USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 60
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 60
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PERSONAL SKETCHES - STATE OF VIRGINIA.
Washington, half-brother of Gen. George second wife died in 1840. The great-grand- Washington. This marriage resulted in father of Gen. Payne was George Payne, six children, as follows: Gen. W. H. F. who was born in Westmoreland county. Payne; Virginia Barron Payne, widow of Va., in 1727. The maternal grandfather Augustine Jennings; Lucy, who died un- of William H. Fitzhugh Payne was married; Mary Mason Fitzhugh Payne, Henry Fitzhugh of Bedford, King wife of Herbert Richardson, of St. Louis, George county, Va., who married Sarah Mo .; Charles Payne (deceased), who had Battaille, of a Huguenot family of the married Jennie M. Brooke, daughter of highest respectability.
the Hon. J. V. Brooke. Mrs. Mary Con- way Payne died in 1842, and Mr. Payne married, in 1844, Miss Mary Hume, daughter of Jacob Hume, of Fauquier county, Va., and by this marriage he had one son, John Scott Payne, who married Lucy Alexander, daughter of Judge Alexander, of Knoxville, Tenn. The father died in 1867, and his second wife died in 1881.
ROBERT BAKER PEGRAM,
son of Gen. John Pegram and Martha Ward Gregory, was born in Dinwiddie county, Va., December 10, 1811. He at- tended the Dinwiddie academy, and Feb- urary 2nd, 1829, was appointed to the United States navy as midshipman, join- ing the sloop-of-war "Boston," commanded by Capt. George W. Storer. Mr. Pegram remained on this ship over a year, when intelligence of the death of his father called him home, when, after a stay of a few months, he joined the frigate "United States" of the Mediterranean squadron
Gen. Payne's grandfather was William Payne, who was born in 1755 at "Wake- field," Westmoreland county, Va., where Gen. Washington was born, the Wakefield property having come into the possession of the Payne family. William Payne was and served under Commodore James Bid- a large and successful merchant of Fal- dle and Commodore Daniel Patterson until mouth, Va., and at Fredericksburg, Va .; 1834, returning home on the "John Ad- ams." In 1835 he was made passed midship- he was a captain in the Revolutionary war, served three years, and was at the battles man and ordered to the "John Adams," of Guilford, C. H., and Yorktown. He under command of Captain Thomas Wy- married twice; his first wife being man, and acted as sailing master on a Susannah Richards, by whom he had two cruise to the East Indies and around the children: Mrs. John Scott, deceased, of world, lasting three years. When Fredericksburg; and Daniel Payne, de- the cruise was finished he was awarded ceased, of Fauquier county, Va. His a three months' leave of absence. In second wife was Marion Morson, daughter 1840 he was ordered to the naval ob- of Arthur Morson, a native of Scotland, servatory at Washington to take obser- whose wife was Marion Andre. To this vations in connection with Commodore Wilkes, of the exploring squadron, to as- second marriage children were born as follows: Marion Morson Payne (deceased), certain the dip of the magnetic needle. married to Henry M. Clarkson, deceased; In 1841 Mr. Pegram was promoted to Arthur A. M. Payne; Eliza Ann Payne, lieutenant and ordered. to the old frigate who married Duff Green, of Falmouth, Va. " Constitution," which was fitted out to re- William Payne died in 1837, and his lieve vessels in distress on the coast be-
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PERSONAL SKETCHES - STATE OF VIRGINIA.
