| PEACHERS
The PEACHERS were another colorful and interesting family. WILLIAM PEACHER, SR [cir 1744 - bet 1819], 3rd great grandfather of ELIZA JANE, the first of the name in America, is in Orange deeds by 1764, and FRANCES is named as his wife by 1765. She was listed as deceased in Dec 1834. There are speculations and family traditions about FRANCES� last name and the country of origin of the family but no proof of any has been found. The name is also listed as PECHER, PITCHER, PEECHER. WILLIAM served in the Revolution, and from the many deeds, tax lists he was evidently a prosperous man. Both WILLIAM SR�S sons WILLIAM JR. and JONATHAN were ELIZA J�S 2nd great grandfathers. WILLIAM JR [cir 17721828] married SARAH FRANCES COLEMAN [1783-1830], and they stayed in Orange Co, VA, and from property listed, seemed to be people of means. Their daughter, SARAH WIGGLESWORTH PEACHER [1811-1883] married JONATHAN and ELIZABETH�S son PETER PEACHER [1802-1872], who became JANIE�S great grandparents. JONATHAN [cir 1765-cir 1830], a son of WILLIAM and FRANCES, went to Kentucky from Virginia with his wife, ELIZABETH MASON, [1775-1850] and at least some of his children. Family rumors say that he and his brother REUBEN were eventually hanged for stealing horses. It is questioned as to why he did this, as the family were well off, but horses at that time represented prestige in Lafayette and Woodford Cos. where he lived. Accounts verify the conviction but indicate he went to prison. County Clerk Court Order Book #2, Fayette County, KY, �Examination of JONATHAN PEACHER, laborer, late of Fayette County, charged with having on April 23, 1808, feloniously taking and leading away from the possession of WILLIAM HENSON one dark bay mare of the value of $70, the propertly of said HENSON. ... The prisoner was brought to the bar in the custody of the jailer and pled not guilty. Witnesses were examined and the prisoner heard in his own defense, and the Court was of the opinion that he was guilty, and ordered that he be remanded to jail to await trial at the next Circuit Court. ... MAY 6, 1808, Examination of JONATHAN PEACHER, laboror, late of Fayette County, charged with feloniously on April 6, 1808 in the night, taking and leading away from the possession of THOMAS NUTTALL one bay horse of the value of $100, the property of the said NUTTALL. ... The prisoner was brought to the bar in the custody of the jailor and pled not guilty. Sundry witnesses were heard and the prisoner in his own defense, and the Court was of the opinion that he was guilty and that he be remanded to jail to await trail at the next Circuit Court. ... NEWSPAPER AD IN THE KENTUCKY GAZZETTE FAYETTE CIRCUIT COURT JUNE TERM 1808 JONATHAN PITCHER, was found guilty of horse stealing on two indictments, for the first he was sentenced to four years and six months confinement, and the second to three years. THOS. BODLEY, C.F.C.C. We do not know what happened after JONATHAN got our of jail but know that PETER and SARAH PEACHER, according to one of SARAH�S obituaries, went to Lexington, then Trenton, Kentucky from Virginia. They brought his mother with them to Tennessee. A review of Montgomery Co. deeds tell the story of PETER PEACHER. He appears often in the deed books buying and selling property and slaves. He owned extensive property, farms, lots in the town of Clarksville, land in several counties and 2 mills. His first appearance was in June 1833. In 1834 PETER took over Red River Forge and made it a flour mill, then added a woolen mill later. Both Mills were on West Fork Creek. Peacher's Mill was on the Big West Fork of the Red River, 8 miles from Clarksville. The town of Peacher�s Mill was never incorporated but had a post office and PETER was the Postmaster. He and JAMES DARDEN, father of his daughter-in-law, were Commissioners for the Port Royal Turnpike. "Peacher's Mill" is now a section of Clarksville and a subdivision. Steve Watson reported that the mill was built by his ggg-grandfather around 1815. He says parts of the old mills can still be found if one knows where to look. There are two houses that have large stoneworks in their backyards. One person has built a deck on top of one of the stoneworks and has a picnic table on top of it. The other person has a kind of campground for their kids around the other. Across the river, there is another large stonework. These upstream stoneworks, which are on both sides of the river, are the remains of the old damn, which was made of stone and wood.