-general in the Confederate army, 1863-65, and after the war removed to Arkansas, where he died in 1867.

PEYTON, Balie, representative, was born in Sumner county, Tenn., Nov. 26, 1803; son of John and Margaret (Hamilton) Peyton ; grand- son of Robert and Ann (Guffey) Peyton ; great- grandson of Valentin and Frances (Harrison) Peyton, and a descendant of Henr^- and Ellen (Partington) Peyton. Henry Peyton was a native of London, England, and settled at Ragged Point, Westmoreland county, Va., about 1656. Balie Peyton passed his childhood with his maternal grandmother ; attended Gallatin col- lege ; was admitted to the bar in 1824, and settled in practice in Gallatin. He was a Whig representative in the 23d and 24th congresses, 1833-37, and in 1837 removed to New Orleans.