tween Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras. under the guns of the " Rattler," and a After this service Mr. Pegram was or- broadside from the "Rattler" brought the dered to the "Brandywine," which joined junk to; for, the chase being so long, the the East India squadron, and served three boats' crews were prevented from return- years as flag-lieutenant to Commodore ing in time to participate in the engage- Foxhall A. Parker, who commanded the ment, thereby reducing the attacking party to eighty men. The pirates num- bered 3,000, and having thirty odd war squadron. In 1847 Mr. Pegram was or- dered to the "Saratoga," David G. Farra- gut, commander, and was sent to Vera junks, the engagement lasted all day. Cruz, where he served as first lieutenant Sixteen war junks were captured, mount- ing over a hundred cannon, and the esti- mated loss of the pirates was six hundred. About thirty of the boats' crews were killed and wounded, and the majority of the remaining fifty afterward died from heat and exposure under a tropical sun in the month of August. Capt. Pegram was attacked with brain fever immediately after the engagement in which he had so greatly distinguished himself, and for a time his life was despaired of. For his until the close of the war. In 1848 he was ordered to the "John Adams," which sailed to the coast of Brazil, thence to the west coast of Africa, cruising there until 1849, then returning home with the wrecked crew of the "Yorktown." After this cruise Mr. Pegram was ordered to the command of the "City of New York," being one of the commissioners appointed by the secre- tary of the treasury to define the fishing boundaries on the coast of New Found- land between the United States and gallant service in this expedition he re- Great Britain. In 1852 Mr. Pegram was ordered to the United States ship "Pow- hatan " on the Japan expedition. On the 4th of August, 1855, while lying in the harbor at Hong Kong, Commodore Mc- Cluney was called upon by Capt. Fel- lows, royal navy, commanding the British sloop-of-war "Rattler" for assistance in at-
ceived the thanks of Sir James Stirling, flag officer of the East India squadron, the governor and board of trade at Hong Kong, and also the British government, conveyed through Mr. Buchanan, then the United States minister at the court of St. James. The state of Virginia also presented him with a sword, bearing the tacking a flotilla of pirates which had been following inscription : "A Mother's Gift sighted near Kulan; Commodore Mc- to her Devoted Son." The following from Cluney being ill, Lieutenant Pegram was the commander of the British steam sloop- put in command of eighty men of the "Pow- of-war " Rattler," is self-explanatory: hatan" crew and with forty men of the crew of the "Rattler," under command of ON H. M. SERVICE. HIER MAJESTY'S STEAM SLOOP RATTLER, HONG KONG, CHINA, Aug. 5th, 1855. LIEUT. R. B. PEGRAM, U. S. NAVY, U. S. My Dear Sir :- I deem it incumbent upon me, before parting, to convey to you officially my great satisfaction, at having had the honor of commanding so many brave men with yourself at the head. The many instances witnessed by me of your bravery and intrepid conduct, con- S. POWHATAN. Capt. Fellows, royal navy, an attack was made. As soon as the boats were in readi- ness, however, a large piratical junk was discovered at the mouth of the harbor, and one of the "Rattler's" boats, the pinnace, and the first cutter of the " Powhatan" were ordered to cut her out. This they did, driving the junk
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PERSONAL SKETCHES -STATE OF VIRGINIA.
sideration and generosity, deserve my of the military. At that time there was highest praise. Your intrepid conduct a large naval force at the "yard," includ- in attacking large war junks crowded with men and guns was only exceeded by
ing such ships as the "Pennsylvania," your bravery in maintaining such unequal "Cumberland" (in commission), "German- contests nearly the entire day, and the consideration you exhibited in affording assistance to our boats when in need, particularly to Paymaster Brownson's cutter, after her terrible accident, and the generosity shown to Mr. James, the boatswain, when attacking a large junk with his small means, by bearing down and driving the crew overboard with
town," "Merrimac," "United States" and" many others. By a ruse, which consisted in having engines run up and down on the Seaboard & Roanoke R. R. back of the navy yard and spreading the report that an attack in force was about to be made on the navy yard, the attention of the your superior force and permitting him to authorities was so distracted that Capt. take possession, elicited the admiration of every one present. I cannot find words sufficiently eulogistic of the ad- mirable qualities displayed by you on the eventful 4th of August, which bespeak a superior mind and a truly noble heart. I hope that, as it is not the custom of your country to promote officers for dis- tinguished conduct, some other mode may be found of rewarding one whom I consider as an ornament to his profes- sion.
I am very respectfully and truly yours, W. ABDEY FELLOWS. Commander Royal Navy, commanding H. M. steamer Rattler.
Pegram and his command were able to rifle the magazine at Fort Norfolk, be- low the navy yard, of its immense stores of shot, shell and powder, the fact not being discovered until nine o'clock in the forenoon of the next day, when all of the ammunition was safely stored in Rich- mond and in the fair grounds back of Norfolk. Capt. Pegram also caused the report to be spread that he was about to send an immense fire-raft down with the tide from the Dismal Swamp, and thus certainly destroy the navy yard and the
From 1856 to 1858 Lieut. Pegram served shipping. This terrifying rumor caused as first lieutenant at the Norfolk navy the immediate evacuation of the yard, yard, when he was given command of the whereupon Gen. Taliaferro took posses- United States steamer "Water Witch," on sion. He was then ordered by the Con- the Paraguay expedition. In 1860, at the federate government to strengthen Fort solicitation of Prof. Bache, he was ordered Powhatan between City Point and Florida Hundred on James river, and erect a battery, and after doing so he was re- to the command of the United States steamer "Bibb," at New York, in a hydro- graphic survey of the coast, and it was lieved by Capt. Cooke and sent back to while he was attached to the ship, in 1861, Norfolk. He was then ordered to erect that the state of Virginia passed the ordi- a masked battery at Pig Point at the nance of secession, and Lieutenant Pe- mouth of the Nansemond river. Before gram resigned his commission in the the battery was half completed the United United States navy and asserted his States steamer "Harriet Lane" was en- allegiance to his native state. He was gaged in the survey of the Nansemond then appointed by Gov. Letcher of Virgi- river and was placing buoys in the channel nia a captain in the Virginia navy and leading to Suffolk for the purpose of con- ordered to take command of the Norfolk veying a squadron to that place, where station, Col. Taliaferro having charge the only two railroads leading into Nor-
56
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PERSONAL SKETCHES - STATE OF VIRGINIA.
