Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York; honor-<br />
ary member <strong>of</strong> Company K, First Regiment,<br />
<strong>Connecticut</strong> State Militia; member<br />
<strong>of</strong> Company B, Twenty-second Regiment<br />
Volunteers, War <strong>of</strong> the Rebellion, 1862<br />
and 1863; honorary member <strong>of</strong> Old Guard,<br />
Washington, D. C, July, 1890. He was<br />
the first one <strong>of</strong> five young men who orig-<br />
inated the Wide Awake Torch Light<br />
Marching Campaign Club for the elec-<br />
tion <strong>of</strong> W. A. Buckingham, Governor,<br />
February 25, i860. The enthusiasm cre-<br />
ated extended all over the State, resulted<br />
in his election, and in the fall clubs were<br />
formed in all the northern States, creating<br />
great enthusiasm in the campaign and<br />
election <strong>of</strong> Abraham Lincoln, President.<br />
He served as colonel on staff at the<br />
inauguration <strong>of</strong> Presidents McKinley and<br />
Roosevelt, March 4, 1897, and also <strong>of</strong><br />
Roosevelt and Fairbanks at Washington,<br />
D. C, March 4, 1901.<br />
Mr. Yergason married Emeline B.<br />
Moseley, daughter <strong>of</strong> D. B. Moseley, <strong>of</strong><br />
Hartford, and they were the parents <strong>of</strong><br />
two daughters, and a son, Robert M., who<br />
is a physician with the rank <strong>of</strong> captain in<br />
the United States Army, <strong>of</strong> the World<br />
War.<br />
PECK, Austin Lemuel,<br />
Business Man.<br />
Since 1887 a resident <strong>of</strong> Hartford and<br />
prominent in the business life <strong>of</strong> his<br />
adopted city, Mr. Peck, as treasurer <strong>of</strong><br />
the Andrews & Peck Company, is also<br />
well and favorably known throughout the<br />
State as an able business man, especially<br />
prominent in the lumber trade. He is a<br />
son <strong>of</strong> Zalmon S. Peck, <strong>of</strong> Newton, Con-<br />
necticut, and a descendant <strong>of</strong> Joseph<br />
Peck, <strong>of</strong> Milford, <strong>Connecticut</strong>, the American<br />
ancestor <strong>of</strong> his branch <strong>of</strong> the Peck<br />
family.<br />
Joseph Peck, first <strong>of</strong> New Haven, set-<br />
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY<br />
163<br />
tled in Milford, about 1649, becoming a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the church there in 1652. He<br />
died in 1700-01. From Joseph Peck the<br />
line <strong>of</strong> descent is through his son, Joseph<br />
(2) Peck, <strong>of</strong> Milford ; his son, Ephraim<br />
Peck, <strong>of</strong> Newtown; his son, Henry Peck,<br />
<strong>of</strong> Newtown, a soldier <strong>of</strong> the Revolution,<br />
who died in 1812; his son, Ezekiel Peck,<br />
a soldier <strong>of</strong> the War <strong>of</strong> 1812, whose tomb-<br />
stone and those <strong>of</strong> his father, grandfather<br />
and great-grandfather, are standing in<br />
perfect condition in the family burial plot<br />
in Newtown Cemetery ; his son, Zalmon<br />
S. Peck, <strong>of</strong> Newtown; his son, Austin L.<br />
Peck, <strong>of</strong> further mention.<br />
Zalmon S. Peck, son <strong>of</strong> Ezekiel and<br />
Betsey (Briscoe) Peck, was born at New-<br />
town, <strong>Connecticut</strong>, May 22, 1812, died<br />
1904, having reached the extreme age <strong>of</strong><br />
ninety-two years. During his active years<br />
he was one <strong>of</strong> the prominent public men<br />
<strong>of</strong> his community, serving during the<br />
Civil War as enrolling and drafting <strong>of</strong>fi-<br />
cer, and for twenty-six years was post-<br />
master <strong>of</strong> Newtown, first appointed during<br />
President Lincoln's first term. These<br />
were years <strong>of</strong> continuous service with the<br />
exception <strong>of</strong> two years (1867-69) under<br />
the Johnson administration, when he was<br />
out <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice. Time dealt lightly with<br />
him, and even when nearly a nona-<br />
genarian he was remarkably well pre-<br />
served, an active and interesting conver-<br />
sationalist. He married, in 1833, Polly<br />
J. Lum, who died in 1898. Their children<br />
were : Sarah A., deceased ; Henry S.,<br />
died August, 1913, in Waterbury, <strong>Connecticut</strong>;<br />
Austin L., <strong>of</strong> further mention;<br />
Mary F., widow <strong>of</strong> Colonel R. S. Chevis,<br />
<strong>of</strong> Zenith, Georgia.<br />
Austin L. Peck was born in Newtown,<br />
<strong>Connecticut</strong>, June 3, 1844, now treasurer<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Andrews & Peck Company, Hart-<br />
ford, <strong>Connecticut</strong>. He was educated in the<br />
public schools and Newtown Academy,<br />
leaving the Academy walls to enlist in