Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-06-30
Interesting Biographical Sketches.
GOVERNOR BENJAMIN PIERCE. ,,

setts in 1857; and he was the son OF Iariiler'
his early life was devoted to agriculture. lie was
descended from a respectable Irish family VINO OIL
o;nallv erlgrated along with many other irlsn EN-
iorants from Londonderry IN the north Oh 1Gh'i'u'
and settled in New Londonderry, in New lamp
shire. On the memorable 10Th OF April, lIio'
the revolutionary committee of Boston sent out
couriers in every direction, and one OF these mess
engers came up to the door OF the farm mouse
while Young Pierc, then only eighteen years OF
age, was ploughng in his fathers field ana nav
ing delivered brief message, hastened OH 20
arouse the country to action 1t was tne ile"s y,
the battle of Lexington which the stranger Was
commissioned TO proclaim and which, like truln-
nets voice reused all the inhabitants OF the l'no'
Yonno Pierce left the pillow, and shouldernS MS
musket proceeded on foot towards LeAilS I0n;
where he found ON his arrival, that the troops had
fallen back upon Boston, and enllstng as private
soldier in the Army of the Revolution, was aSsSneo
TO the regiment commanded by Col. BROOKS.
Tn the battle of Bunker Hill, which occurred on
the 18th of June following Pierce took a part, and
from that time to the close of the Revolution, he
continued in the service of the country, and follow
ed the fortune of his regiment, fighting when II
was called into action, and attracting the notice and
winning the commentator of his superior officers
for his gallantry and good conduct, by winch
means he rose gradually to the command OF a COM
panv. so that at the dsbanding of the Revolution
er of the revolution had been driven, by necessity,
to the issuing of paper money; and IN that cur
rency, already depreciating, the troops were 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 LOT eiSnC
wears of service would not suffice for the purchase
of a farm. He was obliged, like many other otfl-
GERS of the Revolution, to go into the wilderness,
where lands were cheap and begin the cultivation
of wild land. He removed to the State OF New
HAMPSHIRE, into the town and county OF Hlllsbo-
rough, and having made clearing erected rude
habitation telling the trees with his axe and pro-
curing food for sustenance with his gun. In that
town his son, Franklin Pierce, was born, and there
lived until he removed to Concord the capital OF
the State, where he now resides.
In the autumn of 1856, Gen. John Sullivan, who
was then President of New Hampshire, and whose
grandson, John Sullivan, is now Attorney General
of that State determined to form the militia OF the
county of HiIlsborough into Brigade and having
sought out Benjamin Pierce commissioned HIM as
a brigade major; and he being veteran soldier,
Immediately took the necessary steps for the per-
feet organization and discipline of the several regi-
ments He had already served eight years in the
regular army, and he continued for twenty-one
years in the militia, leaving it finally in the station
of hrigadier general Gen. Miller and Gen. John
McNiel, 3who son-in-law of Benjamin Plerce,)
both of whom served with so much distinction in
the war of 1912, and the latter of whom recently
deceased at the city of Washington, both belong
ed, when they were Young men, to the militia reg
iment commanded by the father of the democratic
nominee; and it is said that several other officers
who have distinguished themselves, have been
proud to declare that they received their first les
sons of military discipline from Gen. Benjamin
Pierce, in the militia of Hillsborough.
From 1889 to 1902, he representative Of
the people in the Legislature of the State and in
1903 was first elected a member of the Governors
council where he continued six years, five of which
were passed in the council of the celebrated Gov.
John Langdon This brings us to the year 1909.
Soon after that time he was appointed Sheriff of
the county Of Hilsborough, which Office he held
till 1918. In that year, at the June session of the
Legislature, change was made in the Judiciary
system of the State, which resulted in abolishing
the offices of the existing judges, and gave to the
dominant party an opportunity to appoint their
successors upon the bench. The name of the high
est court of the State, which had been styled the
Superior Court of Judicaturc, was by the new law
changed to the Supreme Judicial Court Arthur
Livcrmore, Chief Justice of the former court was
retained as an associate justice in the new one.
jeremiah Smith, of Exeter, who had resigned his
seat on the bench to accept the office of Governor
again appointed Chief Justice The remain
ing seat was filled by Caleb Ellis of ClaremonI,
young but distinguished member of the bar This
nominal change in the courts was made, as the re-
publican party contended, for the sole purpose of
getting nd of the old court, and was unconstitu-
tlonal. y warm controversy ensued, and both
courts sat and claimed a right to administer the
law; during which time the public business was
thrown into confusion, by the jurors and witnesses
sometimes obeying the summons to attend one
court and sometimes the other.
In consequence of the confusion resulting from
this unsettled state of things, Governor John Gil
man, then chief magistrate of the State, convened
the Legislature the 9th day of October several
weeks earlier than the day to which it had been
adjourned. At an early period of this session. Josiah
Butler, sheriff of the county of Rockingham and
benjamin Pierce, sheriff of Hilsborough, were re-
moved by address. Pierce, however, was elected
four years successfully to the Governors council,
and ultimately again appointed sheriff of Hills
borough county. While holding that office, an
event occurred, which strongly marked hscharacter,
and erected for him an enduring monument in the
hearts of the people. 1t was in the year 1918, at
the time when the enormous abuses of the creditor
over the debtor were exciting the attention of the
people, and calling forth excavations from the phil
anthroplc and liberal everywhere. In some instances
the father of a poor family was for years immured
IN dungeon for the amount of the prison charges,
and his family, meanwhile, were reduced to paup-
elism and beggary. No age, no condition was
exempt. The poor and decayed veteran, whose
best years had been spent in the service of his
country, was often confined with felons, and year
rolled on after year. leaving him in homeless inn