The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-06-14
Judge Peters "reminiscences.
Col. A. Z. WooD,
Dear SIR

Dear Sir
AT the age of Sc years, at the re-
quest of yourself and others, begin
to make some memoranda and state
some recollections of dates and events,
and of the men who were principal
actors in these events in my day and
time, and sketch of my family, and a
short outline of my own humble and
Improbable life, which you did me
the honor to say you desired for your
own information and contemplation.
To this / never consented until a
short time since, and after repeated
solicitation to do so by members of
my own profession, to which 1 have
devoted the best, if not the happiest
years of my life, and the members of
which have, at all times, extended to
me satisfactory evidence of their re-
spect and esteem which inspired me
with the courage to persevere in the
effort to win the object sought, and 1
gladly avail myself of this opportun-
ity of making my acknowledge
ments to the members of that noble
profession Of the many favors L have
received from them, shall be held in
grateful recollection while memory
retains its functions.
may refer in the course of this
narrative to some events, and the
actors therein, within my knowl-
edge in rather desultory way,
or, it may be, a mere reference
to some event in some way con-
nected with the matter in hand. L
have been knocked about in the world
enough to have known of different
characters and conditions, and to see
life in various aspects, and have
known many distinguished men,
chiefly in my own State, some of
whom have honored me with their
friendship and confidence but my ca
reer has not been an adventurous one,
and circumstances shut me out from
taking very active part especially in
early life, in public and political af-
fairs. Nevertheless, have passed
through important and excited pc
RODS in the history of our country,
when great political principles were
deemed to be involved, about which
men divided into parties and each
party advocated its side, through it's
orators and writers with animation
and ability, but often not in that
amiable manner and liberation to-
wards each other which the gravity
of the subject demanded, and 1 think
their performances would have had a
greater effect if more urbanity and
dignity had been displayed. In these
days 1 was not, if 1 ever was, an act
i've politician; but I had my own
opinions on these questions, and did
not hesitate to express them in a re-
spectful manner when deemed the
occasion proper one to do so.
Several histories of our State have
been written, some of earlier and
some of later date, and all by those
possessed of greater facilities and adj
vantages than I could command, and
several embracing the period of my
time, and i, therefore, conclude that
1 could add little of interest to what
is already done by those more COM
petent for the work than myself.
Entering on the subject more di-
rectly in hand, was born in the year
1905, in the county of Faquier, in the
State of Virginia, on farm Of about
500 acres, which was owned by my
paternal grandfather, Mr.. John Peters,
who died in 1882, and was at the time
a soldier in the continental army of
the Revolutionary war. Al the time
Of my birth, the place was occupied
by my grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth
Ashby Peters and her youngest son
md child my father, VIM. Peters.
The farm, on the death of his father,
passed to my father and his brother,
Mr.. Lewis Peters, subject, suppose,
o the life estate of their mother. Ny
ather and his mother lived together
IN said farm until the fall of 1909, {
when they left it for Woodford coun- I
y, Ky. They journeyed in three COW a
red wagons, with teams of four, five s
nd six horses respectively. My ia l
her and his mother also bringing Q
hem their saddle horses along with {
hem. The travellers were six whites, e
ny paternal and maternal grand a
lothers, my father and mother and &
lyself, four years old, and sister, l
OF two years of age. My mother and n