Westfield in the Civil War: the Edwin Peck Collection

Civil War statue WESTFIELD Edwin L. PeckEDWIN L. PECK N.C. map BATTLES Carte-de-Visite of young girl Civil War Collection

Edwin L. Peck,

the son of Captain Noah Peck- a former officer of the State Militia from Rehoboth, Mass.-was born in Seekonk, Mass. on February 10, 1839. In 1859, he attended Westfield Normal School, graduating in 1860. When he was 25, he joined the 27th Infantry F. Co. in Newport News on November 1863, serving with others from Westfield-Lucius Thayer, John Fowler. Edwin came back to live in Westfield after the war and held a reunion for 14 surviving members of his company at his house on King Street in 1897. He is buried in Pine Hill Cemetary.

Although we don't know much about Peck personally, the picture of girl above,has the following inscription on the back: "This Evangeline has accompanied me thus following service Campaign of 1863 in N.C. hence to Norfolk Va & Yorktown Bermuda Hundred-Cobb's Hill Battles at Port Walthall Junction Amorfield Church-Drewry's Bluff-thence White House Landing and this battle at Gaines Farm & Cold Harbor 5 days fight on the Appromattox near Peatersburg-Battle at Kinston, N.C. March 8|85 and capture of Entire 27 Regt thence to Libby Prison when the foul hands of rebels allowed me to retain it. It has been on my person almost constantly since the 4th of July 1863 when it was purchased in N.Y. City E.L.P."

scrapbook page of illustraions

Peck created this scrapbook from a journal published in January of 1887 and edited by L. W. Peck-titled "The Montana Wool Grower." It is unkown when or where the illustrations were published that he pasted into these twenty pages.