Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/316

 PEYTON

PEYTON

La. He was appointed U.S. district attorney at New Orleans, by President Harrison, in March, 1841, and was olTered but declined the portfolio of war in President Tyler's cabinet. At the out- break of the Mexican war he raised a volunteer regiment of liOO men. Since the regiment was not accepted by President Polk, he became chief of General AVortli's staff; was present at the battle of Monterey, and presented with a reward by the state of Louisiana for his gallantry in that battle; w;is ajipoiiited U.S. minister to Chili b}" Presi- dent Taylor in 1849, serving, 1849-53, and practised law in San Francisco, Cal., 1853-58. He returned to Gallatin, Tenn., in 1859, and was an elector- at-large from Tennessee on the Bell and Everett ticket in 1860. He was a Unionist throughout the civil war, and a member of the Tennessee senate. 1869-70. He was married in 1830 to Ann Carr. daugliter of William and Alethia (Eaton) Smith of Granville county, N.C. Their son, Balie Peyton, Jr., a lieutenant on the staff of Gen. F. K. Zollicoffer, of the Confederate array, was killed in the battle of Fishing Creek, Ky., Jan. 19, 1862. Peytonsville, Tenn., was named in honor of Balie Peyton, Sr., who died at Gallatin, Tenn., Aug. 19, 1878.

PEYTON, Ephralm Geoffrey, jurist, was born in Elizabetlitown, Ky., Oct. 29, 1802: son of Ephraim and (Jennings) Peyton, and grand- son of Robert and Ann (Guffey) Peyton, and of Jonathan Jennings. He was a cousin of Balie Peyton of Tennessee, their fathers being brothers. He was educated in Gallatin college. Tenn., and in 1818 removed to Mississippi, where he taught school and learned the printer's trade. He was admitted to the bar in 1824, and settled in prac- tice first in Copiah county, and then in Gallatin, Miss. He was married, March 81, 1831, to Artemisia G., daughter of Francis Patton, a planter of Clai- borne county, Va. He was a representative in the Mississippi legislature in 1835, was district attorney of the fourth judicial district for several years from 1839, and in 1861 refused to favor seccession. He was a member of the Mississippi con.stitutional convention of 1865, and a Republican representative to the .39th congress in the same year, but was denied his seat because Mississippi was not a reconstructed state. He was judge of the su- preme court of Mississippi, 1868-70, and chief justice, 1870-75. He lost his fortune, estimated at about -SIOO.OOO. by the failureof the banks, and was left dce|)ly in debt, which debt he fully paid. He died in Jackson. Miss., Sept. 5, 1876.

PEYTON, John Howe, lawyer, wa-s born in Stafford county, Va., April 29, 1778; son of John Rowze and Ann (Howe) Peyton; grandson of John and Elizabeth (Rowze) Peyton, and of How- son and Mary (Dade) Howe, and a descendant of

Henry (of London) and Ellen (Partington) Pey- ton who settled in Westmoreland county, Va. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1797, A.M., 1800; was a law student in the office of Bushrod Washington, and was admitted to practice in 1799. He married Ann Montgomery, daughter of Maj. John and Mary (Preston) Lewis. He represented Stafford county in the Virginia assembly, 1806-10; was prosecut- ing attorney for the Augusta district, 1809-10: major on the staff of General Porterfield in the war of 1812; mayor of Staunton, 1815; deputy U.S. attorney for the western district of Virgina, 1815-36; refused a nomination for representative to the 17th congress in 1820, and a U.S. judgeship in 1824; served as state senator, 1836-44; as trustee of Washington college, 1832-46; as visitor to the U.S. Military academy, 1840, writing the report of the board, and as president of the board of directors of the Western Virginia Lunatic asylum, 1837-47. He is the author of: Resolutions upon the attitude of Pennsylvania with reference to an Amendment to the Constitu- tion of the United States, providing a tribunal for settling disputes beticeen the State and Federal judiciary, pronounced by Daniel Webster as conclusive and admitting of no further discussion. He died in Staunton, Va., April 27, 1847.

PEYTON, John Lewis, author, was born in Staunton, Va., Sept. 15, 1824; son of John Howe (q.v.) and Ann Montgomery (Lewis) Peyton. He was graduated at the University of Virginia, LL.B. in 1845; was in Europe on official business connected with the state department of Secretary Webster, 1852-53; resided in Chicago, 111., 1853- 55, and there served as major of the 1st Chicago regiment, and as lieutenant-colonel of the 18th battalion of the National Guards. He declined the office of U.S. district attorney of Utah, offered by President Pierce in 1855, returned to Virginia that year, and was made magistrate, bank director, and member of the board of visitors of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind institution at Staunton. He was married, Dec. 17, 1855, to Henrietta E. Clark, daughter of Col. John C. and Mary (Bond) Washington of Lenoir count}', N.C. He recruited and drilled troops for the Confederate army in 1861; was appointed agent of the state of North Carolina in Europe, and remained abroad, 1862-76. He was made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London; of the Society of American i.sts of Luxembourg, Prussia; an honorary meniiier of the Reform club, London, and a corresponding member of the Virginia and Wisconsin Historical societies. He was entertained by Napoleon HL in the Tuileries and had audience with Cardinal Anto- nelli in the Palace of the Vatican. He edited Dauenhower's Journal, while in Chicago, con-