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Facts and Events
John Peters was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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Early Land Acquisition in Virginia
Land Grant Surveys in Virginia:
- Page 2 - Land Grant Survey: John Peters, 360 acres, Wolf Run. Adjoining Jacob Peters. April 20, 1780. [Abstract of Land Grant Surveys, 1761-1791, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Virginia, by Peter Cline Kaylor, pg. 97]. [Note: this land appears to be adjoining his father's land on Wolf Run].
Estate Records
- Died intestate. Giles County Justices Court, minute Book 6, July 26, 1836: On motion of Elijah Peters, Executor of John Peters, dec'd. In order to obtain from the pension office of the United States arrears of pension money; John Peters, Elijah Peters, Elizabeth Bailey, Philip Peters, Christian Peters, William Peters, Frances Walker and Catherine Thompson, and same ordered to be certified to the War department.
Military Service
- American Revolutionary War Veteran
Revolutionary War Pension Information
Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 4, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :
Peters, John - entered service 1780 in Rockingham County, Virginia, in Virginia regiment; granted Pension 1832 age 77 in Giles County, Virginia; Christian Peters (no kinship given) made affidavit there then that he knew soldier in Revolutionary War; Thomas Walker made affidavit there then, per that County Court Clerk David French; soldier died 2/6/1836, leaving children mentioned but not named. F-S5897, R1917.
- Note: Christian Peters (1760-1837) was the brother of this John Peters, who was also mentioned in his brother's Revolutionary War Pension Statements.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Family tree maker. (MyFamily.com, Inc., c2003).
Notes for JOHN PETERS, SR:
At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1776, John was 21. He became captain of the Militia of District 13 in
1776. In 1776, Virginia authorized the organization of Military Companies in the counties. Each company to
consist of 60 men and each member to attend muster each month or pay a fine of $1.00. In 1788, according to
Waylands History there were 14 Military Companies in Rockingham and it seems that the captain who was
appointed by the court was required as part of his duties, to make a list of all the tithables, in his district, and
make a report of the same to the Court. John Peters was assigned to District No. 13. In this district his father,
Jacob and his brother Christian lived. John's list contains 58 names including his father and brother, Christian.
Charles Walker, John and Christian Peters, with their families, in the spring of 1782, left their valley homes,
crossed the Alleghenies and located in the New River Valley. They had been soldiers in the American Army. In
1789, John Peters and his wife Francis Simms Peters moved to Pearisburg, VA. They bought two tracts of land
that were deeded to their sons in 1808. One tract was 50 acres on the south side of New River and the other was
30 acres on Laurel Creek.
John and Francis built a brick home which stood beside the Giles County Courthouse (the jail?).
In Pension Claim S5897. While living in Rockingham County, VA he entered the Service in 1780, shortly before
the battle Camden, and served as ensign in Captain John Rush's company in Colonel Nall's Virginia Regiment. He
also served from July 19, 1781 for about 3 months as ensign with the Virginia troops under Captain Ragen and
Colonels' William Nall, Dark and Matthews. John Peters was allowed pension on his application on his
application executed July 31, 1832, at which time he was 77 years of age and was living in Giles County, justice
of the peace for the County Court of Giles now sitting, John Peters, a resident of Giles County, State of Virginia,
aged seventy seven years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following
declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed on 7th June, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated,
that he received the commission of ensign and performed the duties of said office for two tours of duty of three
months each. The first captain whose company he belonged was Capt. John Rush under the command of Colo.
Nall in the year 1779 ___ he believes or at all events, just a short time before Gates' defeat at Camden. He was in
no general engagement with the enemy. That he enlisted in the State of Virginia, Rockingham County and was
ordered into service from said county and state on his first tour and was marched from said county to Richmond
in Virginia and was engaged during the time in the vicinity of varas (sic) place. Having performed that form of
service, he returned home. The second tour was also in the character of an ensign for three months, but was
discharged by General Stephenson from an accident before the end of this time (to wit for having lost his baggage
and cloothing (sic) on the march) under Capt Rogers and under Col. William Nall of Rockingham. Until they
reached the low country where they were transferred to Col. Dark and Mathews. The second service was in the
year 1781 and he was discharged just before the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and was engaged in the marches
and manouvers which preceeded his capture. He resided in the County of Rockingham and state aforesaid during
both of these periods. He was in connection with the regular troops of General Lafayette, _____, Wayne and
Stephenson and with General Washington on his march to Yorktown. He had a discharge for the second tour, but
has lost the service list for his first tour of service. He has no discharge or other written evidence of the time. He
hereby relinquishes his every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his
name is not of the pension roll of the agency of any state whatsoever. Sworn in open court. John Peters.
