Person:William Peak (7)

William lived in Illinois.

William served in the Union army during the Civil War. He was captain ofCompany F, 129th Infantry, Illinois.

In 1850 William was living with his parents in Morgan County, Illinois.(Source: 1850 Census - Morgan County, Illinois)

WM. A. PEAK, the subject of this sketch, was born on the 10th ofFebruary, 1835, on section 26, Morgan county, Illinois, now Scottcounty. Mr. Peak lived on the farm until 1859, when he engaged in thedry goods business in the town of Exeter, where he remained the nextthree years, when, upon the breaking out of the war, he took his broom,swept his store out nicely, locked it up, containing as it did a fullstock of general merchandise, and upon the call of President Lincoln, forthree hundred thousand men to suppress the rebellion, enlisted in Co. F,129th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, as a private. Upon the organizationof the company he was elected 2nd corporal, which position he held untilthe regiment's arrival at Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he was detailedas clerk in the post quartermaster's department, at which place heremained until January 13th, 1863, when he was ordered by the postquartermaster to go south along the Memphis branch railroad to purchasecorn for the army. In this business he remained for several weeks,purchasing several thousand bushels of corn, which he was about to shipwhen, on the evening of the 16th of February, 1863, the rebels came inand set fire to the corn. He and his party made strenuous efforts tosave the corn, but their efforts were unavailing, the rebs being in toolarge force for them; and he came very near to being captured, but heproved too shrewd for them, as he was concealed and made his escape. Hereturned to Bowling Green, where he was taken sick and confined tohospital No. 5, in the Baptist Church, three weeks, after which he joinedhis regiment, then stationed at Buck Lodge, Tennessee. He acted as ascout several weeks while stationed at Gallatin, Tennessee. The regimentwas ordered to Nashville, Tennessee, during the winter of 1863 and 1864.While the regiment lay at Nashville, he was detailed as turnkey of themilitary prison in the city. In the spring the regiment was ordered toChattanooga. to Atlanta, Georgia. While in that campaign his regimentwas engaged in ninety-three skirmishes and nine battles, all of which Mr.Peak participated in, until the fall of Atlanta. He was in the siege ofAtlanta twenty-eight days and nights without cessation. Mr. Peakdischarged his duties faithfully, and upon the fall of Atlanta his healthfailed him, and much against his inclinations, was ordered back toNashville, and then from there to Louisville, Kentucky. While lying inthe hospital at Nashville, Hood attached the city, the patients were allordered out on duty, every man that was able to bear arms. FromLouisville, Kentucky, he was sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, and upon landingwas detailed to remain upon the boat, D. A. January, which was one of thehospital boats at that time. During the spring and summer of 1865 theboat was engaged in carrying the sick and wounded from the varioussouthern points. On July 1st, 1865, he left the boat at St. Louis andtook the transportation cars for Chicago, where he was honorablydischarged, and returned home on the 3d day of July. Since that time hehas been constantly engaged upon his farm, which contains three hundredand sixty acres of as good land as is to be found in Scott county. Hewas married to Miss Mary Jane Leib, daughter of Daniel Leib, who was oneof the first settlers of this part of the county, and an honored memberof society, who is now a resident of Exeter precinct, where he is in thefull enjoyment of health, being a hale and hearty old gentleman. Mr.Peak's marriage took place on the 12th of March, 1854. They have hadthree children, all sons. The eldest, Charles O., was born June 18th,1855; Daniel L. was born May 18th, 1859; and Henry Burton, April, 1866.All the children are fine healthy boys, and at the present time areliving at home. Absalom Peak, father of the subject of this sketch, wasone of the first county commissioners, a prominent citizen, an activemember of society, one who took a prominent.

part in the organization of the county.  He was justice of the peacethirty years, and also a consistent Christian gentleman.  He died May23d, 1867.  Mrs. Peak, mother of Wm. A. Peak, was born February 15th,1805, in Anderson county, Tennessee.  At the present time she is alive,in the full enjoyment of good health, and living on the homestead withher son, Wm. A. Peak, and bids fair to live for many years to enjoy thesociety of her children and grandchildren, who are all comfortablysituated and live close around her.  Wm. A. Peak has one of the very bestof stock farms in the county, and is dealing in stock to a large amounteach year.  He is a member of the board of education of Exeter, and it isdue to his untiring efforts that he fine school house of Exeter, which isan ornament to the place, was erected.  His purity of character is toowell known to need mention at our hands.  He is a man of generousimpulses and of a hospitable nature, and has the kind regards of a largecircle of friends.  Mrs. Peak's mother's maiden name was Jane CarolineGillham, daughter of Wm. Gillham, who was one of the first settlers ofthe county; she was married August 1st, 1833, and died March 12th, 1851.(Source:  Compiled, Drawn & Published from Personal Examination &Surveys by Andreas, Lyter and Co. Davenport, Iowa 1873)

1. ↑ Clyde W Peak notes copied by Paul Reed Peak Junior
   August 6, 1950.