Peek family papers 1 edition

About the Book

Chiefly letters written by William Peek and George Peek, with letters written by other family members and friends scattered throughout the papers. Early items include letters relating to both men as students at the University of Virginia. In September 1861, William wrote to George from Little Rock, Ark., where he seemed to be enjoying the attentions of the governor's daughter. In November, George wrote of his teaching position at Wesleyan College in Florence, Ala., and his twin ambitions of falling in love and pursuing a career in teaching. In 1862, William wrote of serving as a surgeon without benefit of medical training in the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment, mostly in the vicinity of Orange Court House and Martinsburg, Va. George's 1862 letters discuss fighting in and around Huntsville, Ala., and Florence, Ala. By April 1863, George had joined the 26th Alabama Infantry Regiment. On 11 June 1863, William wrote of frenzied activity near his camp in northern Virginia; his 8 July letter contains a brief description of the horrors of the Battle of Gettysburg in which he had just participated. A letter dated 19 July announced William's death. Letters after July 1863 relate chiefly to George. A few in 1866 concern William's parents' efforts to find William's grave. There also are letters from "Sis" and various other Peek family members, including brother Thomas Peek, about family news and activities. Post war letters from George indicate that he was a law student at the University of Virginia in 1866 and 1867. The few items after 1866 include an 1870 endorsement of George Peek's candidacy for a judgeship in Virginia. There is also an undated broadside, possibly from the 1850s, advertising a Virginia dry goods store run by a Peek family member.