Lieutenant Colonel Francis Edwin Pierce
date: label: date made
content: 1861-1865
name: label: depicted (sitter)
content: Pierce, Francis E.
label: maker
content: Appleby, R. B.
notes: label: Description
content: Lieutenant Colonel Francis Edwin Pierce, carte-de-visite, by R.B. Appleby, Rochester, New York, c. 1860s
label: Description
content: Francis Edwin Pierce was born to Abijah and Miranda Pierce on July 6, 1833. He spent his formative years in Fowlerville, Livingston County, New York, until he moved with his parents to Wisconsin in 1845. Pierce lived there for just a few years before returning to New York to live with his grandparents.
label: Description
content: Sent to Rochester, New York, for a better education, Francis Pierce excelled academically and graduated from Rochester University with high honors in 1859. During that time, he also taught. After graduation, he was made the principal of Mt. Morris Academy in Mount Morris, Livingston County, New York. In 1860 Pierce established the Rochester Military Training School with his cousin, Col. Samuel C. Pierce.
label: Description
content: Francis Pierce was at the new school until July 1862, when he began to raise Company F of the 108th New York Volunteers. By November, he became the major of the regiment. In March 1863, he rose to lieutenant colonel. During the Battle of Morton’s Ford, fought on February 6 and 7, 1864, in Virginia, he was wounded in the left eye, and the injury cost him, his sight in that eye. He was further injured during the May 5-7, 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, in Virginia, where he was shot through one of his hands, but continued in the field. While in command of his regiment, he and his men captured 3,000 Confederate men and officers, including Gen. Joe Johnston. Francis Pierce was mustered out of service in 1865.
label: Description
content: Records show that during the Battle of Gettysburg, Col. Thomas A. Smyth (cat. #3955W) was injured and Francis Pierce was temporarily put in command, for which he was highly praised: In Smyth’s report, the colonel wrote, “I desire to call the attention of the general commanding to the bravery, self possession, and energy of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis E. Pierce, commanding the One Hundred and Eighth New York Volunteers who throughout the heaviest of the fire showed the greatest unconcern, passing along his line and encouraging his men.”
label: Description
content: Following the war Francis Pierce was appointed colonel of the 1st United States Volunteers, a regiment of discharged veterans. After accepting the position of second lieutenant, it was evident that the military would become his career. During the winter months of 1865, Colonel Pierce received from Congress the honorary title of brevet brigadier general of volunteers. Throughout the remaining years of Pierce’s life, he held many positions in various military organizations.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Rochester
topic: label: Subject
content: Civil War
label: related event
content: Battle of Antietam, 1862
label: related event
content: Civil War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Seville Collection
label: See more items in
content: Photography
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of M.W Seville
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.003955DD
label: accession number
content: 117896
label: catalog number
content: 3955DD
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
label: Object Name
content: carte-de-visite
label: Object Type
content: Carte-Visite
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 31/32 in x 2 3/8 in; 10.0838 cm x 5.9944 cm