{⋆★⋆} BG Peck, William R.

William Raine Peck

Born: January 31, 1818
General Peck 1.jpg


Birthplace: Jefferson County, Tennessee

Father: Jacob C. Peck 1779 – 1869
(Buried: Westview Cemetery, Jefferson City, Tennessee)​

Mother: Sophia Talbot 1788 – 1871
(Buried: Westview Cemetery, Jefferson City, Tennessee)​

Occupation before War:

Plantation Owner in Madison Parrish Louisiana​
Louisiana State Representative​
Advocate for States Rights​

Civil War Career:

1861: Delegate to Louisiana State Secession Convention​
1861: Private, 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment
General Peck.jpg
1861: Captain, 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment​
1862 – 1863: Lt. Colonel, 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment​
1863: Served in the Second Battle of Winchester Virginia​
1863: Participated in the Battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania​
1863 – 1865: Colonel, 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment​
1864: Participated in the Wilderness Campaign Virginia​
1864: Participated in the Battle of Spotsylvania Virginia​
1864: Participated in the Overland Campaign Virginia
Peck after war.jpg
1864: Wounded in thigh during Third Battle of Winchester​
1865: Brigadier General in the Confederate Army Infantry​
1865: Paroled in Vicksburg Mississippi on June 6th

Occupation after War:

Plantation Owner in Louisiana​

Died: January 22, 1871

Place of Death: Near Milliken's Bend Louisiana

Cause of Death: Congestive heart failure

Age at time of Death: 52 years old

Burial Place: Westview Cemetery Jefferson City Tennessee

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Peck was reported to be 6 foot 6 inches tall and weighed 330 pounds. He always rode his horse, "Black Ashby" - even into the fight at Gettysburg at sunset on July 2, 1863, when all the other officers in Hays' and Avery's brigades walked.
 
Peck was reported to be 6 foot 6 inches tall and weighed 330 pounds. He always rode his horse, "Black Ashby" - even into the fight at Gettysburg at sunset on July 2, 1863, when all the other officers in Hays' and Avery's brigades walked.
Abraham Buford was reported to be 320 lbs.and was reported to be the heaviest Confederate General. If Peck was 330 lbs. that "title" of heaviest should go to Peck.
 
He was probably a captain about the time of 2nd Manassas where the Louisiana troops threw large rocks at a Union assault when they had become low on ammunition. Numerous Yankee soldiers were killed by flying rocks. It was also a Louisiana soldier that was credited with the killing of Philip Kearny.
 
with the wounding of Zebulon York at Winchester in 1864, Peck was elevated to command the remaining Louisiana Brigade in early 1865. However, he never really served in that capacity, being sent west on a fool's errand to get more recruits from Louisiana (also, apparently some talk was given to give him command of a new brigade in Kirby's Confederacy). By that point, the brigade was reorganized into a 5-company battalion, numbering around 400 men, and though they would surrender as "Peck's Brigade", in reality they were commanded by Colonel Eugene Waggaman of the 10th Louisiana.
 
Some times, the deep scanning of records will reveal some strange and otherwise mysterious stories. Peck is mentioned prominently in one of those as follows:



Henry Gray
10/31/64 Camden, Ark, 1st​ Bgde, 2nd​ Infy Div, Army of W La-Gray tenders resignation as Brig Gen due to appointment to congress. Appd & forwarded by Gen Polignac. Had been apptd Gen by K Smith 4/8/64.

Oct-W La voters elected by Col Gray, known to be Smith's bitter enemy-Some months earlier, Smith had refused to promote him to Gen, saying his habits…are not good

*10/31/64 Gray leaves the command & Col Collins assumed command in the absence of Col Bosworth of the Crescent Regt, who was sr. Col. Bosworth returned in Jan. 65.

