Early Life of Dr. George Peters
Very little is known about Peters’ early life and childhood. Records indicate that he was born in the early 1820s, and he reportedly grew up in the South, possibly in Tennessee or Alabama. He eventually became a physician, though the specifics of his education and training are not widely available. He married Jesse Helen Kissack who became Jessie Peters.
She was significantly younger than him and evidence suggests the two were married due to George’s desire to acquire land held by Jessie’s family. He would protect and take care of her as a husband in exchange for use of the land and, if he lived long enough, owning it when she inherited it.
Career of Dr. Peters
Dr. George Peters began his career as a physician, working in small towns and rural areas across the South. At the outbreak of the American Civil War in April of 1861, he joined the Confederate army as a medical officer.
He was reportedly assigned to General Earl Van Dorn’s staff, where he may have served as the general’s personal physician some of the time. Other physicians often saw to his duties since he was also a state legislator for Tennessee and traveled often for meetings and as part of his responsibilities.
The Assassination of General Van Dorn
In May of 1863, General Van Dorn was assassinated while in his office in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The killer was identified as Dr. George Peters, who fled the scene of the crime but was taken into custody in the following 48 hours after being chased down by confederate soldiers.
The reasons behind Peters’ decision to kill General Van Dorn remain unclear to this day. Most accounts suggest that Peters was motivated by personal animosity towards Van Dorn for the affair that he continued with his wife, while others believe that he may have been driven by political or ideological motivations.
The fact that the federal government granted Peters $3 million dollars worth of land following his assasination of General Van Dorn added to suspicions that he acted at the request of the Union (especially General Ulysses S. Grant who suffered his first ever defeat at the hands of Van Dorn) who wanted to eliminate a mutual enemy. These details have contributed to the Van Dorn conspiracy theory.
Despite the limited information available about Peters’ motivations, the killing of General Van Dorn had a significant impact on the Confederate army. Van Dorn was a respected military leader and a close friend of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. His death was a major blow to the Confederate cause, and it contributed to the growing feeling of despair and defeat that was spreading throughout the South.
Trial and Aftermath
Peters was tried but not convicted of murder, which caused many to suspect that the Federal government had intervened to protect Peters from conviction.
Despite the brevity of his life and the limited information available about him, Dr. George Peters remains a fascinating figure in American Civil War history. He was a man of mystery, driven by motives that are only partially known to this day. His actions had a profound impact on the outcome of the American Civil War, and his legacy continues to be remembered and studied by historians and scholars alike.
Conclusion
The life of Dr. George Peters may be only little known, but it was also significant and continues to be examined and discussed to this day. He was a physician, a Confederate soldier, a state legislator, and a murderer who might have been a traitor to the Confederacy. His actions had a lasting impact on the outcome of the American Civil War and upon many lives.
Despite the limited information available about his background and motivations, Dr. Peters remains an intriguing figure, whose story serves as a reminder of the complexities and contradictions of American history and the Civil War itself.