U.S. Customs Inspector Peleg Palmer was assigned to the Port of Stonington, Connecticut. On February 17, 1811, the Customs Surveyor of the Port ordered Inspector Palmer and his boat driver to board a ship anchored in Stonington Harbor to conduct a duty inspection. Inspector Palmer and the boat driver boarded a small open vessel and proceeded in the direction of the anchored ship. A sudden snowstorm drove them out to sea and exposed both to the elements. Inspector Palmer succumbed to his injuries from the freezing temperature. The boat driver suffered severe injuries on his hands but was able to navigate back to shore.
Inspector Palmer was a native of Stonington, Connecticut, where his family resided for five generations. Inspector Palmer was survived by his wife and five children.