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Delaware County |
Biographies
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Delaware County |
BAXTER, Henry, brigadier-general was born in Sidney Plains, Delaware County, N. Y., Sept. 8, 1821. He received an academic education and in 1849 went to California as captain of a company of thirty men. Early in 1861 he volunteered as a private, raised a company, and was elected its captain, the company afterwards being mustered into the 7th Mich., volunteers. On May 22, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and, while in command of his regiment, at Fredericksburg, led an attack upon a company of Confederate sharpshooters across the river. The sharpshooters were dislodged, but Col. Baxter was shot through the lung. In March, 1863, he was promoted to brigadier-general, and participated in most of the battles of the Army of the Potomac. He distinguished himself at Antietam and in the Wilderness, in both of which contests he was wounded, besides having two horses killed under him at the Wilderness. For gallantry at the Wilderness, Dabney 's mill and Five Forks, he was made brevet major-general of volunteers, April I, 1865. After the war, from 1866 to 1809, he was United States minister to Honduras. He died in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Mich., Dec. 30, 1873. [Source: "The Union Army", Volume VIII, Biographical, Federal Publishing Co., 1908. - Transcribed for Genealogy Trails by Linda Rodriguez]
PECK
COUPLE AT 86 WEDDED 63 YEARS
Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Peck of Delaware County, are to Celebrate One of the pleasures of life is to see and admire the beautiful as represented in old age, and, when we see a couple hale, hearty and happy at the age of eighty-six years, and about to celebrate their sixty-third wedding anniversary, surrounded by children and grandchildren well may we say their life has been successful, and the couple are distinguished citizens. Such is the record of Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester G. Peck, whom the Times-Press representative lately had the pleasure of meeting at their home in Granton, Delaware county. Mr. Peck was born in Manless, Chenango county, May 22, 1825, is the only one living of seven children, the average age of the sixth at death, having been 72 years. They were William, Phebe, Orange, Polly, Samuel and Emma, all of whom lived and died in Delaware county. Mrs. Peck is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Dibble, and was born in Cortright, Delaware county, October 12, 1824. She was married to David W. Foster at Cannonsville, in 1842. Mr. Foster died in 1843, leaving a son, George D. Foster, who was a veteran of the Civil War, who died in Binghamton, in 1907, leaving a widow, Dolly Owens, of Cannonsville, and two sons, Willis and Fred, and a grandson, Ray, son of Fred. Mr. and Mrs. Peck were married at Cannonsville, Delaware county, May 18, 1848, and there had five children: Robert, who died in 1881; Emma, who died in 1882; Charles A., Willis G. and Horace G. Charles A. married Harriett Wakeman. They have four children: Vesey. Robert, Anna and Hildred. Charles has a very productive farm which joins his father’s. Willis G. married Ada Grant, of Granton. Willis is also a well-to-do farmer and has land joining that of his father. Horace G. Peck married Alice Loveless of Granton. They have four children: Abel, Kennon, June and Mildred. Horace is one of the best known farmers in Delaware county, having over 200 acres: an extensive maple bush, with an equipment costing over $500, from which he annually produces over 200 gallons of syrup, and about 200 pounds of sugar. Mr. Peck makes the syrup and sugar under a practical and scientific principle and never allows the syrup to weigh over eleven pounds to the gallon. At this weight the syrup does not sugar and will always remain in excellent condition. Horace also has a fine herd of Jersey cows and there may be a better cow-dog than Dash, a collie, but we doubt it. At the word, “cows,” Dash will start after the animals and going through the fields for a half mile will drive home every cow. At one exhibition of his intelligence he was told to bring the cows and leave the calves in the pasture. He did so and when the calves attempted to follow the cows he without any command drove them back. Mr. Peck, Sr. has been a member of the M.E. Church at Cannonsville 70 years and Mrs. Peck, a member of the Baptist Church, Cannonsville since 1843. Mr. and Mrs. Peck have lived on the present farm for 47 years; have always been active in church work and are so beloved by their neighbors that many never fail to call daily and several always present the dear old folks with beautiful flowers.
[Source: Middletown Daily Times-Press. Monday, August 29, 1910 Middletown, New York]
STEELE, Frederick, major-general, was born at Delhi, Delaware county, N. Y., Jan. 14, 1819. He graduated at West Point in 1843, was assigned to the 2nd infantry, served through the war with Mexico and was twice brevetted for gallantry at Contreras and Chapultepec. In 1849 he was sent to California; from 1853 to i860 his duty was in the Northwest. He was commissioned captain in Feb., 1855, major in May, 1861, colonel of the 8th Ia. infantry in Sept, 1861, brigadier-general of volunteers in Jan., 1862, and major-general of volunteers in Nov., 1862. During the first year of the war he had command of a brigade in Missouri and took part in the battles of Dug springs and Wilson's creek. In 1862 he was at the head of a division in the Army of the Southwest and as stated above was promoted major-general of volunteers on Nov. 29. He led the 15th army corps in the Yazoo expedition and the capture of Arkansas post in Jan., 1863; was transferred to the 15th corps, engaged in the Vicksburg campaign, bore a part at Chickasaw bayou and in the taking of Fort Hindman, and in the summer was made lieutenant-colonel and brevet colonel in the regular army. His division was sent to Helena, Ark., in July and took possession of Little Rock on Sept. 10. After some months in command of the Department of Arkansas he was sent to the aid of Gen. Canby in the reduction of Mobile early in the winter of 1864. In 1865 he was brevetted brigadier- and major-general, U. S. A., sent to Texas and thence to the command of the Department of the Columbia. He became colonel of the 20th infantry in July, 1866, remained in the volunteer service until March, 1867, and died at San Mateo, Cal., Jan. 12, 1868.
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