John Lewis Peyton (September 15, 1824 – May 21, 1896) was an American lawyer, diplomat, state agent for the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, and an author from Virginia. During the beginning of 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 ...

he moved to Europe, and in 1861 became a state agent for North Carolina for the southern Confederate States Army cause.

Early life, family, and education

He was born on September 15, 1824, near

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

. His mother was Anne Montgomery Lewis, and his father was John Howe Peyton, a Virginia lawyer, politician, and planter. His great-grandfather was Colonel William Preston, a colonel in the Virginia militia during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. His great-great-grandfather was

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, one of the first European settlers in Augusta County. Peyton studied at

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

(class of 1843); and

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

(

bachelor of laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree 1844). He served as a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in the Virginia militia. In 1855, he married North Carolina heiress Henrietta Eliza "Betty" Clark Washington, the daughter of Colonel John C. Washington from of

Lenoir County, North Carolina Lenoir County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,122. Its county seat is Kinston, located on the Neuse River, across which the county has its territory. Lenoir County comprises the K ...

. He had a son, Lawrence Washington Howe Peyton; and a daughter, Simone Marie Peyton. They lived on an estate named

Steephill Steephill is a hamlet near Ventnor, Isle of Wight, previously the location of a Victorian country estate with a castle-style mansion, Steephill Castle, which was demolished to build bungalows in the 1960s. Steephill itself now forms part of the s ...

() in Staunton.

Career

Peyton practiced law until 1851, when he was sent by the U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Weber on special mission to England, France and Austria for the

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

administration. Starting in 1861, he worked as a Confederate States Army commissioner, seeking support in Europe where he was living. He purchased arms and purchased supplies in England for the North Carolina troops in the Confederate Army. He was a fellow of the British

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

. Peyton wrote about various historical subjects, including his own travels and his family history. He wrote about his grandfather John Rowzée Peyton. Peyton also propagated misconceptions about the pre-Columbian culture of

mound builders A number of pre-Columbian cultures are collectively termed "Mound Builders". The term does not refer to a specific people or archaeological culture, but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks erected for an extended period of more than 5 ...

. After the war ended, the family remained in England for awhile after. He died of "

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

" on May 21, 1896, in Stauton. In 1964, his heir's sold the Steephill family estate to

Staunton Military Academy Staunton Military Academy was a private all-male military school located in Staunton, Virginia. Founded in 1884, the academy closed in 1976. The school was highly regarded for its academic and military programs, and many notable American political ...

Publications

* * *, a memoir * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peyton, John Lewis 1824 births 1896 deaths People from Staunton, Virginia Virginia Military Institute alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni Virginia militia People of North Carolina in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers Confederate States of America diplomats American lawyers American writers