12/1/64 Minden, Hqs 2nd​ Infy Div, Buckner's Corps, AW La-Polignac applies for Collins of 18th​ La to be Brig Gen to command the 2nd​ La Bgde of my Div vice Gen Gray, resigned. He is an officer of great merit, & I was with his Regt at Pittsburg Ldg, & his Regt has been in every engagement since it was ordered to the TM in Oct 62.
I make this application since the Bgde has been without a Bgde Cdr since the resignation of Gen Gray & there seems to be no one for its assignment.
Buckner endorses-As this Bgde has been detached from my command until a few days past few weeks ago, I have no knowledge of his merits as an officer. However, from all indications he is very deserving of the promotion, & highly recommended by Polignac.
12/10-Fwd & appd by K Smith


12/2/64 Col Gray left the TM Dept for congress
12/28/64 Gen Gray took his seat in Congress

Jan 65 In early Jan, our Bgde [of Polignac Div-Polignac's old Bgde went to Tex & Gray's to Alexandria] was sent from Minden to Alexandria. Gen Gray having been made a member of congress left us at Camden leaving Col Collins as Sr & cdg officer of the Bgde [Gen Gray left for congress in Richmond-10/31/64]

*Jan. 65 Col Bosworth returned

2/1/65 Hon C C Hesler & others recommend Hon H Gray to command forces Gov't may place on the W Bank Ms River for the purpose of keeping open the communications.

3/8/65 Cooper endorses to President-Henry Gray appears on our records as Col 28th La Regt but has never been appt BGen by the Dept but appears to have commanded a Bgde, probably as Sr Col & is styled BGen in Gen Smith's return.
Gen Smith has recommended his appointment as BGen in communication rec'd a short time since, but as Col Gray has been elected to Congress, it was supposed he would not return to the army, & Col Peck has been apptd BGen for the Bgde lately under Col Gray.

4/24/65 Boggs relieved at his own request as chief of staff & will report to Lt Gen Buckner cdg dist of Ark & W La for duty

On General Kirby Smith's recommendation, William Boggs had been promoted to the rank of brigadier general and became Chief of Staff under him in the Trans-Mississippi Department in the spring of 1863. Late in the war, Boggs resigned after a quarrel with Smith. For a short time thereafter, he commanded the District of Louisiana, but was soon superseded by Brig. Gen. Harry T. Hays and he subsequently awaited orders at Shreveport, Louisiana. There are references that he commanded Gray's old Bgde for a short time in the last days of the war.




Peck
In the ANV winter camp of 1864, just before the Spotsylvania Campaign, it seems Peck & other officers that arrived late to their commands (no matter the circumstances) were held under arrest with the charge of AWOL, Absent without Leave. Lieutenant Prosper Landry of the Donaldsonville Arty, in May 1864 arrived late to his command too (because of the trains) & noted to his wife in a letter, "At my return from La I found myself under arrest, by general orders, for having prolonged the time of my leave." Three officers of the Donaldsonville Arty, including Landry, found themselves in the same situation as Peck. In the case of the Cannoneers Lt Landry, the AWOL charges were either dropped or forgotten, perhaps intentionally, as Landry was promoted to Capt in July 1864 while fighting & commanding four guns in the trenches of Petersburg. The two other Cannoneers Lt's had their charges dismissed or forgotten too as there is no, as I remember, official documentation of their arrest in the CSR. About the charges, Landry in that same letter to his wife (written in French) said, "A thought which made the hours drag still more heavily in the trenches," adding, "I still did not know what would become of me [because of the arrest] when out of the blue sky...I received the Special Order announcing I was promoted to Capt."

Peck CSR's-

1/6/65 the undersigned recommend Col Peck to be Brig Gen to command the 2nd​ Bgde of the 2nd​ Infy Div of the TM Dept-Henry Gray-Sparrow- [& other congressmen]

1/10/65 Senate Chamber-also recommending Peck to be Brig Gen to command the Bgde recently commanded by Col Gray. Peck is from N La which is where most of the men of the Bgde are from.

Davis endorses favorably saying Peck is highly esteemed. If circumstances warrant, the proposed assignment would lead to much good.

1/17/65 Gen Gordon warmly recommends Col Peck to be promoted for the vacancy he stated exists in the TM. If this is done, I must express the hope that authority will be granted to bring his command to this army & to my Div

1/17 Sec of War to AG for report

2/1/65 Hon C Hesler & others recommend Hon H Gray to command forces Gov't may place on the W Bank Ms River for the purpose of keeping open the communications.

