George R. Peacock Sr. & Mary (Mason) Peacock

The "PEACOCK IOWA PIONEERS HOMEPAGE" begins with " George and Mary." George and Mary were from England. They had a son named James who was born in Yorkshire, England on June 6, 1826. They came to the United States in 1830. They spent time in Philadelphia, PA, where they had a daughter Ruth b. 1831, a son Edmund b. 1836 and a daughter Mary b. 1837. Then they moved to Dubuque Co., IA about 1838. They lived in an area south of the city of Dubuque called Rockdale Township at a place referred to as "Dirty Hollow". (We assume that some sort of Lead Smelting or Slaughter House activities may have taken place there.) While living in this area, the final three children were born, Anne b. 1839, Thomas J. b. 1843 and George Jr. b. 1844. The 1850 census shows George Sr.'s occupation as merchant and cattleman. In 1850 their son James married Rossana Comber and in 1851 their daughter Ruth married Jonathan Crawshaw.

Some time in April 1857, mother Mary (Mason) Peacock died and was buried at the Rockdale Methodist Church Cemetery. It was after this time that George Sr. moved to unsettled territory up in Allamakee County, IA in Paint Creek Township, near Rossville and Waterville, IA. He operated a sawmill at Waterville and raised cattle on his property. He was apparently into land speculation at the time and bought and sold properties to arriving immigrants. His youngest sons Thomas (Tim) and George Jr. worked at the sawmill for him. In the summer of 1861, George Sr. died, but we do not know for certain where he is buried. (SEE NOTE 2 For Speculation on George's Probable Burial Site).

In the spring of 1862 with the Civil War cranking up, Thomas and George Jr. enlisted into the US Army at the Hotel in Waterville. They mustered into the US 16th Regulars (Infantry) forming up at McGregor, IA . Ruth, her husband Jonathan and children were living at the homestead. James and his family apparently stayed in the Dubuque area to run a business. George Jr. got some type of camp sickness, and was discharged from the Army in July 1862. Edmund decided to join the 27th Iowa Infantry, and turned over his executorship of his father's probate to a local lawyer. George Jr. re-enlisted in the 9th Iowa Calvary.

By the war's end, Tim had marched along with General Sherman to Atlanta, GA , and then musters out at "Lookout Mountain" Chattanooga, TN at wars end. Edmund's unit fought around Mississippi and Louisiana area. George Jr. unit was located in somewhere in Arkansas. All three brothers were eventually honorably discharged around 1865-66. Up until this time the Allamakee Co. seat was at Lansing, IA and this is where they all seem to have end up.

Edmund married Alzade M. Smith July 8, 1866 in Winneshiek Co, IA after he got out of the Army. His veterans disability records say he spent some time down in DeFuniak Springs, FL for unknown reasons. In his brother Tim's written account of the past, Edmund apparently had the Peacock Family Bible with the traditional birth, death, marriage info. Edmund had two known children, Sammuel and ??. Some of the info about Edmund comes from his veterans disability records. Edmund died around February 1899. He is buried at Dorchester, IA Methodist Cemetery, which is on a hill outside of the town. Alzade remarried to a Ryan Morgan in 1902 and they moved to Forest City, IA.

From recent information (5-17-98) provided by one of Ryan Morgan's decendants, Ryan was born in 1836 in Lee co., IL [near Dixon]and was married first to Amanda Robertson [1839-1891], and then to Alzade. Ryan died in 1914 in Montezuma, IA. Alzade is listed as surviving him in his obit. We don't know much more about Alzade.