John Watts de Peyster
John Watts de Peyster, Sr. | |
---|---|
Born | New York, New York, U.S. | March 9, 1821
Died | May 4, 1907 New York, New York, U.S. | (aged 86)
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | New York State Militia |
Years of service | 1845–1866 |
Rank | Brevet Major-General |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War American Civil War |
Spouse(s) | Estelle Livingston |
Children | John Watts de Peyster, Jr. (son) |
Other work | Historian, lawyer, writer |
John Watts de Peyster, Sr. (March 9, 1821 – May 4, 1907)
Early life and background
De Peyster was born in Manhattan into a wealthy old New York City Huguenot family, and was a descendant of Johannes de Peyster Sr.[4] His father was Frederic de Peyster, a wealthy New York City lawyer, investor, and philanthropist.[5] He was a first cousin of Maj. Gen. Philip Kearny.[6] His great great grandfather was Abraham de Peyster, an early Mayor of New York City, whose brother was Johannes de Peyster, also Mayor. His grandfather was a nephew of Arent DePeyster.
He studied law at Columbia University, although he did not graduate on account of his poor health.[7] He had become an invalid at a young age due to a heart affliction he developed during service as a volunteer fireman.[8] De Peyster was heavily involved as a volunteer firefighter with the No. 5 Hose Carriage during his collegiate years, including a major fire in 1836, leading to his health problems.[9] Despite these physical difficulties, he was described by some as feisty, and even dictatorial.[10]
He later received the
He spent his entire career in the New York State Militia, being promoted to
American Civil War
Already a brigadier general of the state militia at the onset of the Civil War, he met with what he perceived (and declared) to be prejudiced resistance from Abraham Lincoln when he attempted to raise regiments for the Union Army.[16] In 1861, de Peyster traveled to Washington, D.C., to solicit a commission as a brigadier general of the Regular Army and offered to raise two regiments of artillery, which he felt best suited his expertise and physical condition.[17] He was met with little interest after New York had already filled its national recruitment quota of 75,000 men.[18]
Each of his three sons served in the conflict in the Union Army. The eldest, John Watts de Peyster Jr., performed duty as an aide-de-camp and artillery commander with the Army of the Potomac and mustered out as a brevet brigadier general; Frederic de Peyster III, was a colonel and surgeon; while the youngest, Johnston de Peyster, was a second lieutenant in charge of a battery of artillery credited with hoisting the first Union flag over the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia, after its fall.[19][20]
The career militia officer had always suffered from poor health, and turned down a commission as a colonel of cavalry offered to him by New York Senator Ira Harris in June 1863 on behalf of Generals Joseph Hooker and Alfred Pleasonton, who may have had an eye towards de Peyster's social connections.[17][21] Other notable figures with limited field experience who were promoted to brigadier general by Pleasonton at that time were Elon J. Farnsworth, son of a Congressman, Wesley Merritt, and George Armstrong Custer.[22]
His treatise New American Tactics was a series of articles published in
He was a close friend of Maj. Gen.
After the Civil War, de Peyster was elected as a 3rd Class Companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States in recognition of his efforts to support the Union during the war.
The hero at Oak Ridge was John Buford ... he not only showed the rarest tenacity, but his personal capacity made his cavalry accomplish marvels, and rival infantry in their steadfastness ... Glorious John Buford!
Postwar career
General de Peyster was known as the largest developer in the village of Tivoli, New York, where he resided at his family home.[10] In 1892 he replaced a wooden Methodist church with a brick structure that stands today.[10] He also refurbished an old school into an industrial school for girls.[10] An authority on fire fighting, in 1895 de Peyster erected a huge state-of-the-art brick building for the local department.[10] A portrait of him resides there in present day, and it was used as a firehouse until 1986.[10] The high Victorian structure also contained a courtroom, a jail and a large meeting room for the local government.[10] The General eventually had a conflict with the village Mayor (his own son, Johnston de Peyster), and de Peyster barred him from entering the building.[10] The village government was forced to move to another building and remained there until the Firehouse was restored in 1994, returning the local government to de Peyster's building.[10]
His writing strongly advocated Dan Sickles and his role at the
De Peyster wrote extensive military histories about the
In 1901, he donated several thousand books and maps to the
He was the author of Life of Field Marshal Torstenson (1855), The Dutch at the North Pole (1857), Caurausius, the Dutch Augustus (1858), Life of Baron Cohorn (1860), The Decisive Conflicts of the Late Civil War, or Slaveholder's Rebellion (1867), Personal and Military History of General Philip Kearny (1869), The Life and Misfortunes and the Military Career of Brig.-Gen. Sir John Johnson (1882), and Gypsies: Some Curious Investigations, Collected, Translated, Or Reprinted from Various Sources (1887), and contributor to numerous other books, biographies, publications, and articles.