3/8 Cooper endorses to President-Henry Gray appears on our records as Col 28th La Regt but has never been appt BGen by the Dept but appears to have commanded a Bgde, probably as Sr Col & is styled BGen n Gen Smith's return.
Gen Smith has recommended his appointment as BGen in communication rec'd a short time since, but as Col Gray has been elected to Congress, it was supposed he would not return to the army, & Col Peck has been apptd BGen for the Bgde lately under Col Gray. The Bgde was constituted as follows according to Gen Smith's return

2/11 Henry Gray to Gen Cooper-the Bgde formerly under my command to which we desire Col Peck to be appointed is composed of the following Regts:
28th​ La
18th La
Crescent La-a consol Regt of 13 Co's

When I left the Dept. these Regts would average 1,000 each [dubious comment by him]. They have suffered great losses in battle, but I spared no effort to recruit & succeeded. There is no Brigadier on that side who is from La. except Gen Hebert. Gen Nichols is there but he is unfit for duty in the field

The records of the AG's office in Richmond do not [disclose] with any accuracy the true state of the army on the other side of the Ms River. I hope Col Peck will be appointed, as it will be in accordance with the wishes of the Bgde.

2/12/65 Henry Gray to Gen Breckinridge-I find there is some misapprehension of the facts regarding Col Peck's promotion to command my old Bgde in the TM- That Bgde is composed of 3 Regts- the Crescent, the 18th​ & the 28th​ La- these Regts will average 1000 each. The Crescent is a consolidated Regt. There is no brigadier on that side who can be appropriately assigned to command it.

The appointment of Col Peck was [desired] by the officers of the Bgde, many of whom know Col Peck well

2/18 Davis endorses-nomination recommended

2/19/65 Cooper to Sec of War-Gray's Bgde in the TM Dept is composed of the 11th​, [probably confused w/ 11th Bn which is part of the consol Crescent aka 24th​ La Regt] 18th​ & 28th​ La Regts & 3 small Bns. Strength of Bgde is not known nor is anything known of the requirements or necessities of the Bgde for a Brigadier. I presume that the # of Brigadiers in the TM Dept is sufficient for the commands.

My records show that the 11th​ La was disbanded & nothing is known here of the Regt of that number in the TM Dept. The Col's of the other 2 Regts are Armant-9/26/62, understood to have been killed, but not officially reported & Henry Gray rank 5/17/62-elected to congress

2/22 Peck apptd Gen to rank 2/18 to report to Gen K Smith TM Dept

Peck was apptd & confirmed Brig Gen on 2/22/65 to rank 2/18/65-but in the Army of N. Va. Gen Gordon credits him with leading the last charge at Appomattox, but that is unlikely since he was not in command of the Bgde at Ft Steadman on 3/25, & did not surrender with his command. He rec'd his parole at Vicksburg 6/6/65. Perhaps Cooper knew that Peck had been promoted to take over Gray's Bgde in the TM.

3/2/65 at Richmond-oath & acceptance by Gen Peck [perhaps to be General]

3/8/65 Cooper's reply to the President by War Dept that Gray is shown as Col of 28th​ La, & has never been apptd Gen by this Dept. He does appear to have commanded a Bgde, probably as Sr Col & is styled as Brig Gen on Gen Smith's return. I had recommended him for promotion earlier, but the matter was dropped when he was elected to Congress, not thinking he would return to the army. Meanwhile Col Peck has been promoted Gen to command that Bgde lately under Col Gray. The Bgde was constituted as follows according to Gen Smith's return

Bgde
2nd La Infy -I believe this is meant to identify the Bgde as the 2nd​ La Infy Bgde
28th La Infy
18th La Infy/Yellow Jacket Bn Consol
Crescent Regt/11th La Bn/CGR Bn Consol

[Cooper goes on to say]
There appears to be but 2 La Infy Bgdes on Gen Smith's return; the one above mentioned, & the other commanded by Gen Thomas.
There is nothing in this office to show that a force is being organized in the TM Dept for the special service indicated & should one be organized for the purpose, I think one of the Brigadiers already in commission & serving in that Dept might very well be placed in command of this force without the necessity of a new appointment

6/9 Peck paroled at Vicksburg [perhaps was en route to W La to take over Gray's old Bgde & didn't make it before war was over]
 
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