Per David E. Johnston's "A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory" pg 448-450:
"ThePeters Family. John and Christian Peters were of a family of a German family of that name, who had located
in the Valley of Virginia shortly after 1732. The place of the settlement was in the now County of Rockingham.
The inscription on the tombstone of Christian Peters shows that he was born October 16th, 1760 and died October
1837; it is possible that John was older. In 1781 the British Army under Lord Cornwallis invaded Virginia, finally
fixing its base of operations at Yorktown. In May of the year mentioned, the Governor of Virginia called out the
Militia of the state, placing them under the command of General Nelson, who joined and became part of General
LaFayette's corps, then operating against the army of Cornwallis. John and Christian obeyed the call of the
governor and served through the campaign, and were at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, on October
19th; the militia was then disbanded and returned to their homes. The war, now regarded as ended, and the
services of the militia no longer needed, John and Christian Peters , with their families, together with their brother in law, Charles Walker, in the spring of 1782, left their Valley homes, crossed the Alleghenies, and located in the
New River Valley; John, on the farm which Mr Charles D. French now resides, and Christian where the village of
Peterstown, named from him, is now situated. The two or three years immediately following the surrender of
Cornwallis brought over swarms of people, and while many of them went to Kentucky, a goodly number halted in
the New River Valley. John Peters married Miss Simms, of that part of Rockingham that afterwards became
Madison County. Christian married Miss Katharine Belcher, of Rockingham, who spoke the German language,
and kept in her house her German Bible. The following are the names of the children of john Peters and wife:
Elijah, William, John, Philip, Chrisitan; and Frances, who married Captain Christianos H. A. Walker, son of
Charles, heretofore mentioned. The families of Conrad Peters, Captain John Peters, of Peterstown, and that of the
late James M. Byrnside are descendants of Christian Peters. John Peters , Jr., the son of the settler, and who
married Sallie Clay, daughter of the elder Mitchell, was the Captain of a company in the war with Great Britain of
1812; was long a Magistrate, and represented Giles County in the Legislature. The names of the sons of Captain
John peters and his wife Sallie Clay Peters, are as follows: Oliver C. Peters, long an honored citizen of Giles
County, dying at a ripe old age; Andrew J. Peters, Thompson H. Peters, William P. Peters, Jacob Peters, Augustus
C. Peters; and two daughters by the second marriage, one of whom married Andrew Johnston, and Miss Jane,
who never married. The grandsons and descendants of Captain John Peters were among the best, truest and
bravest Confederate soldiers that fought for the South, among them James M. Peters, William D. Peters, John D.
Peters and William H. Peters."
http://www.genealogy-quest.com/Virginia/Giles/Pictures/Revolutionary-War-Memorial.html
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/u/n/Emer-Gunter-SAINT-LOUIS/PDFGENE6.pdf
- Johnston, David E. (David Emmons). A history of middle New River settlements and contiguous territory. (Huntington).
