Peters, Col. James

  • From Naval and Military Museum: https://navalandmilitarymuseum.org/archives/articles/defending-the-coast/col-james-peters/
  • BIRTH on Sep 1853 at Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada
  • DEATH on 7 May 1927 (aged 73) at Esquimalt, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
  • BURIAL at Veterans Cemetery, Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
  • Loyalist Ancestor: James Peters
  • BIRTH FEB 9, 1746 • Hempstead, New York, USA
  • DEATH JAN. 19, 1820 • Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada
    • Peters had several claims to fame in Canadian history. He was born September 11, 1853 in Saint John, New Brunswick, into a family descended from United Empire Loyalists from New York. He began his military career as a bugler with the 62nd Saint John Fusiliers when active militia were called out in 1870 to defend against a Fenian Raid. He was gazetted as a lieutenant in 1872 and given command of a detachment that was the first artillery to go to Fort Garry.
    • As a captain in the Northwest Rebellion in the spring of 1885, he was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry in command of ‘A’ Battery, Canadian Artillery, in actions at Fish Creek, Duck Lake, Batoche and operations against Chief Big Bear.
    • During that campaign he also provided regular reports as correspondent for the Quebec Morning Chronicle under the pseudonym Foggy.
    • As a capable amateur photographer, he had the special distinction of taking the world’s first war action photographs.
  • Great Grandson of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=6550
  • Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154520583/james-peters