Staunton, October 29th, 1892.
To Col. John L. Peyton:
My Dear Colonel—In accordance with the wishes of the bar and people of the county generally, it is the purpose of the county court to place in the Court House, if they can be obtained, portraits of our eminent lawyers of the past. Among the most distinguished of our jurists was your father, Hon. John Howe Peyton, distinguished alike for his varied abilities as a scholar, lawyer and statesman, for the extent of his learning and the purity of his private and public morals. For nearly forty years he displayed his great qualities on this theatre to the admiration and advantage of the public, and I trust you may be able to accede to my request and supply a copy, life size, of his portrait.
I am, very truly, your friend,
John W. Stout,
Judge of Augusta County.
Staunton, October 31st, 1892.
Hon. John W. Stout, Judge of Augusta County:
My Dear Judge—I have had the honor to receive your kind and courteous note asking for a copy of my father's portrait, to be placed in the County Court House, among those of the eminent lawyers of Augusta, and hasten to say in reply that it will give me great pleasure to comply with your request.
I have the honor to be, Judge, with great respect and esteem,
Your friend,
J. L. Peyton.
In accordance with his promise to Judge Stout, Col. Peyton instructed Mr. Edmund Berkeley, of Staunton, to employ an experienced and competent artist of New York City to make, in oil, a portrait of his father. Some delay took place in the matter, as Col. Peyton had promised a portrait of his father to Washington and Lee University, Lexington, which was executed by the same artist and sent to Lexington last year.
In the month of July, 1894, the portrait of Mr. Peyton was finished in New York and expressed to Staunton, where it safely arrived. Col. Peyton duly advised Judge Chalkley, the successor of Judge Stout in the office of County Judge, of the fact and received the following letter from him.