James Stevens Peck (December 6, 1838 – May 28, 1884) was a Vermont attorney and military leader who served in the 13th and 17th Vermont Infantry Regiments during the American Civil War and as Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard.
Early life James S. Peck was born in Montpelier, Vermont, on December 6, 1838. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1860, and studied law with Lucius Benedict Peck and Stoddard B. Colby.William Adams, Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889, 1889, page 112
Civil War In 1862 Peck was commissioned a second lieutenant in Company I, 13th Vermont Infantry. He rose to the post of regimental adjutant, and took part in the regiment's combat actions, including the Battle of Gettysburg.Powell, Officers of the Army and Navy, page 183
After the 13th Vermont was mustered out, Peck joined the 17th Vermont as adjutant with the rank of major. He was commended for bravery at Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, and mustered out with the regiment in 1865.Abby Maria Hemenway, editor, The History of the Town of Montpelier, Including that of the Town of East Montpelier, 1882, page 520
Career In 1866 Peck was admitted to the bar and established a law practice in Montpelier.William Adams, Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1889, page 112
From 1866 to 1880 he served as a member of the city's volunteer fire department.Erik S. Hinckley and Tom Ledoux, They Went to War: A Biographical Register of the Green Mountain State in the Civil War, 2010, page 174
A Republican, from 1868 to 1872 he served as assistant secretary of the Vermont Senate, and from 1869 to 1880 Peck was Assistant United States Attorney for Vermont.New York Times, Organization of the Vermont Legislature, October 9, 1868United States Department of Justice, Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States, 1877, page 78
In 1881 Peck was appointed Postmaster in Montpelier, a position he held until his death.University of Vermont Alumni Association, University of Vermont Obituary Record, Volume 1, 1895, pages 123-124
Continued military service Peck served as assistant adjutant general and inspector general of the Vermont National Guard with the rank of brigadier general from 1868 to 1872, during the tenure of Adjutant General William Wells. Peck succeeded Wells and served as adjutant general from 1872 to 1881.William Henry Powell, Officers of the Army and Navy (Volunteer) who Served in the Civil War, 1893, page 185
He was an original member of the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers. Peck was the society's secretary from 1866 to 1882, and president from 1882 until his death.Reunion Society of Vermont Officers, Proceedings of the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers, Volume 1, 1885, page 471
Death and burial Peck was in poor health for several years as a result of his wartime service, and he nearly died twice from pulmonary hemorrhages. He died while vacationing at Loon Lake, New York, on May 28, 1884. Peck is buried at Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier.Hinckley, Ledoux, They Went to War, page 174New York Star, Star Almanac for 1885, 1884, page 53
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