There is a great deal of confusion in regard to when Peter was born. The confusion is based on a notation of a birth date of 1804 that was written vertically on the form after Peter's signature. The pension document did not request his age or birth date. Hopefully the following information will clarify just when Peter was born.
Census records indicate that Peter was born in Tennessee. He first appears in the 1830 census (the earliest census available in Eastern Tennessee) household of his father, John Pierce, in Claiborne County: 1m –5, 2m 10-15, 1m 50-60, 1f 15-20, 1f 40-50. Thus, as reflected in this census, John's sons are Jacob 1-5 and Peter and Thomas 10-15. The 15 to 20 year old female remains unidentified.
Peter's census, military file and first pension application support the approximate birth year of 1817. It was not until about 1890 that Peter became unclear as to when he was born. His memory was no longer as reliable as it had been when he was younger.
Peter was married twice. His first marriage was to Jane Usher. They were married "at my father's house in Campbell County." His father was in the 1830 census of Claiborne and the 1840 census of Campbell County. Since Peter's first marriage ceremony was held at his father's house in Campbell County, John had moved sometime between 1830 and 1840.
Peter's second marriage was to Margaret Leach in Claiborne County, the county where her family resided. Peter and Margaret are in the 1840 Campbell County census with one child age 1 to 5 years: 1m-5, 1m20-30, 1f20-30. Thomas, their first born, would have 10 brothers and sisters.
The 1850 Campbell County census carried Peter under the name "Pearce." Both Peter and Margaret are 33 years old, making their birth year 1817.
The 1860 census indicates that Peter and Margaret are 44 years old and born in 1817.
The 1870 census indicates that Peter (a widower) is 53 and born in 1817.
In 1880 Peter is living with his daughter Elizabeth. That census indicates Peter was 60 years old and birth in 1820.
In 1900 Peter is living with his daughter Alice. The census indicates his age as 93 and born in 1806. Peter was actually 83 years old at that time.
Hereafter, Peter's birth year pursuant to the age or date stated in any document will follow that age or date in brackets.
Four months after Tennessee declared its secession from the United States, Peter and four of his sons, Thomas, John J., James and Clinton, joined the Union Army. Peter's military record indicates that he enlisted in the army when he was 44 [b. 1816]. Peter mustered in at Barbourville, Kentucky on August 16, 1861 in Capt. Phillips' Co., 1 Reg't East Tenn. Inf., Co. B.
Less than a year later, on April 25, 1862 Peter was captured in Campbell County and charged with bridge burning. He was first sent to a prison in Atlanta, GA. Some of the veterans he served with swore in their affidavits in his pension file that Peter had been in the Andersonville Prison. However, Andersonville was not built until 1864, so he was probably sent to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta which was built before the War, but was being used as a prisoner of war camp. The jail was large enough to serve as a holding area for more than 150 Union prisoners in early 1862. Then on December 3, 1862 Peter was transferred to Castle Thunder Prison, Richmond, VA, which was under the command of the infamous Captain George W. Alexander. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Thunder_(prison).)
In March 1863 Peter was paroled at City Point, VA and reported at Camp Parole, MD later that month, almost a year after his arrest. From there Peter returned to his regiment and mustered out on September 17, 1864 at Nashville, TN.
An interesting link to Castle Thunder with photographs and almost daily newspaper reports regarding the prison during the Civil War: http://www.mdgorman.com/index.html
The fact that Peter was subject to epileptic seizures throughout his life was revealed in his pension applications. For the disability of his first pension application in 1867 when Peter was 51 [b. 1816], he stated that he was subject to mild "fits" before entering the service, but the attacks became more severe and more numerous after his service. His application was denied as his disability was not considered to be related to his service. The Pension Act of 1890 no longer required that the veteran's disability be service related. Peter's pension application at that time went into more detail regarding his disabilities in his application of June 1890 [b. 1801]. In addition to his "rheumatism, injury of head, Injury of both legs, loss of left hand and use of left arm, left side injured by being burned falling in a fire," his "fits" mentioned in his first application now had a name: "Epilepsy."
We don't know when the fall into the fire and subsequent loss of his hand occurred, possibly sometime between his first application in 1867 [1816] and the second one in 1890 [1801]. Peter presumably had a prosthesis similar to the one in the photograph in this memorial, but without the various attachments, just the fork. With his prosthesis came Peter's nickname – Fork.
Margaret died in the fall of 1869. Margaret and Peter had been married approximately 35 years. Peter was left with five children still at home. The 1870 census includes Peter 53 [b. 1817], Robert 17, Elizabeth 15, William 13, Peter 12 and their youngest child, Alice 4.