John and Christian Peters were of a German family of that name, who had located in the Valley of Virginia shortly after 1732. The place of the settlement was in the now County of Rockingham. The inscription on the tombstone of Christian Peters shows that he was born October 16th, 1760, and died October, 1837; it is possible that John was older. In 1781 the British Army under Lord Cornwallis invaded Virginia, finally fixing its base of operation at Yorktown. In May of the year mentioned, the Governor of Virginia called out the militia of the state, placing them under the command of General Nelson, who joined and became a part of General LaFayette's Corps, then operating against the Army of Cornwallis. John and Christian Peters obeyed the call of the Governor and served through the campaign, and were at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, on October 19th; the militia was then disbanded and returned to their homes. The war, now regarded as ended, and the services of the militia no longer needed, John and Christian Peters, with their families, together with their brother-in-law, Charles Walker, in the spring of 1782, left their Valley homes, crossed the Alleghanies, and located in the New River Valley; John, on the farm on which Mr. Charles D. French now resides, and Christian where the village of Peterstown , named from him, is now situated. The two or three years immediately following the surrender of Cornwallis brought over the Alleghanies swarms of people, and while many of them went to Kentucky, a goodly number halted in the New River Valley.
Upon the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, in October, 1781, the war was regarded at an end. Many of the militia men of Virginia and swarms of other people soon thereafter, came over the Alleghanies, seeking homes, and with them for the same purpose, came some of the French and British soldiers. Vast throngs went to Kentucky. Among those who came in the years of 1782-3-4 and 5, and located in the New River Valley, and who had been soldiers in the American army, were John Peters, Christian Peters, Charles Walker, Isaac Smith and Larkin Stowers, and a little later came Josiah Meadows, Jacob Meadows, James Emmons, Charles Duncan, John Kirk, Peter Dingess and Tollison Shuemate. The Peters, Stowers, Walker, Jacob Meadows and Smith came from Rockingham County, Virginia, Peter Dingess, from Botetourt County, Josiah Meadows from Bedford, James Emmons and Charles Duncan from Stokes County, North Carolina, John and Thomas. Kirk, and Tollison Shuemate from Fauquier County, Virginia. Duncan and Emmons had first removed from Fauquier County to Stokes County, North Carolina. John Peters and his brother Christian came in 1783, the former located on the New River on the farm on which Mr. Charles D. French now resides, and the latter settled on Rich Creek, where the village of Peterstown is now situated, and he gave name to that village. Charles Walker settled on New River, opposite the mouth of Wolf Creek.
- ↑ Find A Grave.
John Peters, Sr
Birth: Oct. 17, 1755
Death: Feb. 6, 1836
Giles County
Virginia, USA
John was the son of Jacob Peters who settled in the Valley of Virginia after 1732, in the section of Augusta County that became Rockingham County in 1778.
John married Frances Simms.
In 1782 John migrated to the New River area and claimed to have owned the first brick house in what came to be Giles County, Virginia, which was accomplished by brick being made on his own farm around 1789 using general labor.
John was very prominent in the development of Giles County following its formation January 1806. He served on the first Petit Jury impaneled, and on the First Grand Jury May 13, 1806 and the Second Grand Jury Jun 10, 1806.
March 1, 1815, JOHN PETERS - Giles County, Virginia Personal Property Tax: Listed three males over age of 16 years, eight horses, twenty cattle, one silver watch, one clock, nine misc. items, two bureaus for a total tax of $6.68.
The descendants of John Peters in the State of Virginia are legend and they have been prominently identified in the history and development of the state. It has been significantly shown they are available and willing to bear arms for the defense of the United States and their native Virginia. The Peters name will be readily found on the armed services rosters in any hostilities from beginning to termination, in which Virginia or the United States has been involved. they for the most part were inclined to favor the Confederacy during the Civil War and contributed quite freely to its cause in financial support and men in uniform.
July 25, 1836 - On motion of Elijah Peters, executor of John Peters, deceased, the following persons, certified legatees of said John Peters, legatees in order to obtain from the pension money - John Peters, Jr., Elizabeth Bailey, Phillip Peters, Elijah Peters, Christian Peters, William Peters, Frances Walker and Catherine Thompson. And same ordered certified to the War Department.
December 27, 1836, a certificate was filed showing that John Peters, a Revolutionary War Pensioner died Feb. 6, 1836, leaving no widow, ordered certified to War Department.
Family links:
Spouse:
Frances Simms Peters
Children:
Phillip Peters (1779 - 1857)*
Frances Peters Walker (1794 - 1884)*
Inscription:
John and his wife are believed to be buried in the old Charles Walker Farm section of this cemetery with fieldstones as markers
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=125590184
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