� PETER continued very prosperous for some time. In Sept. 1859 PETER �for the love & affection I entertain for my son in Law B A KEESEE and his wife CORNELIA R. KEESEE� deeded a parcel fronting the Public Square in Clarksville with buildings. In the spring of 1860 his fortune took a turn for the worse, and he had to put all of his belongings into the hands of his son-in-law B O KEESEE; every item was enumerated, a count of livestock, barrel staves, farming utensils, etc., stock in the Memphis Clarksville & Louisville Rail Road Co., Turnpike stock, slaves, etc. He was overextended and could not meet his debts. In 1861 what he had left to gift to �Mrs. ISABELLA H. PEACHER wife of my son CORNELIUS E. PEACHER� was household furniture plus some live stock. In 1865 he got the mill and some property back but only as trustee for his wife and 2 children at home. The fact that they were first cousins had tragic consequences for PETER and SARAH. Of the 16 children they had 10 died in infancy; 3 died before age 20. CORNELIUS, JANIE�S grandfather, died at 45 and his brother WILLIAM at 54. Their sister CORNELIA was the only long lived one, living until she was 84. |
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| Peachers Mill |
| Capt. Cornelius Elder Peacher from a shattered glass photo |
| CAPT. CORNELIUS ELDER PEACHER [1832-1877], ELIZA JANE�S grandfather, probably enlisted in the Confederate Army about 1861, as the grant from his father was to his wife and not to him. Before that in the 1860 census he is listed as a �tobacconist� with real estate valued at $4500. DAVID EUGENE STEGER, ELIZA J�S nephew, reported to JAMES ROBERT POOLE, EJ�s son-in-law, in 1958 and 1959 that he read in Confederate Annals of Tennessee found in the library of Austin Peay College, that ELDER PEACHER was a member of Col. THOMAS G. WOODWARD�S Regiment, 49th TN, Company E, Montgomery Co. He joined in 1861.The officers of the 49th were taken prisoners with their defeat at Ft. Donelson 16 Feb. 1862. They were exchanged about Aug. 1862. Supposedly a Journal kept by the Federal Army Sergeant in-charge of prisoners shows that he was captured and held prisoner in the old Bank of America building in Clarksville on 19 Nov. 1863. |
| The Roster of Confederate Soldiers lists C. E. as being a Capt. in the Kentucky 2nd Cavalry, Co. F [Woodards]. The Civil War web page lists CORNELIUS E PEACHER 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, Confederate, Co. F, Rank in and out Capt. The below letter recorded in the War of the Rebellion, names Capt. C E PEACHER .
Richmond, March 25, 1865 HON J C BRECKINRIDGE, Secretary of War: Sir: I have the honor to inclose a copy of a letter which I have written to BRIG. GEN. JOHN E MULFORD, assistant U S agent of exchange. [Letter of 22 Mar, p. 421] I have conversed with the nine officers referred to (MAJ. DE WITT C DOUGLASS, CAPT. THOMAS W ELLIOTT, CAPT. FRANK B GURLEY, CAPT. THOMAS B JORDAN, CAPT. WILLIAM H MOORE, CAPT. C. E. PEACHER, CAPT. A. W. RAY, LIEUT. ROBERT Y. BRIDGES, and LIEUT. S. W. COOLEY), and they confirm the statements made in the letter. They allege that the only charge against the condemned was that they were guerillas or were recruiting within what the Federals called their lines. In most of the cases the former was the charge. No notification of proceedings against them was ever given by the federal authorities. In fact, the enemy seems to have moved as secretly as possible. I think it very doubtful whether GENERAL MULFORD will be authorized to make any answer to my communication. I have taken the liberty of informing you of these matters at this time that such steps may be taken as you deem proper, either now or after a reasonable time has been given for reply. Respectfully, your obedient servant, R. O. OULD, Agent of Exchange. When VIRGINIA B SHOLAR was a child and spent time with her grandmother, JENNIE PEACHER STEGER, she played with C.E.'s uniform, being especially fond of the golden epaulets. Her grandmother would tell her stories of the Civil War and how frightened they were. The family buried the silver under a plank in the smoke house, so it could not be found. They would all hide when the Yankees came through, marching in front of the house. Little is known of C.E. after the war. In 1869 a deed shows him selling tobacco, and an inventory of his estate lists real and personal estate received from his brother, PETER, JR, valued at $7-800. C E�s wife, ISABELLA HART DARDEN [1830-1911] was the daughter of JAMES DARDEN [1799-1869] and LUCINDA BAKER CARR [1808-1891]. JAMES came to Tennessee with his mother and sister in 1816. ISABELLA lived 34 years after her husband�s passing. The furniture received from her father-in-law came in very handy as she established a boarding house in Clarksville, TN, to support her family. It was when EDWIN EUGENE STEGER [1859-1939], JANIE�S father, boarded there, that he met JANIE�S mother, VIRGINIA DARDEN PEACHER [1856-1951]. |