Captain C. A. Peltier

Captain C.A. Peltier was born December 25, 1829, at Detroit, where he has always lived. He has had a wide experience in marine work, and in the different branches of that occupation he has acquired an extensive knowledge, and is known as a thoroughly competent shipmaster. His career has been exceedingly fortunate, he never having suffered shipwreck, thus winning credit for himself and profit for his employers.

After attending school until his twelfth year, he shipped in the schooner Swan, Captain Berkley, and there acted as cook three months. Upon leaving this boat he went on the Two Brothers, owned by Larned Bros. of Sandusky, and acted as cook until the close of the season. The next year he went as mate on the scow Petrel, owned at Lexington, Mich., and then went with Captain Stringleman, on the brig Crispin, after which he went with the same captain to the brig Shakespeare, where he remained several years, finally becoming mate. He then went on the Nucleus, and remained on her as second mate two seasons, with Captain Stringleman, after which he entered the employ of Nicholas & Whitcomb, of Detroit. They had recently purchased the brig Shakespeare, and to it he returned as mate, remaining throughout one season. In 1854 he took command of the Crevolia, and sailed her three seasons, after which he went on the brig Roscius, and remained two seasons in her employ; but the boat being purchased by William Brewster of Chicago, he was retained as master, and sailed her until 1867. He then came to Detroit and entered Whitacre's employ, going on the Concord one season, after which he sailed the Petrel for five years, when he next superintended the building of the B. W. Jenness and brought her out new, remaining on her nineteen years as master. After two years on the steambarge Michigan, he sailed the Germania five years, for McLaren & Sprague, of Toledo, Ohio, and for five years was in the employ of E. E. Koch, of the same city. He brought out the J. B. Ketcham, and then went on the E. S. Tice, of Bay City, owned by McCormick Bros., remaining two seasons. He then spent the season of 1895 on the steam barge Saginaw, that being his last boat and his last sailing, the Captain having died April 29, 1898.

On March 26, 1856, he was married to Miss Philomine Corbin, of Detroit, a sister of Capt. J. L. Corbin, a well-known lake master. Captain and Mrs. Peltier had seven children, and out of the seven but the four mentioned below are living: Mary Olive, who married B. St. James, of Ann Arbor; Mary Angeline, who married F. Lingeman, of Detroit; Adolphus J., a physician, of Detroit, who married Miss Rose Siereiter; and Mary Hattie, who still resides at her father's home, No. 790 Monroe avenue, Detroit. Mary Philomena, the oldest child, died when but a babe of three months; and Albert J. and Mary Lillie, the two youngest, died at the age of four and two months, respectively.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.