folk centered. As soon as the buoys had appointed time the " Tuscarora" was or- been placed to a point beyond the battery, dered to leave port in twenty-four hours Capt. Pegram removed them at night
and the "Nashville" twenty-four hours within point blank range of the battery. afterward. To this order Capt. Pegram The next day the" Harriet Lane,"in order entered a strong protest, as to obey it would expose the "Nashville" to inevi- table capture. The board of admiralty, after considering the remonstrance of Capt. Pegram, suspended the order re- garding the sailing of the "Nashville," to continue the survey, followed the line of the buoys, and when abreast of the battery, fire was opened upon her and in a few moments she was so disabled as to have to withdraw from action and re- turn to Fortress Monroe. The survey of but exacted a promise from Capt. Pegram the Nansemond was never again at- tempted by the Federals. From Pig Point Capt. Pegram was ordered to take com- mand of Sewell's Point, which he did, and soon after was assigned to the command of the Confederate steamer " Nashville," then being fitted out at Charleston, S. C., to convey the Confederate States ministers, Hons. James M. Mason and John Slidell,
to leave the port at the first favorable opportunity. The "Tuscarora," after waiting several days off the harbor to in- tercept the "Nashville," and seeing noth- ing of her, came to anchor in the lower harbor, whereupon Capt. Pegram notified the lords of the admiralty that if the "Tuscarora" would not be permitted to leave the port until twenty-four hours to some European port. These gentle- had elapsed after the sailing of the men became alarmed at the rigid block- "Nashville," and provided further. that ade and decided that it would be unsafe the "Tuscarora" should not be allowed to embark in the "Nashville," so took to communicate with other United States ships then off the port, that the "Nash- ville" would leave in twenty-four hours. With this agreement on the part of the admiralty to Capt. Pegram's proposi- tion, the "Nashville" left Southampton harbor February 3, 1862. By changing the rig of the Nashville, Captain Pegram eluded the pursuit of the blockaders and touched at Bermuda. Not being able to obtain satisfactory information as to the blockade of the southern ports, he de- cided, on reaching the gulf stream, to lay to for the purpose of intercepting some coasting vessel. He captured the " Robert Gilfillan," three days out from Philadel- phia, and the information obtained decided him to shape his course for Beaufort, N. C., where he arrived Feb- ruary 28th, 1862, passing the blockade, by passage in the British mail steamer "Trent." On the 26th of October, 1861, the "Nashville " left Charleston harbor, and, eluding the pursuit of the block- aders, went to Bermuda, where, after taking on a supply of coal, she pursued her voyage direct to Europe. On the 19th of November, she fell in with and captured the clipper ship " Harvey Birch;" after taking the crew, together with their effects, on board, and burning the "Har- vey Birch," the course of the " Nashville" was shaped for Southampton, England, where she arrived November 21, 1861. Shortly after the " Nashville" anchored in Southampton, the United States steamer " Tuscarora" came into port in pursuit of her. The British government, to prevent the neutrality laws of the port being vio- lated, ordered both ships to sea. At an resorting to a strange strategy in naval
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tactics, without a shot from the enemy Philadelphia, Pa., from which he grad- striking the "Nashville." After giving uated in 1872, and then located in Nor- folk, where he has since remained in the active practice of his profession. He was up the command of the " Nashville," Captain Pegrani was ordered to super- intend the shielding and armament of the married October 25, 1876, to Cornelia iron-clad steamer " Richmond," and as soon as she was ready for service, assume command and take her to Drewry's Bluff. From this command he was transferred to the " Virginia," a larger ship which had just been fitted out for service -
Vaughan, daughter of the late A. M. Vaughan, of Norfolk, a union crowned by the birth of six children, of whom five still survive to add happiness to the home of the parents; namely: Louise, Rosa, Kenneth, Robert and Allan Armistead these iron-clads having been built for the Perkins. The doctor's father, Richard Cincinnatus Perkins, was born in York county, Va., in 1823, and was educated at William and Mary college, and subse- quently attended the Richmond Medical college, graduating with its degree of
