James Stevens Peck (December 6, 1838 – May 28, 1884) was a Vermont attorney and military leader who served in the 13th and 17th Vermont Infantry Regiments during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and as

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

Vermont National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

Early life

James S. Peck was born in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population w ...

, on December 6, 1838. He graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

in 1860, and studied law with

Lucius Benedict Peck Lucius Benedict Peck (November 17, 1802 – December 28, 1866) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative from Vermont. Biography Peck was born in Waterbury, Vermont, to General John Peck and Anna Benedict Peck. ...

and Stoddard B. Colby.

Civil War

In 1862 Peck was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in Company I, 13th Vermont Infantry. He rose to the post of regimental

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

, and took part in the regiment's combat actions, including the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

. After the 13th Vermont was mustered out, Peck joined the 17th Vermont as adjutant with the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. He was commended for bravery at

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

, and Petersburg, and mustered out with the regiment in 1865.

Career

In 1866 Peck was admitted to the bar and established a law practice in Montpelier. From 1866 to 1880 he served as a member of the city's volunteer fire department. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, from 1868 to 1872 he served as assistant secretary of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, and from 1869 to 1880 Peck was Assistant

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for Vermont. In 1881 Peck was appointed

Postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

in Montpelier, a position he held until his death.

Continued military service

Peck served as assistant adjutant general and inspector general of the Vermont National Guard with the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

from 1868 to 1872, during the tenure of Adjutant General William Wells. Peck succeeded Wells and served as adjutant general from 1872 to 1881. He was an original member of the

Reunion Society of Vermont Officers The Reunion Society of Vermont Officers was an organization of American Civil War veterans. Founding The Society was founded in 1864 by Union veterans from Vermont. Its original organizers included Redfield Proctor, George G. Benedict, and Whee ...

. Peck was the society's secretary from 1866 to 1882, and president from 1882 until his death.

Death and burial

Peck was in poor health for several years as a result of his wartime service, and he nearly died twice from pulmonary hemorrhages. He died while vacationing at

Loon Lake, New York Loon Lake is a hamlet and a lake in the northeastern region of Adirondack Park in the U.S. state of New York. The community is located on the east side of Loon Lake and northeast of Saranac Lake and north of Lake Placid. Loon Lake was one of ...

, on May 28, 1884. Peck is buried at

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many ...

in Montpelier.New York Star
Star Almanac for 1885
1884, page 53

References

External links

*
James Stevens Peck
a
Vermont in the Civil War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peck, James Stevens 1838 births 1884 deaths People from Montpelier, Vermont University of Vermont alumni People of Vermont in the American Civil War Union Army officers American militia generals Vermont lawyers Vermont Republicans Burials at Green Mount Cemetery (Montpelier, Vermont) Vermont postmasters Vermont National Guard personnel 19th-century American lawyers