Personal life
John Watts de Peyster was descended from Hubertus "Gilbert" Livingston (1690–1746) and Cornelia Beekman (1693–1742), granddaughter of Wilhelmus Beekman. He married Estelle Livingston (1819–1898). They were the parents of:
- John Watts de Peyster Jr. (1841–1873), an aide-de-camp and artillery commander with the Army of the Potomac,
- Frederic de Peyster III (1842–1874), a colonel and surgeon,
- Johnston Livingston de Peyster (1846–1903), a second lieutenant in charge of a battery of artillery credited with hoisting the first Union flag over the Confederate capitol of Richmond, Virginia, after its fall.[19]
De Peyster died in 1907 of natural causes at a family residence in Manhattan.[35] He willed his Tivoli manor Rose Hill to a local Children's Home.[10]
Notes
- ^ Allaben, Vol. 1, p. 28.
- ^ a b Allaben, p. 205
- ^ Leopold, Robert. A Guide to Early African Collections in the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution, August 1994.
- ^ Witmer, Urban, Armstrong. Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society, Volume 2, 1897, page 221
- ^ Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
- ^ Allaben, p. 18
- ^ Allaben, p. 180
- ^ a b Randolph, p. 85
- ^ Allaben, p. 178
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Philip, Cynthia Owen. The Saga of Tivoli, Part II: Clambakes, Cock Fights, & Boxing Matches Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. About Town Magazine, Winter 2005 ed.
- ^ a b c Randolph, p. 87
- ^ Allaben, p. 185
- ^ a b Allaben, p. 290
- ^ Allaben, p. 267
- ^ Ray, Fred. Forgotten Heroes of the Skirmish Line: Jerry Z. Brown, November 25, 2006. Retrieved on July 28, 2007.
- ^ Randolph, p. 86
- ^ a b Allaben, p. 319
- ^ Allaben, p. 320
- ^ a b Shepley, George. Incidents in the Capture of Richmond. Atlantic Monthly, July 1880.
- ^ Lamb, 1904
- ^ Alfred Pleasonton to Brig.Gen. John Farnsworth, June 23, 1863, Alfred Pleasonton Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
- ^ Henry C. Parsons, "Farnsworth's Charge and Death", included in Robert U. Johnson and C.C. Buel, eds., Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, 4 vols. (New York, 1884-1888), 3:395. Hard, pp. 76-77.
- ^ Randolph, p. 86-87
- ^ Allaben, p. 323
- ^ Phipps, Michael; Peterson, John S.
The Devil's to Pay. Farnsworth Military Impressions: Gettysburg, 1995. ISBN 0-9643632-1-6
- ^ Randolph, p. 88
- ISBN 0-313-30122-0
- ^ Van Horne, p. 343-344
- ^ United States Government Printing Office. United States Congressional Serial Set, pp 216-227. U.S. G.P.O.: Washington, D.C., 1890.
- ISBN 1-4047-5132-7
- ^ Allaben, p. 211-258
- ^ Dubbs, Joseph Henry. History of Franklin and Marshall College. Lancaster: Franklin and Marshall College Alumni Association, 1903.
- ^ http://www.andrewcusack.com/adep1.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ^ ANS Vice Presidents Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved on July 28, 2007.
- ^ Allaben, p. 165
References
- Allaben, Frank. John Watts de Peyster. Frank Allaben Genealogical Company: New York, 1908. ISBN 1-4021-4454-7
- Brown, John. Lamb's biographical dictionary of the United States. Boston Biographical Society, 1904. ISBN 0-8490-0481-0
- de Peyster, John. Gettysburgh and After. Old Soldier Books: New York, 1987. ISBN 1-4328-0552-5
- New York Historical Society. Collections of the New York Historical Society. The John Watts De Peyster Publication Fund Series. 85 vols. New York, NY: The Society, 1868-. ISBN 1-4255-8595-7
- ISBN 0-7607-1272-7
- Randolph, Lewis Hamersly. Biographical Sketches of Distinguished Officers of the Army and Navy, pp 82–88. Henry E. Huntington Library: New York, 1905. ISBN 1-4325-0232-8
- Van Horne, Thomas. The Life of Major General George H. Thomas. Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1882. ISBN 1-4326-3766-5
External links
Media related to John Watts de Peyster at Wikimedia Commons
- Franklin and Marshall Library history
- New York G.A.R. Posts
- National Park Service page on Boot Monument
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