As stated above, in the 1880 census Peter was 60 [b. 1820] and in 1900 he was 93 [b. 1806]. In both of these census years Peter was living with his daughters. I suspect neither actually knew the year Peter was born or, if they asked him, he simply could not remember his birth. By the time Peter applied the second time for a pension in 1890 he could absolutely not remember dates. The family Bible had been destroyed, so he could not refer to it for answers to some of the questions. In his second application a request was made for his personal description at the time he enlisted, including his age, and Peter responded: "My discharge is on file at Washington and for this description I refer to my original pension claim No. 128,335 because my memory is defective . . . " He repeatedly stated in documents in his second application that they should refer to his earlier application.
The last document in Peter's pension file is entitled "Pensioner Dropped," date stamped February 28, 1903 and addressed to The Commissioner of Pensions. "SIR: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $12-, to 4 Aug, 1902 has been dropped because of death." Peter was approximately 85 years old. He was living in Civil District 8 in the 1900 Campbell County where he died in 1902. In fact, Peter Pierce lived in Campbell County, per the census, from 1840 to 1900. In 1830 he was living in the household of his father in Claiborne County. He was possibly born in Claiborne County but there is no documentation to prove that.
(Bio by Janet )
© 2013 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
© 2019 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
Census records indicate that Peter was born in Tennessee. He first appears in the 1830 census (the earliest census available in Eastern Tennessee) household of his father, John Pierce, in Claiborne County: 1m –5, 2m 10-15, 1m 50-60, 1f 15-20, 1f 40-50. Thus, as reflected in this census, John's sons are Jacob 1-5 and Peter and Thomas 10-15. The 15 to 20 year old female remains unidentified.
Peter's census, military file and first pension application support the approximate birth year of 1817. It was not until about 1890 that Peter became unclear as to when he was born. His memory was no longer as reliable as it had been when he was younger.
Peter was married twice. His first marriage was to Jane Usher. They were married "at my father's house in Campbell County." His father was in the 1830 census of Claiborne and the 1840 census of Campbell County. Since Peter's first marriage ceremony was held at his father's house in Campbell County, John had moved sometime between 1830 and 1840.
Peter's second marriage was to Margaret Leach in Claiborne County, the county where her family resided. Peter and Margaret are in the 1840 Campbell County census with one child age 1 to 5 years: 1m-5, 1m20-30, 1f20-30. Thomas, their first born, would have 10 brothers and sisters.
The 1850 Campbell County census carried Peter under the name "Pearce." Both Peter and Margaret are 33 years old, making their birth year 1817.
The 1860 census indicates that Peter and Margaret are 44 years old and born in 1817.
The 1870 census indicates that Peter (a widower) is 53 and born in 1817.
In 1880 Peter is living with his daughter Elizabeth. That census indicates Peter was 60 years old and birth in 1820.
In 1900 Peter is living with his daughter Alice. The census indicates his age as 93 and born in 1806. Peter was actually 83 years old at that time.
Hereafter, Peter's birth year pursuant to the age or date stated in any document will follow that age or date in brackets.
Four months after Tennessee declared its secession from the United States, Peter and four of his sons, Thomas, John J., James and Clinton, joined the Union Army. Peter's military record indicates that he enlisted in the army when he was 44 [b. 1816]. Peter mustered in at Barbourville, Kentucky on August 16, 1861 in Capt. Phillips' Co., 1 Reg't East Tenn. Inf., Co. B.
Less than a year later, on April 25, 1862 Peter was captured in Campbell County and charged with bridge burning. He was first sent to a prison in Atlanta, GA. Some of the veterans he served with swore in their affidavits in his pension file that Peter had been in the Andersonville Prison. However, Andersonville was not built until 1864, so he was probably sent to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta which was built before the War, but was being used as a prisoner of war camp. The jail was large enough to serve as a holding area for more than 150 Union prisoners in early 1862. Then on December 3, 1862 Peter was transferred to Castle Thunder Prison, Richmond, VA, which was under the command of the infamous Captain George W. Alexander. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Thunder_(prison).)
In March 1863 Peter was paroled at City Point, VA and reported at Camp Parole, MD later that month, almost a year after his arrest. From there Peter returned to his regiment and mustered out on September 17, 1864 at Nashville, TN.
