Memoir of John Howe Peyton Part 27

A LIST OF PEYTONS IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY.

1. Peyton, Dade, cornet 4th Continental Dragoons, 1779. lieutenant June 2, 1779, served to 1783.

2. Peyton, Henry, major, and killed at Charleston May 12, 1780.

3. Peyton, John, 1st Lieutenant 2nd Virginia Regiment, 1776, wounded at the battle of Brandywine 1778.

4. Peyton, Robert, of Virginia; 2nd Lieutenant 3d Va. Regiment, 1777, killed at Brandywine Sept. 11, 1777.

5. Peyton, Valentine, Captain 1777, killed at Charleston, S. C. May 12, 1780.

6. Peyton, William, of Kentucky.

7. Peyton, John Rowze, 1776 to 1783, the "hero boy of '76."

8. Peyton, Robert, of Tennessee, killed by the Indians.

9. Peyton, Yelverton, of Virginia.

10. Peyton, Captain John, 1776, Clothier General 1779. Quartermaster General 1782, of Fluvana Co.

11. Peyton, Harrison, Captain 1776, of Albemarle Co.

12. Peyton, Colonel Henry, Co., Lieutenant of Prince William 1755, Member Legislature 1761, Sheriff 1779 (see Sharp, life of Was.h.i.+ngton, vol.

2nd, p. 73.) From whom descends Col. John B. Baldwin, and Mrs. A.

H. H. Stuart.

13. Peyton, Major Henry, of Lee's Legion, died in the service.

14. Peyton, Timothy Killed by the Indians in Ky., 1786-7.

15. Peyton, Colonel Francis, of Loudoun, Colonel 1776, Member of Va., Convention of 1776. Member of Legislature 1780, of the Senate 1789 to 1803.

16. Peyton, Francis, M. D., Surgeon in Lee's Legion. Was.h.i.+ngton said he and his brother were two of the best officers in the army. (see Sharp, Was.h.i.+ngton, vol. II, p. 273.)

17. Peyton, Yelverton, of Stafford, Va., born during the Revolution and ensign in U.S.A., 1st Infantry 1794.

18. Peyton, Valentine, M.D., Surgeon in Rev'y. army, brother-in-law of Col.

Wm. Was.h.i.+ngton, of S.C.

19. Peyton, Ephraim, of Tenn., served 1774 vs. the Indians, from him Balie Peyton springs, also Chief Jus. E. G. Peyton, of Mississippi.

20. Peyton, Capt. Valentine 3rd Comp., 3rd Va., Reg't 1778, from him springs Col. Charles L. Peyton, of Greenbrier Co., W. Va.

21. Peyton, John jr., of Frederick Co., from him springs Capt. Wm. L.

Clark, Peyton Randolph, late of the R. & D. Railroad, John S.

Peyton U.S.A., and H. J. Peyton, the old Clerk of the Staunton Chancery Court.

22. Peyton, George, ensign to Rev. Army 1776, ancestor of Col. George L.

Peyton, of Glendale, Augusta Co.

23. Peyton, George of Ky., Continental line 1776.

LIST OF PEYTON'S IN THE U. S. ARMY.

1. Peyton, Yelverton, of Virginia, ensign in sub-legion, Aug. 1st, 1794; lieutenant 1799; resigned June, 1800.

2. Peyton, Garnett, of Virginia; captain in 8th Infantry, 1799.

3. Peyton, Francis H., of Virginia, surgeon in 7th Infantry, 1799.

4. Peyton, Robert, of Virginia; captain in 2nd Infantry, 1812; died 1813.

5. Peyton, James R., of Virginia; captain in 1st Infantry, 1813; died 1814.

6. Peyton, John S., of Virginia; captain in 2nd Infantry, 1813; resigned 1816.

7. Peyton, Bernard, of Virginia; captain 1813; resigned 1816; Adjutant General of Virginia and ex-officio President of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military Inst.i.tute 1839-'40.

8. Peyton, Richard H., of Virginia; a distinguished graduate of West Point, standing among first in his cla.s.s; lieutenant of artillery 1831; captain 1838; served in the Seminole War, Florida, and died November 11th, 1839, while on duty at Tampa, in Florida, and P. M.

of that place. He was one of the 12 persons who bought the land and laid out the city of Chattanooga, Tenn., foreseeing its future importance.

