Peebles, L. P.


HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS DESCRIPTIVE OF ITS SCENERY,
AND

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.

Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia 1879

Page 99

L. P. PEEBLES.

The subject of the following sketch was to the "manor born". He first saw the light of day in Chesterfield township, Macoupin county, July 13th, 1836. His father, Jesse Peebles, was a native of Camden, South Carolina. The Peebles were of English ancestry. Jesse Peebles emigrated to Illinois, an settled in Chesterfield township in 1834, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1864. He was a farmer and a local minister in the Methodist organization. He was married to Margaret Reeder. She was a native of Tennessee. She died in 1840. There are six children who have survived the parents, five boys and one girl. The subject of our sketch worked upon the farm and attended the country schools, and received therein such an education as the school system of those days afforded. He remained at home until 1861, when he spent the following winter in the office of William A. Grimshaw, of Pittsfield, Illinois, reading law with a view of adopting that profession as the business of his life. He remained there until the summer of 1862, when he returned home. The war being in progress, and being imbued with a love of country, he, with commendable zeal, raised a company of soldiers in Chesterfield and Brighton townships, and tendered them to the government. They were accepted, and were mustered in as company "D" 122d regiment, Ills. vols. Mr. Peebles was elected captain of the company. The regiment rendezvoused at Camp Palmer for a short time, when they were ordered to Trenton, in west Tennessee, where they reported for duty, and were attached to and became a part of the sixteenth army corps, General Dodge commanding. The regiment received its first baptism of fire at Parkers' cross roads, which occurred Dec. 31st, 1862. After skirmishing with Forrest, the command to which the 122d regiment was attached, were driven back to Trenton. In the latter part of February, 1863, they were ordered to Corinth, Miss. From Corinth the command was ordered out on Town creek to keep the rebels employed and make a diversion in favor of Gen. Straight, who was raiding in the enemy's country, and who was subsequently captured with all his forces. The command returned to Corinth, and in April went out to Saulsbury, and during the summer guarded the Memphis and Charleston railroad. In the fall they went to Eastport, Miss., where the regiment guarded the depot and supplies. A short time afterwards the regiment came up to Paducah, Ky., and from there a part of the regiment came to Cairo, where they did police duty until the next summer. In the summer of 1864 the regiment was reunited and went to Memphis, where they again became a part of the sixteenth army corps, under the command of General A. J. Smith. The command engaged in raids, and had several severe skirmishes, and were actively employed all that summer. In the fall of 1864 they came up the river and stopped at Jefferson Barracks, and from there the command went in pursuit of Gen. Price. That campaign lasted forty days. The command came to St. Louis, and from there was ordered to Nashville, where they joined the army under Gen. George H. Thomas, and with them participated in the battle with Hood's army, and, after three days of hard fighting, routed his forces. The command went then to Eastport, Tenn., and from there to New Orleans, then to Mobile, and assisted in the siege and capture of that place. The regiment and portion of the command went up to Montgomery, Ala., and from there came back to Mobile, where the regiment was mustered out. They came up to Springfield, Illinois, where they were discharged in August of 1865. After his return home, Captain Peebles entered Judge Welch's law office and resumed his reading of law, and in December of 1867 was admitted to practice. After his admission he returned to the farm, and there remained until 1868, when he was appointed deputy sheriff under S. B. Wilcox. He served through Mr. Wilcox's administration, when he formed a law partnership with R. C. Smalley and continued the practice until 1872, when the death of sheriff Fishback took place, and he took charge of the sheriff's office and remained in it until the end of the term. He also acted as office deputy for sheriff Pennington until the fall of 1873, when he was elected county judge. He served four years, when he was again nominated and elected without opposition. On the 18th of March, 1869, he was united in married to Miss Sarah E. Odell. She is a native of Macoupin county. Two children, a boy and a girl, are the fruits of the union. In politics Judge Peebles is a democrat, and cast his first vote for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. In manners, Judge Peebles is a pleasant, affable gentleman, quiet and unobtrusive, but one who gives you genuine pleasure to meet. His popularity and worth as a man in the county and home of his birth is best attested by his election without opposition to the office he now holds.
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