An interesting link to Castle Thunder with photographs and almost daily newspaper reports regarding the prison during the Civil War: http://www.mdgorman.com/index.html
The fact that Peter was subject to epileptic seizures throughout his life was revealed in his pension applications. For the disability of his first pension application in 1867 when Peter was 51 [b. 1816], he stated that he was subject to mild "fits" before entering the service, but the attacks became more severe and more numerous after his service. His application was denied as his disability was not considered to be related to his service. The Pension Act of 1890 no longer required that the veteran's disability be service related. Peter's pension application at that time went into more detail regarding his disabilities in his application of June 1890 [b. 1801]. In addition to his "rheumatism, injury of head, Injury of both legs, loss of left hand and use of left arm, left side injured by being burned falling in a fire," his "fits" mentioned in his first application now had a name: "Epilepsy."
We don't know when the fall into the fire and subsequent loss of his hand occurred, possibly sometime between his first application in 1867 [1816] and the second one in 1890 [1801]. Peter presumably had a prosthesis similar to the one in the photograph in this memorial, but without the various attachments, just the fork. With his prosthesis came Peter's nickname – Fork.
Margaret died in the fall of 1869. Margaret and Peter had been married approximately 35 years. Peter was left with five children still at home. The 1870 census includes Peter 53 [b. 1817], Robert 17, Elizabeth 15, William 13, Peter 12 and their youngest child, Alice 4.
As stated above, in the 1880 census Peter was 60 [b. 1820] and in 1900 he was 93 [b. 1806]. In both of these census years Peter was living with his daughters. I suspect neither actually knew the year Peter was born or, if they asked him, he simply could not remember his birth. By the time Peter applied the second time for a pension in 1890 he could absolutely not remember dates. The family Bible had been destroyed, so he could not refer to it for answers to some of the questions. In his second application a request was made for his personal description at the time he enlisted, including his age, and Peter responded: "My discharge is on file at Washington and for this description I refer to my original pension claim No. 128,335 because my memory is defective . . . " He repeatedly stated in documents in his second application that they should refer to his earlier application.
The last document in Peter's pension file is entitled "Pensioner Dropped," date stamped February 28, 1903 and addressed to The Commissioner of Pensions. "SIR: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $12-, to 4 Aug, 1902 has been dropped because of death." Peter was approximately 85 years old. He was living in Civil District 8 in the 1900 Campbell County where he died in 1902. In fact, Peter Pierce lived in Campbell County, per the census, from 1840 to 1900. In 1830 he was living in the household of his father in Claiborne County. He was possibly born in Claiborne County but there is no documentation to prove that.
(Bio by Janet )
© 2013 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
© 2019 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
There is a great deal of confusion in regard to when Peter was born. The confusion is based on a notation of a birth date of 1804 that was written vertically on the form after Peter's signature. The pension document did not request his age or birth date. Hopefully the following information will clarify just when Peter was born.
Census records indicate that Peter was born in Tennessee. He first appears in the 1830 census (the earliest census available in Eastern Tennessee) household of his father, John Pierce, in Claiborne County: 1m –5, 2m 10-15, 1m 50-60, 1f 15-20, 1f 40-50. Thus, as reflected in this census, John's sons are Jacob 1-5 and Peter and Thomas 10-15. The 15 to 20 year old female remains unidentified.
Peter's census, military file and first pension application support the approximate birth year of 1817. It was not until about 1890 that Peter became unclear as to when he was born. His memory was no longer as reliable as it had been when he was younger.
Peter was married twice. His first marriage was to Jane Usher. They were married "at my father's house in Campbell County." His father was in the 1830 census of Claiborne and the 1840 census of Campbell County. Since Peter's first marriage ceremony was held at his father's house in Campbell County, John had moved sometime between 1830 and 1840.
Peter's second marriage was to Margaret Leach in Claiborne County, the county where her family resided. Peter and Margaret are in the 1840 Campbell County census with one child age 1 to 5 years: 1m-5, 1m20-30, 1f20-30. Thomas, their first born, would have 10 brothers and sisters.
The 1850 Campbell County census carried Peter under the name "Pearce." Both Peter and Margaret are 33 years old, making their birth year 1817.
The 1860 census indicates that Peter and Margaret are 44 years old and born in 1817.
The 1870 census indicates that Peter (a widower) is 53 and born in 1817.
In 1880 Peter is living with his daughter Elizabeth. That census indicates Peter was 60 years old and birth in 1820.
In 1900 Peter is living with his daughter Alice. The census indicates his age as 93 and born in 1806. Peter was actually 83 years old at that time.
Hereafter, Peter's birth year pursuant to the age or date stated in any document will follow that age or date in brackets.
Four months after Tennessee declared its secession from the United States, Peter and four of his sons, Thomas, John J., James and Clinton, joined the Union Army. Peter's military record indicates that he enlisted in the army when he was 44 [b. 1816]. Peter mustered in at Barbourville, Kentucky on August 16, 1861 in Capt. Phillips' Co., 1 Reg't East Tenn. Inf., Co. B.