9. Peyton, Balie, of Tennessee; member of Congress in 1833; United States District Attorney for Louisiana 1837; in 1841 appointed Secretary of War by President Harrison, but declined to accept it under President Tyler; colonel of 5th Louisiana Regiment in the Mexican War; aid to Gen. W. J. Worth and mentioned for gallantry in the battle of Monterey; voted a sword of honor by Louisiana, said sword is now a trophy of the Civil War and in the capitol of Minnesota. He was envoy ext. and minister plenipotentiary to Chili from 1849 to 1853; presidential elector on Bell and Everett ticket in 1860; member of the Senate of Tennessee 1865-1869. The town of Peytonville, Tenn., named in his honor. Recommended by Thurlow Weed to President Lincoln for Sec. of War in 1860 (see 5th vol. of C. L. Webster's history of American Literature.)

EARLY LAND GRANTS TO THE PEYTON'S.

Peyton, Henry, Book 4, p. 255, 400 acres in Westmoreland Co., Va., Nov.

1st, 1657.

Peyton, Valentine, Book 4, p. 42?, 1600 acres in Westmoreland Co., July 20th, 1662.

Peyton, Major Robt., Book 7, p. 81, 1000 acres in New Kent Co., April 23, 1681.

Peyton, Robert, of Gloucester, Book 7, p. 233, 150 acres in Kensington parish, Gloucester Co., Va., Feb. 20th, 1682.

Peyton, Thomas, Book 17, p. 524, 100 acres in Gloucester Co., June 16th, 1738. (See Benning, vol. 3, p. 566, and Land Registry office).

ANECDOTE OF GEN. PEYTON OF KENTUCKY.

It was customary, thirty years ago, for the ladies to attend political pic-nics, or "barbacues" as they are called "out west." This was particularly the case in the exciting contest between General Leslie Coombs and John C. Breckenridge for a seat in Congress in 1840. Out of this affair grew the authentic story of the beautiful widow--called the "gem of the prairies." Not far from the Elkhorn river lived the pretty little widow; Mrs. Fauntleroy, whose nearest neighbor was Major-General John Peyton. The gallant general looked upon the widow very much as he did upon his thorough-bred horse, Powhatan. She was the finest woman and Powhatan the finest horse in the "Blue gra.s.s" district. Mrs. F. had mourned the loss of her husband more than twelve months; while the General--who was punctilious as to etiquette--waited patiently for the time to elapse in order to propose: The widow kept, with a woman's art, her lover at bay. He with her attended a pic-nic and on their return he declared his confidence in the success of the Whigs. The widow was equally confident of the success of the Democrats and offered to wager her palfrey "Gipsy" against Powhatan--the General accepted the wager and said, "it should be Powhatan or anything else she preferred on his estate." They had now reached the river (Elkhorn) and were about to ford it, when they were overtaken by the General's only son and heir John Peyton, an athletic and spirited young Kentuckian of 24 years. The party struck into the water. The east bank was steep and slippery, and as the horses were clambering up, the girth of Mrs. F.'s saddle broke, and the lady and saddle fell back into the stream, while the unenc.u.mbered horse mounted the bank with the swiftness of an arrow. In an instant John Peyton leaped from his horse into the stream and seizing the floating lady bore his lovely burden to the sh.o.r.e. The frightened lady recovering her self-possession requested the General to secure her horse, which was making off rapidly. The General disappeared and soon returned with the animal, finding his son and the widow in fine spirits and very merry over the adventure. She was soon mounted again and proceeded home with the General, while John struck across the meadows for his father's mansion. On reaching the Fauntleroy seat, General Peyton was easily persuaded to remain to dinner, after which the widow entertained him with some of her sweetest music. When he bid her adieu that night, his ponderous frame thrilling with the electrical touch of her hand, he inwardly felt that she was the most perfect woman and sweetest songstress in all Kentucky.

That night in his dreams the little widow was so often repeated that he resolved to propose on the next meeting. Business called him to Louisville the next day and detained him until after the election which resulted in the defeat of the Whigs and in the election of Breckenridge.

General Peyton was both astonished and indignant.

"Mr. Clay's district has disgraced itself," was almost his first remark to his neighbor, Colonel Beaufort.