The Coconino sun., 1926-12-24
A Life Of Romance
And Adventure

miral Bob Evans in the nineties, the
following toast was given: Here's
to Admiral Bob Evans, who has lived
more life than Zogbaum ever wrote"
William Henry Pierce, born. in
New York City, December II, 1841
has lived a life of adventure and ro-
nance such as few persons have liv-
ed and such as few writers have de-
picted.
When a six-foot boy of 90 years in
1861, in answer to Lincoln's call for
volunteers, he donned the blue uni
form of volunteer Union soldier in
Battery G, 1st N Y light artillery.
At Washington he was one Of the
fortunate soldiers who clasped the
hand of President Lincoln.
In the Peninsular campaign he
took part in that efficient artillery
defense of Malvern Hill which stop
ped Lees army and protected Nc
| Clellan's retreat to Harrison's Land
ing.
At Antietam he helped defeat Lee
and Stonewall Jackson in the blood
lest days battle of the Civil war.
AT Charlottesville, when Stone
wall jackson and Lee drove Hooker
back across the Rappahannock,
Pierce's battery was compelled to
hurry back across the Rappahannock
to avoid capture.
| At Gettysburg when Meade's
chief of artillery, General Hunt,
placed more than two hundred guns
| in the line with the infantry, Ser
geant Pierce commanded gun sec
ton of his battery and aided in stop
ping Pickett's desperate charge.
Under Grant from the Wilderness
to Appomattox Court House Plerce's
battery marched and fought in one
of the hardest fought campaigns in
the history of the world.
Malvern Hill, Antietam, Chancel-
lorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilder
ness to AppomattoX-with other en-
gagements interspersed-that was
adventure.
After the war came the adven-
ture of the west.
This was the time of fights with
hostile Indians. This was the time of
such characters as Kit Carson, Buff
falo Bill, Wild Bill, Jesse James,
FRANK JdIiGS, O1IbliiE Jun, NASA
Custer, Crook, Miles and Lawton.
1882 found Pierce in the south
west. He arrived at place IN north
ern Arizona where in winter time
the mountain peaks seemed to pc
huge pyramids of marble; where the
sky was deep blue; where the pine
forests extended for miles; where the
grass was belly deep to the horses;
where there was abundance OF clear
cool water from the mountains;
where deer and antelope were plen--
tiful; where the very wildness and
grandeur of it all seemed to satisfy
that something within his breast that
had urged him on and on until ne at
last found his hearts desire.
Here he settled. Others came. Ihey
built a town. They called 1T flag-
staff.
Flagstaff! Arizona! The very name
suggests romance, adventure.
Indians. cowpunchers, Mexicans.
The wild freedom Of the environ
ment coupled with the venturesomea
spirit Of the pioneers characterized
the daily life of this camp. The crlspy
mountain air laden with the fragrance
of the pine and cedar stimulated their
appetites and made the pioneers
hardy and rugged.
Character and personality prevail
Cd and survived. The sneak, petted,
pampered and protected by clviiiza-
ton did not survive here.
Tales Of the early days OF rag
staff would fill book with more PIC
tnresoue and exciting adventure and
romance than the films have port
rayed. 90
Even now there remains the spirit
of the old days of which the desc
endants of the old pioneers seem un-
conscious. They are too near the
woods TO see the trees But strangers
and visitors get the thrill and IN
sniration which they long remember
and about which they fondly talk ana
write after their return to their artl-
ficial civilization.
In 1891, at Flagstaff, Pierce met
a southern girl, the daughter OF
Confederate soldier. In the days wnen
pierce came to the southwest 1T was
the cusrtom to change ones name.
pierce did not change his name but
he did change the name OF tnaC
southern girl from Martha Matilda
Pendley to Mrs. William Henry
Pierce. IL
On December II, 1926 that south
ern girl cooked for her big SIX loot
Union soldier boy a southern am
ner to celebrate his eighty-fifth birth
dav. She built her dinner around a
twenty-five pound turkey gobbier
sent to them from Newberry, Callf.,
by Mrs. Ben Nicholas.
The guests-Mr. and Mrs. D. L.
Thomas, Mr.. and Mrs. S. S. Acker'
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Merritt, MI.
and Mrs. Loran Savage, Mrs. IA.
johnson and E. M. Robison-broughtt
pretty flowers and presents and al az
were happy with this adventurous ana
romantic union soldier and the south
ern girl whom he had married IN