Less than a year later, on April 25, 1862 Peter was captured in Campbell County and charged with bridge burning. He was first sent to a prison in Atlanta, GA. Some of the veterans he served with swore in their affidavits in his pension file that Peter had been in the Andersonville Prison. However, Andersonville was not built until 1864, so he was probably sent to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta which was built before the War, but was being used as a prisoner of war camp. The jail was large enough to serve as a holding area for more than 150 Union prisoners in early 1862. Then on December 3, 1862 Peter was transferred to Castle Thunder Prison, Richmond, VA, which was under the command of the infamous Captain George W. Alexander. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Thunder_(prison).)
In March 1863 Peter was paroled at City Point, VA and reported at Camp Parole, MD later that month, almost a year after his arrest. From there Peter returned to his regiment and mustered out on September 17, 1864 at Nashville, TN.
An interesting link to Castle Thunder with photographs and almost daily newspaper reports regarding the prison during the Civil War: http://www.mdgorman.com/index.html
The fact that Peter was subject to epileptic seizures throughout his life was revealed in his pension applications. For the disability of his first pension application in 1867 when Peter was 51 [b. 1816], he stated that he was subject to mild "fits" before entering the service, but the attacks became more severe and more numerous after his service. His application was denied as his disability was not considered to be related to his service. The Pension Act of 1890 no longer required that the veteran's disability be service related. Peter's pension application at that time went into more detail regarding his disabilities in his application of June 1890 [b. 1801]. In addition to his "rheumatism, injury of head, Injury of both legs, loss of left hand and use of left arm, left side injured by being burned falling in a fire," his "fits" mentioned in his first application now had a name: "Epilepsy."
We don't know when the fall into the fire and subsequent loss of his hand occurred, possibly sometime between his first application in 1867 [1816] and the second one in 1890 [1801]. Peter presumably had a prosthesis similar to the one in the photograph in this memorial, but without the various attachments, just the fork. With his prosthesis came Peter's nickname – Fork.
Margaret died in the fall of 1869. Margaret and Peter had been married approximately 35 years. Peter was left with five children still at home. The 1870 census includes Peter 53 [b. 1817], Robert 17, Elizabeth 15, William 13, Peter 12 and their youngest child, Alice 4.
As stated above, in the 1880 census Peter was 60 [b. 1820] and in 1900 he was 93 [b. 1806]. In both of these census years Peter was living with his daughters. I suspect neither actually knew the year Peter was born or, if they asked him, he simply could not remember his birth. By the time Peter applied the second time for a pension in 1890 he could absolutely not remember dates. The family Bible had been destroyed, so he could not refer to it for answers to some of the questions. In his second application a request was made for his personal description at the time he enlisted, including his age, and Peter responded: "My discharge is on file at Washington and for this description I refer to my original pension claim No. 128,335 because my memory is defective . . . " He repeatedly stated in documents in his second application that they should refer to his earlier application.
The last document in Peter's pension file is entitled "Pensioner Dropped," date stamped February 28, 1903 and addressed to The Commissioner of Pensions. "SIR: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $12-, to 4 Aug, 1902 has been dropped because of death." Peter was approximately 85 years old. He was living in Civil District 8 in the 1900 Campbell County where he died in 1902. In fact, Peter Pierce lived in Campbell County, per the census, from 1840 to 1900. In 1830 he was living in the household of his father in Claiborne County. He was possibly born in Claiborne County but there is no documentation to prove that.
(Bio by Janet )
© 2013 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
© 2019 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
Census records indicate that Peter was born in Tennessee. He first appears in the 1830 census (the earliest census available in Eastern Tennessee) household of his father, John Pierce, in Claiborne County: 1m –5, 2m 10-15, 1m 50-60, 1f 15-20, 1f 40-50. Thus, as reflected in this census, John's sons are Jacob 1-5 and Peter and Thomas 10-15. The 15 to 20 year old female remains unidentified.
Peter's census, military file and first pension application support the approximate birth year of 1817. It was not until about 1890 that Peter became unclear as to when he was born. His memory was no longer as reliable as it had been when he was younger.
Peter was married twice. His first marriage was to Jane Usher. They were married "at my father's house in Campbell County." His father was in the 1830 census of Claiborne and the 1840 census of Campbell County. Since Peter's first marriage ceremony was held at his father's house in Campbell County, John had moved sometime between 1830 and 1840.
Peter's second marriage was to Margaret Leach in Claiborne County, the county where her family resided. Peter and Margaret are in the 1840 Campbell County census with one child age 1 to 5 years: 1m-5, 1m20-30, 1f20-30. Thomas, their first born, would have 10 brothers and sisters.
