Library of Virginia Dictionary of Virginia Biography CARTER, Peter Jacob (29 May 1845–19 In November 1871, with votes from July 1886), member of the House of many of the Eastern Shore's freedpeople, Delegates, was born into slavery in the town Carter won election as a Republican to of Eastville, in Northampton County. His Northampton County's seat in the House of parents were named Jacob and Peggie. Delegates. His opponent unsuccessfully According to family tradition, his father, contested the election. Carter was appointed whose surname was probably Carter, was to the Committees of Agriculture and the son of Pierre De Carte, a free native of Mining and on Retrenchment and Economy. West Africa, and an enslaved Virginia He won reelection three times, and his eight- woman. Carter, a younger brother and sister, year tenure was one of the longest among and their mother belonged to Calvin H. nineteenth-century African American Read, a schoolteacher who may have taught members of the General Assembly. He held Carter to read. By 1858 Read had moved to the same committee assignments until his Baltimore. To repay $1,000 he had last term, when he was named to the borrowed from his wife's separate estate, he Committee on Claims and the Committee on deeded to her on 5 December 1860 Carter, Militia and Police. Carter introduced bills two of his siblings, and their mother, all dealing with such local concerns as taxes on enumerated in the deed as residing in oysters and boundaries of election precincts, Northampton County. and he attempted to correct abuse of In November 1861 Union troops prisoners in the state penitentiary, improve occupied the Eastern Shore and held the area care of black deaf-mutes, and provide for the remainder of the Civil War. Carter housing for the aged or afflicted poor in escaped from slavery, and on 30 October Richmond. He sought to amend antebellum 1863 in Eastville he enlisted in Company B laws pertaining to juries and criminal laws of the 10th Regiment United States Colored that discriminated between blacks and Infantry. Arrested for mutiny early in whites. Carter's bill to incorporate the February 1864 and imprisoned at Camp Northampton Land Association, of which Hamilton, he was released on 22 May after several black leaders were members, passed the charges were withdrawn and then in March 1875. returned to duty with his regiment at A fine speaker and formidable presence, Bermuda Hundred. Carter served with the Carter quickly emerged as one of the leading quartermaster department from September African American members of the assembly. through December 1865 and then on In 1872 he joined a delegation that met with detached duty with the Bureau of Refugees, President Ulysses S. Grant to solicit support Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands from of the civil rights bill pending in Congress. January through April 1866. He mustered At the Republican State Convention that met out on 17 May 1866 at Galveston, Texas. in Lynchburg on 29 July 1873, Carter was a Carter settled in Franktown, in sergeant at arms and a vice president, and he Northampton County, and from 1869 to won election to the state committee. 1871 attended the Hampton Normal and Newspapers believed him the likely choice Agricultural Institute (later Hampton for a place on the state ticket, should white University). By 10 February 1873 he had leaders decide to nominate an African married Georgianna Mapp. They had one American. daughter and three sons, one of whom died On 19 August 1875 about a hundred in childhood. black delegates from more than forty counties and cities assembled in Richmond Library of Virginia Dictionary of Virginia Biography in response to a call from African American state debt, he believed that Virginia should legislators. Carter served on the Committees honor its full obligation. In December 1875 on Address and on Resolutions and also was he voted with the assembly minority for sergeant at arms. He acted as temporary Williams Carter Wickham, a former chair and employed his gavel frequently Confederate general and a Funder during intense debates over education, jobs, Republican, for the United States Senate. On party organization, and other issues. He 7 February 1878 Carter proposed raising introduced a resolution calling for the taxes to pay off the debt. Acknowledging replacement of the state superintendent of that the cost would be passed along to his education, and he and another delegate own constituents, he declared, "In every way nearly came to fisticuffs while arguing about it is plain the working man—the Virginia the state debt. Carter was appointed to a negro—pays the additional tax. I belong to committee on labor unions, and after the that toiling race. I am a poor man; but like convention adjourned the committee elected my brethren, who will feel a higher tax him treasurer of the short-lived