Peter Hawkins Larey

Son of prosperous planter Daniel Larey, of Orangeburg, in 1850 Peter was a 21 year old student at South Carolina College at Columbia. He moved to Georgia in 1857 and by 1860 was practicing law in Cartersville, GA. He enrolled there on 18 March 1861 and was commissioned Captain of Company E, First Battalion (5 companies) Georgia Infantry. He was promoted to Major on 4 April but was court-martialed at Pensacola, FL on 2 June, charge not found, and resigned his commission on 8 June (the unit reorganized as part of the 36th Georgia Infantry Regiment in October 1861, re-named First Confederate Infantry in January 1862).

He enlisted again, on 26 July 1861 at Manassas Junction, VA and mustered as a Private in Company E (renamed M) of the 6th Alabama Infantry, joining his brother Henry (c. 1834-died wounds June 1862). He was appointed 3rd (or Junior 2nd) Lieutenant, date not found.

In his after-action report, General D H Hill wrote he was "especially deserving notice for [his] gallantry" in Maryland. He was wounded in action at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He was furloughed home by November. He was in action with his company at Gettysburg, PA in July 1863, and was wounded again, in July 1864, place not given. He was afterward on furlough to at least September 1864. He was recommended for promotion to Captain of Company I on 21 March 1865, but it's not clear if he was commissioned at that rank. He was captured at Petersburg, VA on 2 April 1865, sent to the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC, then on to Johnson's Island near Sandusky, OH on 9 April. He took an oath of allegiance to the United States there on 18 June 1865 and was released.

In 1870 he was a farmer at Rome in Floyd County, GA and by 1880 was a schoolteacher there. By 1900 he was retired at Emerson in Bartow County, GA.

His service from the State of Alabama,1 his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3, and Henderson.3 Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860-1900. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Lorraine Elizabeth "Lula" Beazley (1838-1885) in April 1855 and they had at least 4 children. He married again, the widow Kittie Puckett DeWeese (1848-1934) in July 1887.

In September 1863 he was recommended and in November applied to the Secretary of War for one of the vacant field officer vacancies (Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major) in the 36th GA Infantry/First Confederate Infantry Regiment. In early 1864 he asked his congressman for help in obtaining such an appointment or a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th Alabama. Neither of these happened.

02/08/1830; Orangeburg District, SC

08/22/1911; Cherokee County, AL; burial in Mountain Springs Cemetery, Tecumseh, AL