The 1850 Campbell County census carried Peter under the name "Pearce." Both Peter and Margaret are 33 years old, making their birth year 1817.
The 1860 census indicates that Peter and Margaret are 44 years old and born in 1817.
The 1870 census indicates that Peter (a widower) is 53 and born in 1817.
In 1880 Peter is living with his daughter Elizabeth. That census indicates Peter was 60 years old and birth in 1820.
In 1900 Peter is living with his daughter Alice. The census indicates his age as 93 and born in 1806. Peter was actually 83 years old at that time.
Hereafter, Peter's birth year pursuant to the age or date stated in any document will follow that age or date in brackets.
Four months after Tennessee declared its secession from the United States, Peter and four of his sons, Thomas, John J., James and Clinton, joined the Union Army. Peter's military record indicates that he enlisted in the army when he was 44 [b. 1816]. Peter mustered in at Barbourville, Kentucky on August 16, 1861 in Capt. Phillips' Co., 1 Reg't East Tenn. Inf., Co. B.
Less than a year later, on April 25, 1862 Peter was captured in Campbell County and charged with bridge burning. He was first sent to a prison in Atlanta, GA. Some of the veterans he served with swore in their affidavits in his pension file that Peter had been in the Andersonville Prison. However, Andersonville was not built until 1864, so he was probably sent to Fulton County Jail in Atlanta which was built before the War, but was being used as a prisoner of war camp. The jail was large enough to serve as a holding area for more than 150 Union prisoners in early 1862. Then on December 3, 1862 Peter was transferred to Castle Thunder Prison, Richmond, VA, which was under the command of the infamous Captain George W. Alexander. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Thunder_(prison).)
In March 1863 Peter was paroled at City Point, VA and reported at Camp Parole, MD later that month, almost a year after his arrest. From there Peter returned to his regiment and mustered out on September 17, 1864 at Nashville, TN.
An interesting link to Castle Thunder with photographs and almost daily newspaper reports regarding the prison during the Civil War: http://www.mdgorman.com/index.html
The fact that Peter was subject to epileptic seizures throughout his life was revealed in his pension applications. For the disability of his first pension application in 1867 when Peter was 51 [b. 1816], he stated that he was subject to mild "fits" before entering the service, but the attacks became more severe and more numerous after his service. His application was denied as his disability was not considered to be related to his service. The Pension Act of 1890 no longer required that the veteran's disability be service related. Peter's pension application at that time went into more detail regarding his disabilities in his application of June 1890 [b. 1801]. In addition to his "rheumatism, injury of head, Injury of both legs, loss of left hand and use of left arm, left side injured by being burned falling in a fire," his "fits" mentioned in his first application now had a name: "Epilepsy."
We don't know when the fall into the fire and subsequent loss of his hand occurred, possibly sometime between his first application in 1867 [1816] and the second one in 1890 [1801]. Peter presumably had a prosthesis similar to the one in the photograph in this memorial, but without the various attachments, just the fork. With his prosthesis came Peter's nickname – Fork.
Margaret died in the fall of 1869. Margaret and Peter had been married approximately 35 years. Peter was left with five children still at home. The 1870 census includes Peter 53 [b. 1817], Robert 17, Elizabeth 15, William 13, Peter 12 and their youngest child, Alice 4.
As stated above, in the 1880 census Peter was 60 [b. 1820] and in 1900 he was 93 [b. 1806]. In both of these census years Peter was living with his daughters. I suspect neither actually knew the year Peter was born or, if they asked him, he simply could not remember his birth. By the time Peter applied the second time for a pension in 1890 he could absolutely not remember dates. The family Bible had been destroyed, so he could not refer to it for answers to some of the questions. In his second application a request was made for his personal description at the time he enlisted, including his age, and Peter responded: "My discharge is on file at Washington and for this description I refer to my original pension claim No. 128,335 because my memory is defective . . . " He repeatedly stated in documents in his second application that they should refer to his earlier application.
The last document in Peter's pension file is entitled "Pensioner Dropped," date stamped February 28, 1903 and addressed to The Commissioner of Pensions. "SIR: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $12-, to 4 Aug, 1902 has been dropped because of death." Peter was approximately 85 years old. He was living in Civil District 8 in the 1900 Campbell County where he died in 1902. In fact, Peter Pierce lived in Campbell County, per the census, from 1840 to 1900. In 1830 he was living in the household of his father in Claiborne County. He was possibly born in Claiborne County but there is no documentation to prove that.
(Bio by Janet )
© 2013 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
© 2019 Janet on Find A Grave, Memorial 7886486.
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