The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-06-24

All About the Pierce Family.

| Pierce, the Father OF General Franklin Pierce
HIS early lfe-he enters the army Of the Rego!ation
he becomes cGptd1g-reEa0gs, to Nete HamP-
sh,re--is appointed Brigade Aetor--.SherF Of
Hills5Orowgh COuHty-elected representa- tiCe-
COUNCILLOR -Governor-retires from public life
dies at hHls5orough-his eharacter-hts naonu-
zneat.
Benjamin Pierce, the father of Gen. franklin
Pierce, the Democratic candidate for President
of the United States, was born at Chelmsford,
town near Lowell, in the Commonwealth of Mas
sachusetts, in 1857 ; and, as he was the son of
farmer, his early life was devoted to agricul-
ture. He was descended from respectable
! Irish family, who originally emigrated, along
with many other Irish emigrants, from London
derry, in the north of Ireland, and settled in
New Londonderry, in New Hampshire. On the
memorable nineteenth of April, 1875, the reyol-
utionary committee Of Boston sent out couriers
in every direction, and one of these messengers
came up TO the door of the farm house, while
young Pierce, then only eighteen years of age,
was plowing in his fathers field and having
delivered brief message, FASTENED on to arouse
! the country TO action. 1t the news of the
| battle of Lexington which the stranger was COM
missioned to proclaim, and which, like trum-
pets voice. reused all the inhabitants of the land.
Young Pierce left the plough, and, shouldering
his musket, proceeded on foot towards Lexing-
ton, where he found, On his arrival, that the
troops had fallen back upon Boston and he
proceeded to Boston, and enlisting as private
| soldier in the army of the revolution, was as
| signed to the regiment commanded by Col Brooks.
In the battle of Bunker Hill, which occurred on
| the 18th of June following, Pierce took part,
and from that time to the close of revolution, he
continued in the service of the country, and fol-
lowed the fortunes of his regiment, fighting
| when it was called into action, and attracting
the notice and winning the commentator of his
superior officers for his gallantry and good con-
duct by which means he rose gradually to the
command of a company, so that at the disband-
ing of the revolutionary army, in 1884, he held
the rank Of captain. The leaders of the revo
luton had been driven, by necessity, to the is
suing of paper money and in that eurr ency,
already depreciating, the troops we've paid off.
Pierce was amongst the sufferers and when he
set out to return to his native village, he found
the continental money which he had received
from Congress so far deprecated, that the whole
amount in his possession, the arrears Of his pay
for eight years of service, would not suffice pur-
chase of farm. lie was obliged, like many
other officers of the revolution, to go into the
Wilderness where lands were cheap, and begin
the cultivation of wild lands. He removed tc
the State of New Hampshire, into the town and
county of TIillsborough, and having made a
clearing, erected a rude habitation, telling the
trees with his axe, and procuring food for sus
tenance with his gun. In that town his son
Franklin Pierce, was born, and there lived un
til he removed to Concord, the capitol of the
State, where he now resides.
] In the autumn of 1856, Gen. John Sullivan
who was then President of New Hampshire, anC
and whose grandson, John Sullivan, is now At
torney General of that State, determined to form
the militia of the county of Hillsborough into
| brigade, and having sought out Benjamin Pierce
commissioned him a brigade major and he
being a veteran soldier, Immediately took tn
necessary steps for the perfect organization ant
discipline of the several regiments. He had al
ready served eight years in the regular army
and he continued for twenty-one years in tn
militia, leaving it finally in the station of bri
gadier general. Gen. Miller and Gen. John NJ
Mel (who was son-in-law of Benjamin Pierce
both of whom served with so much distinction
in the war of 1872, and the latter of whom re
Gently deceased at the city of Washington, botl
belonged, when they were young men, to tn
militia regiment commanded by the father o
the Democratic nominee and it is said tha
several other valuable officers who have distin
guished themselves, have been proud to declar
that they received their first lessons of military
discipline from Gen. Benjamin Pierce, in tn
militia of Hillsborough.
From 1889 to 1902, he was Representative
of the people in the Legislature of the State
and in 1908, was first elected member of tn
Governors council, where he continued 81
years, five of which were passed in the counci
of the celebrated Governor John Langdon Thi
brings us to the year 1909. Soon after tina
time, he was appointed Sheriff of the county
Hillsborough, which office he held till 1913. Il
that year at the June session of the Leglsla
ture a change was made in the Judiciary sys
TEN of the State, which resulted IN abohshln
the Offices of the existing judges, and gave
'e the dominant party opportunity to apponn
u their successors upon the bench. The name
"a the highest court of the State, which had bee
styled the superior Court of Judicature, wa