George Peter (politician, born 1779)

George Peter (September 28, 1779 – June 22, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from Maryland.

George Peter
U.S. Representative from Maryland
In office 1816–1819
Preceded by	Alexander Contee Hanson
Succeeded by	Henry Ridgely Warfield
In office 1825–1827
Preceded by	Henry Ridgely Warfield
Succeeded by	George Corbin Washington
Personal details
Born	September 28, 1779 Georgetown, Maryland (now in Washington, D.C.)
Died	June 22, 1861 (aged 81) Darnestown, Maryland
Occupation	Politician

Biography

Born in Georgetown, Maryland (now in Washington, D.C.), Peter pursued classical studies and graduated from Georgetown College. At the age of fifteen, Peter joined the Maryland troops in the campaign against the Whisky Insurrectionists in 1794, but at the request of his parents, was sent home.

Peter was commissioned in the United States Army by President John Adams, at the request of George Washington,[1] as a second lieutenant in the Ninth Infantry in July 1799. He was transferred to the artillery in February 1801. In 1806 he was in command of Fort Bellefontaine when the Lewis and Clark Expedition[2] returned. In May 1808, Peter was promoted to captain and organized and commanded the first company of light artillery in the country. He resigned from the Army on June 11, 1809, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He later served as a major of volunteers in the War of 1812.

Peter was elected as a Federalist to the Fourteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alexander C. Hanson. He was reelected as a Federalist to the Fifteenth Congress and served from October 7, 1816, to March 3, 1819. Afterwards, Peter served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1819 to 1823.

Peter was elected as a Jacksonian to the Nineteenth Congress, and served from March 4, 1825 to March 3, 1827. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1826 to the Twentieth Congress, and resumed agricultural activities. He served as commissioner of public works of Maryland in 1855, and later retired to his plantation. He died near Darnestown, Maryland, and is interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown.

Peter was married a total of 3 times; his first wife was the daughter of Thomas Plater, also a Maryland congressman.[3] His son George Peter stepped in his footsteps and became a member and president of the Maryland State Senate.

References

2. Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
3. Find a Grave

• "Peter family of Maryland". PoliticalGraveyard.com.

• United States Congress. "George Peter (id: P000250)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.