Peyton Wyatt Pettiss

He was a common and preparatory student at Centenary College in Jackson, LA 1852-55 and a Freshman there 1856-57. On 28 May 1861, by then an unmarried 21 year old clerk in New Orleans, he enlisted as Private in the 3rd Company, Battalion of Washington Artillery in New Orleans. He had dark hair, gray eyes, fair complexion, and was 5 feet 9 inches tall. He was listed as absent without leave in January and February 1862 but returned to the battery. He was probably promoted to Corporal before the Maryland Campaign.

He was wounded in action on 17 September 1862 at Sharpsburg.

He rejoined the battery on 29 March 1863 after recovering from his wound. He was promoted to Sergeant on 1 August 1864. He was furloughed in January 1865 and was captured at Pass Manchac, LA in May 1865.

By 1885 he was a cotton-weigher in New Orleans.

Service information from Booth1. Details from family genealogists. Centenary College information from the Catalogue of the Officers and Students for 1852-3, 1854-55, 1856-57. His occupation from an 1885 New Orleans City Directory. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Ella Jefferies/Jefferis Moore (1843-1911) about 1865 and they had 7 children.

01/24/1840; East Feliciana, LA

03/08/1890; New Orleans, LA; burial in Masonic Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, LA