James Peters, First West Virginia Infantry, Civil War

JAMES PETERS.

BAR

History of the Pan-Handle, West Virginia
Compiled and written by J. H. Newton, G. C. Nichols, and A. G. Sprankle, 1879; page 278.

James Peters, is a nailor at the Belmont mills, and son of the late James Peters, of Ireland, who came to America with his family in 1846. The old gentleman first landed in Philadelphia, and being a practical soap manufacturer, he commenced there in his trade. Succeeding in his business for three years, he next made for Wheeling, where he arrived in 1849. Here he took contracts for roads and buildings up to the time of his death, in July, 1852. James, Jr., the subject of our sketch, was born in Ireland, in 1842, and first went to work at the Belmont mills in 1854. Here he remained till September, 1861, when he volunteered into the first Virginia infantry, under Captain W. Morgan, serving three years, three months and seventeen days. He fortunately escaped without serious injury, though once being taken prisoner and spending three months in Libby prison, Belle Island. On his return home, he became a baggage master on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, from March, 1864, to September, 1867. He then went back to the Belmont mill as a feeder, but subsequently became a nailor, which position he still occupies. He is, and has been since its organization in 1872, president of the Nail city boat club, with the exception of one year, and was elected this year, a member of the City council. He was married in 1877, to Hannah J., eldest daughter of Rual Wray, a prominent farmer of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, by whom he has one child, a daughter.