statewide keenly, I am ready to raise the rate and Laboring Men's Mechanics' Union preserve the honor of the old Association, with proposed headquarters in Commonwealth." Two days later he was the Richmond. only Republican to vote against the so-called During Carter's eight years in the Barbour bill that some regarded as a prelude General Assembly, the most divisive to partial repudiation. Carter did not vote on political issue was payment of Virginia's 24 March 1879 when the assembly passed a antebellum debt. The Funding Act passed in bill to pay the debt in full but at a reduced March 1871 committed the state to payment rate of interest. As a Richmond newspaper of the full principal and interest, but observed, Carter was "no less a curiosity inadequate revenue required the assembly than a colored Funder and the only one of on 15 December of that year to suspend his race in Virginia who has ever voted in payment temporarily. Carter voted for the Legislature for an increase of taxation to suspension. On 5 January 1872 he voted meet the indebtedness of the with the majority in support of a joint Commonwealth." resolution to discontinue the issuance of Carter was temporary chair of the bonds for funding the public debt. Carter Republican State Convention that met in joined the majority on 2 March 1872 in Lynchburg in April 1876 and that named overriding the governor's veto and passing a him a delegate to the national convention. In bill that prohibited using coupons to pay September of that year he attended the First taxes and debts, thereby repealing a key Congressional District convention in provision of the Funding Act. Many white Fredericksburg. Carter won reelection to the Republicans supported full funding, but General Assembly in 1877, but before the many black Republicans, who with other next election Conservatives created a whites came to be called Readjusters, flotorial district consisting of Accomack and opposed raising taxes for that purpose and Northampton Counties in hope of defeating feared that the new public school system him. He did not seek reelection from the would be endangered if money were gerrymandered district in 1879. Instead, diverted from education to debt service. Carter campaigned for the seat in the Senate Although Carter represented an area that of Virginia representing those two counties had not benefited from the expenditures on but lost by a margin of 1,224 votes out of internal improvements that had created the 2,964 cast. Even out of office, Carter Library of Virginia Dictionary of Virginia Biography remained the predominant black leader on Danville and subsequently drafted a set of the Eastern Shore. He controlled the grievances. county's federal patronage and enjoyed the Early in 1884 Carter served on the state income from his federal job as lighthouse Republican Central Committee and in April keeper at Cherrystone Inlet. In April 1880 he attended the Readjuster-Coalition state was once again elected temporary chair of convention, which dropped the name the Republican State Convention, sat on its Readjuster and proclaimed itself the Committee on Resolutions, and in June Republican Party of Virginia. He was a chaired the Virginia delegation to the party's member of the Committee on General national convention. Business. Carter also sat on the Committee The Readjuster leader, Senator William on Business during the 1885 state Mahone, formed an alliance with national Republican convention. During the ensuing Republican leaders in 1881 and received a campaign he reported attempts by share of the state's federal patronage. Democrats to bribe him and to bribe and Heavily courted by Mahone, Carter left the deceive other black voters. declining Republican Party, embraced Carter's political importance earned him coalition with the Readjusters, and was appointment to the board of the new president of a committee to reconcile Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute mainstream and Readjuster Republicans. (later Virginia State University), and at the The Republicans failed to name a ticket for initial meeting on 15 February 1883 the the next election, and Carter, though called a other members elected him rector. He served traitor and accused of taking a bribe, worked for about two years. When not engaged in tirelessly for Readjuster candidates. In public life, Carter farmed the 150 acres that November the party captured both houses of he owned near Franktown. He also owned the legislature and the governorship. As a several other smaller parcels of land. For a reward, the Senate of Virginia elected Carter time he was a merchant and also served as a doorkeeper on 7 December 1881. justice of the peace. Carter chaired the 1882 First On 28 November 1882 his wife died, Congressional District Readjuster and on 17 July 1884 Carter married Maggie convention that nominated Robert Murphy F.