How in the Sam Hill did this Confederate Major end up as a private in the 6th Alabama Infantry?

Peter H. Larey was one of the sons of Daniel Larey and Maria Hall of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Peter's father, Daniel was a man of wealth and the family appears to have been from Ireland from generations back. from the research I've done it looks like Peter H. Larey was born in 1830 in the Orangeburg District of South Carolina and died in 1911 in Alabama.

The 1850 United States census listed Peter H. Larey in two locations, Orangeburg, South Carolina living in the household of Daniel and Maria and also at the State College in Columbia, South Carolina.

The following was sent to me by the Orangeburg Historical Society: From the News and Courant, 1902 published at Cartersville, Georgia. Major P. H. Larey of this county, whom the People’s party has through a referendum vote nominated for attorney general, has had an interesting career. He was born and reared in Orangeburg county, S. C., graduated at the South Carolina College, Columbia, in 1850, and in law at the same institution in 1852. Soon after graduation he was admitted to the bar and practiced a short time in his native state. He then moved to Georgia and in partnership with Judge J. A. Howard practiced in Cartersville for a number of years.

Also sent to me by the Orangeburg Historical Society was: P. H. Larey, of Orangeburg married Miss Loranie E. Beazly on Wednesday April 11, 1855.

The 1860 United States census listed a P. Lary (But incorrectly identified as P.(A male) Lacy by an ancestry transcriber in my opinion) living in Cass County, Georgia in District number four and born about 1832 and born in South Carolina and living with L.(A female) Lary, born about 1839 in South Carolina. Also listed was a young child of eleven months old. The census reported the nearest Post Office as Cartersville, Georgia. In December of 1861 Cass County was renamed as Bartow County because of the counties namesake Lewis Cass's stance on slavery.

And also of note was the 1860 Unites States Slave Schedule which reported a P. Larey owning one slave who had escaped and was living in District four of Cass County, Georgia.

Next I'd like to divert your attention to Peter H. Larey's Find A Grave Memorial 16176138 which has an obituary of Peter H. Larey. His obituary reads in part Died in Alabama-Former Resident of Orangeburg Major P. H. Larey Dead. New has reached Orangeburg of the death of of Major P. H. Larey who was a native of Orangeburg county, but who moved to Georgia in 1857, and after the war lived in that State and in Alabama. He served throughout the War Between the Sections and was a gallant soldier. Major Larey was 81 years of age when he died. At the time of his death he was residing with his daughter, Mrs. John A. Williams near Piedmont, Alabama. The deceased was an uncle of Mrs. Julius A. Edwards of Elloree and is well known in the older residents of this city and Orangeburg county.

Looking at the Compiled Military Service Records of Peter H. Larey I see him enlisting in Cartersville, Georgia and being elected as a Major in Company E of the 1st Battalion Confederate Infantry.

1st Company E 1st Regiment
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Virginia Crilley
MUSTER ROLL OF 1st COMPANY E, 1st CONFEDERATE REGIMENT INFANTRY, ARMY OF TENNESSEE C. S. A. BARTOW COUNTY, GEORGIA ETOWAH INFANTRY
Originally Co. E, 1st Battn. Confederate Infantry.
Larey, Peter H. Captain March 18, 1861. Elected Major April 4, 1861. Resigned June 8, 1861. Officer
Larey, Samuel C. P. 2d Corporal March 18, 1861. Elected Jr. 2d Lieutenant April 4, 1861. Resigned May 30, 1861. Officer

At this point my knowledge of the PACS and the rules are not up to par. I do believe however that Samuel C. P. Larey was his older brother but had been living in Claiborne Parish in the 1860 census and listed as such under S. C. P. Larry. The above unit seems to have been made up of both Georgia soldiers and Mississippi soldiers and Claiborne Parish is adjacent to the Mississippi border. The Orangeburg Historical Society also alluded to a Samuel P. Larey as one of the sons of Daniel and Maria Hall.

Looking at Samuel C. P. Larey's CMSR's under miscellaneous on page six is a letter from General Bragg in relationship to Special Order number 77 dated May 28th 1861. General Bragg accepts the resignation of Lieutenant Samuel C. P. Larey and orders him back into the ranks as a private.

It may be that when this unit was formed Governor Joseph Brown accepted those officers into service with his State but General Bragg did not recognize his authority? Again my lack of knowledge in this area is lacking. However I do believe that former Lieutenant Samuel C. P. Larey did go to Mississippi and join Company G of the 9th Mississippi Infantry and was wounded at Shiloh and taken to Camp Dennison where he died in 1862 and later reinterred to the Camp Chase Cemetery in 1869 by the agent of the Quartermaster General from the Great Lakes Department. General Judson Bingham to be specific.

General Bragg also accepted the resignation of Major Peter H. Larey in June of 1861 and from looking at his war experience it had nothing to do with his character or ability. According to his CMSR's Private Peter H. Larey then enters the ranks of Company M of the 6th Alabama Infantry and served with his other brother John. Time and time again Peter H. Larey is cited for his gallantry under fire and his leadership and wounded at Malvern Hill in 1862 where he was promoted to a 2nd Lieutenant in the field. He would hold that rank until the end of the war but had acted as a captain at various times. General John B. Gordon even wrote a letter to the War Department telling them he thought that 2nd Lieutenant Peter H. Larey would make an excellent Colonel in an Infantry Regiment. 2nd Lieutenant Peter H. Larey also served on the staff of General Rhodes during the Gettysburg Campaign and again was wounded in action in 1864. 2nd Lieutenant Peter H. Larey was taken prisoner in the last week of the war and taken to Johnson's Island where he was released when the war ended..

In my sole opinion Peter H. Larey was one of the better Confederate 2nd Lieutenants of the entire war. Peter H. Larey would have a son born shortly after the war and named him Stonewall. His son died in 1955.