defense of James river. In 1864 Capt. Pegram was sent to Europe to secure ships for the "Virginia volunteer navy," a fund having been raised in Virginia to purchase and equip in England a naval force under this name. He had secured M. D. in 1845. He located for practice, one ship, the " Hawk," which had sailed first in Gates county, N. C., remaining as far as Bermuda, when the surrender of there about a year, and then went to Gen. Robert E. Lee put an end to the Camden, the same state, where he re- war and she was returned to her first mained until 1861, at which time he owners, which ended his naval career. entered the Thirty-second North Carolina Capt. Pegram remained in Nova Scotia regiment of infantry, as a surgeon, and at from July until November, 1865, when he returned to the United States. In 1866, shortly after his return, he was appointed superintendent of the Petersburg & S. C. Weldon railroad, which position he held until 1870, when he resigned and went into the life insurance business at Peters- burg. In 1873 he moved to Norfolk as general agent of the Life Insurance com- pany of Virginia, which position he now holds. the same time was commissioned as regimental commissary, with the rank of captain, serving as such until 1864, when the position was abolished. He served in all the campaigns of the army of northern Virginia, including Gettysburg, and fol- lowing that terrible battle, returned to Camden, N. C., where he remained until 1867, since which time he has resided in Princess Anne county, Va., where he con- tinues to practice to some extent, but devotes the greater part of his attention DR. ROBERT SHIELD PERKINS, to planting. The marriage of Dr. Richard
one of the most eminent physicians of C. Perkins was solmenized, in 1846, to Martha Shield, daughter of Robert Shield,
Norfolk, Va., was born in Gates county, N. C., September 21, 1847, but is a de- of York county, Va., to which union were scendant of one of the oldest and best born two children; Ida May, wife of known families of Virginia. He was ed- William H. Whitehurst, of Princess Anne ucated at Horner's school in Oxford, N.C., Court House, Va., and Dr. R. S. Perkins, and in 1870 entered Hahnemann college, of Norfolk, Va. The paternal grand-
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PERSONAL SKETCHES - STATE OF VIRGINIA.
father of R. S. Perkins, who was born by Gov. Letcher a commissioner to take near Williamsburg, Va., on the James river, was a planter and owned large tracts of land in Warwick county. He married a Miss Whittaker, and by her had four children, as follows: Dr. Alexander Perkins of Ashland, Va .; Dr. Richard C. Perkins of Princess Anne Court House; George Perkins (deceased), and Lucy, (deceased). The doctor has given un- tiring study to the details of his calling and keeps fully abreast with the advances made in the science. He is progressive by nature, quick to avail himself of every improvement in his art, and for several years enjoyed the well earned reputation of being one of the representative medical men of the city in which he resides.
WILLIAM H. PETERS.
Conspicuous among the prominent busi- ness men and representative citizens of Norfolk county is William H. Peters, who was born at Portsmouth, Va., May 12, 1816. He is the son of Henry Peters, who died in 1825, and Martha (Meredith) Peters, whose death occurred in 1841. Mr. Peters attended school at Ports- mouth until he arrived at the age of six- teen years, when he engaged as a clerk in the United States navy yard at Gos- port, where he was employed most of the time as secretary of the commandant of the yard.
cognizance of the public property of the United States, over which Virginia held control, in the neighborhood of Norfolk, including the navy yard at Gosport, and to report thereon to the Confederate gov- ernment. This duty discharged, he was appointed naval storekeeper at the navy yard by President Davis, which position he held until the place was evacuated by the Confederate forces and fell into the hands of the Federal troops, May 10, 1862. With such stores as could be removed he went to Charlotte, N. C., where he re- mained for about a year and a half, and in September, 1863, was assigned naval agent, with headquarters at Wilmington, N. C., his duties being to supervise the steamers fitted out to run the blockade of the Fed- eral government and the purchase and transhipment of cotton for the Confed- erate government account. The difficult and trying duties of this office he dis- charged with singular tact and abillty un- til his headquarters had to be evacuated and the war came to a close. He then re- turned to his native city and again re- sumed the mercantile business there and at Norfolk, in which he was singularly successful. He was chosen president of the Citizens' bank of Norfolk in 1879 and still holds that office. Mr. Peters was joined in marriage, May 16, 1838, with Miss Mary A. Reed, of Portsmouth. They have had three sons and four daughters, as follows: James H., married to Susan Sadler, of North Carolina; Carrie V., wife of Dr. J. B. Williams, of Oxford, N.C .; William R., married Mary Freeman of Portsmouth; Laura B., deceased wife
In June, 1855, Mr. Peters engaged in mercantile business, which he continued up to the withdrawal of Virginia from the Union, when he received the appointment of paymaster of the navy of Virginia and was put in charge of the pay department of the Gosport navy yard. When Virginia of Dr. Edward M. Watts; Mattie R., wife finally joined the Confederacy he was of Judge Legh R. Watts, of Portsmouth; superseded by an appointee of that gov- aud Washington and Mary Peters, un- ernment, but was immediately appointed | married.
