William R. Peck

William Raine Peck
William Raine Peck
Nickname(s)	Big Peck
Born	(1818-01-31)January 31, 1818 Jefferson County, Tennessee
Died	January 22, 1871(1871-01-22) (aged 52) near Milliken's Bend, Louisiana
Place of burial	Westview Cemetery Jefferson City, Tennessee
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–65
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	American Civil War

William Raine Peck (January 31, 1818 – January 22, 1871) was a wealthy American planter, politician, and soldier who served as a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. The final commander of the famed Louisiana Tigers, Peck was among the largest Civil War generals, standing 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 330 pounds.

Peck was born in rural Mossy Creek in Jefferson County, Tennessee. His family relocated to Louisiana in the 1840s. As a young adult, he bought a plantation across the Mississippi River from Vicksburg, Mississippi. He prospered and purchased additional land and farms, and eventually became one of the region's wealthiest citizens. He constructed a sprawling mansion, "The Mountain," in Madison Parish not far from the village of Milliken's Bend.

Peck represented Madison Parish for several years in the Louisiana State Legislature. A firebrand secessionist and advocate of states' rights, Peck was a signatory to the Louisiana Ordinance of Secession in January 1861.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Peck, despite his wealth and political connections, enlisted as a private in the 9th Louisiana Infantry on July 7, 1861. After training at Camp Moore in Louisiana, Peck and his fellow soldiers in the regiment were sent to Virginia, arriving too late for any significant participation in the First Battle of Manassas.