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PERSONAL SKETCHES -- STATE OF VIRGINIA.
REV. JOHN DALRYMPLE POWELL,
D. Powell, was the eldest son and married Miss Lucy Peachy Lee of Winchester. Cuthbert Powell, of Llangollen, Loudoun
of Portsmouth, Va., is a descendant from one of the oldest families in Virginia, his ancestors having come from Wales to county, son of Col. Leven Powell, was America over a century and a half prior to born March 4, 1775. He married Miss the Revolutionary war. The name of Pow- Catharine Simms of Alexandria, and rep- ell was Ap Howell until the time of Will- resented the Loudoun district in iam Ap Howell of Bwall (1550), who called the United States congress a number himself - or was called -William Powell. of years.
Alfred Harrison Powell, The family arms consisted of a chevron, of Winchester, the fifth son of Col. imbrued gold, between three spear heads on a black shield. Crest: a boar's head, front face; motto: " Una anima in amicis." A brief record of the career of the Powell family in Virginia is given as follows: Leven Powell, was one of the most brill- iant minds and one of the most successful candidates for political and legal honors. He was engaged in most of the important cases tried before the district court in The Powells of Loudoun county, Va., are descended from the family of Powells in the county of Brecon, in Wales. The first appearance of the name of Powell in Virginia is found in the person of a large Winchester, generally being opposed in counsel to Judge H. St. George Tucker. He represented the Winchester district in the legislature of Virginia and in the Federal congress. He was the father of colonial planter, William Powell, repre-, Admiral Leven Minn Powell, late of the senting James City in the first house of United States navy, and his death took burgesses at Jamestown, July, 1619. Leven place at Winchester from a sudden attack Powell, great-grandfather of Rev. J. D. of apoplexy. William Alexander Powell, Powell, was born in 1737. He married father of Rev. John D., was born in 1798. Sallie Harrison of Chapawamsic, Prince He lived in Loudoun most of his life, and William county. In 1774 he was major was engaged as clerk of the circuit supe- of the battalion of Loudoun county min- rior court and as cashier of the bank of ute men. In 1777 he was appointed lieu- the Valley of Leesburg till after the war tenant colonel of the Sixteenth regiment of the Confederacy, when he removed to of Virginia Continentals. After the Rev- Richmond and resided with his son, Col. olutionary war, in 1788, he was a member D. Lee Powell, till his death in October, of the Virginia convention that ratified 1870. His wife, Mrs. Lucy Peachy Powell, the Federal constitution. In 1798, he was died in 1890 and lies by his side in Holly elected to represent the Loudoun dis- Wood cemetery, Richmond.
trict in the congress of the United States. Rev. John Dalrymple Powell, was born Col. Leven Powell was then in declining in Winchester, Va., August 29, 1828, and was educated in the academy at Lees- burg, Va., whither he went with his pa- rents when a child, and where he lived until he was twenty-two years old, when he entered the Theological seminary at Alexandria, Va., then at the university of
health and died in 1809 at Bedford Springs, Penn., with the firmness of a sol- dier and the resignation of a Christian. Of his six sons, Leven Powell, Jr., was a merchant in Alexandria and died at an early age, leaving a widow and four sons. William Alexander, the father of Rev. J. Virginia, and was educated for the Epis-
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PERSONAL SKETCHES - STATE OF VIRGINIA.
copal ministry. He was ordained deacon wallis. Notwithstanding his multifarious in 1854, and ordained priest in 1855; his duties, professional and political, he ren- first charge was Wickliff parish, Clarke county, Va., where he remained about three years, and then he went to Amherst county, Va., remained one year, and then had a charge in Powhatan county, Va., for ten years; then, in 1868, he located in Portsmouth, Va., and took charge of St. John's parish, where he has since remained. Mr. Powell was married in 1854 to Annie Leake Hepburn, a daughter of John M. Hepburn, of Washington, D. C., and to them were born eight children, of whom five survive, as follows: Lee Richmond Powell, Eloise H., wife of John R. Eoff, of Hampton, Va., Annie D. Powell, Eliza S., wife of John A. C. Groner, of Norfolk, Va., and Wm. A. Powell.
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