Joseph A. Pierce | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Joseph Pierce in uniform during the Civil War | |
| Born | 1842 |
| Died | January 3, 1916(1916-01-03) (aged 73–74) |
| Buried | Walnut Grove Cemetery, Meriden |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | Union army |
| Service years | 1862–1865 |
| Rank |  Corporal |
| Unit | 14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment |
| Conflicts | American Civil War |
Joseph A. Pierce[a] (1842 – January 3, 1916) was a Chinese-born American soldier who fought in the14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during theAmerican Civil War and reached the rank ofcorporal. After the war, he returned to Connecticut and worked as a silver engraver until his death in 1916.
Joseph A. Pierce was born inGuangdong Province,China, in 1842, though the exact date of his birth is unclear.[2][b] Amos Peck, an American ship captain fromBerlin, Connecticut, brought Pierce to the United States in 1853.[5] There are several versions of stories describing how Pierce arrived in the United States from China.[6] One suggests that Pierce's father sold him for six dollars, while another indicates that Pierce's brother sold him for 50 to 60 dollars.[1] His originalChinese name is not recorded; he was named "Joseph" because the crew of Peck's ship called him "Joe",[7] and Pierce's last name came fromFranklin Pierce, who was President of the United States in 1853.[8] After he arrived in the US, Pierce lived together with the Peck family in Berlin, attended school and went to church.[8]
Pierce voluntarily enlisted on July 26, 1862, inNew Britain, Connecticut. The recruiting officer described Pierce as 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, with "black eyes, dark hair, and dark complexion".[3] He was mustered into the14th Connecticut Infantry Regiment, which left forWashington, D.C. on August 25 that year.[9] In a 2019 journal article, Angela He observed that Pierce was able to enlist in awhite regiment because he enlisted along with "community members that he grew up with",[10] and concluded that he was racialized as white in terms of "greater social standing outside the war".[11]
According to historian R. L. McCunn, Pierce fought at theBattle of Antietam, fell over a fence, and injured his back. He was sent to recover in a hospital inAlexandria, Virginia. In November and December, he became well enough to work at a convalescent camp, but in spring 1863, he went back to the hospital. He returned to his unit in May 1863 and participated in theBattle of Gettysburg.[12] However, Irving D. Moy asserted that Pierce did not participate in the Battle of Antietam due to sickness, though he acknowledged that Pierce fought atChancellorsville and Gettysburg.[13]
Pierce was promoted tocorporal on November 1, 1863. On February 9, 1864, he was sent back toNew Haven for recruitment duties.[12][14] He returned to his regiment in late 1864,[14] and mustered out with them on May 31, 1865.[12][15]
After Pierce was mustered out of state service on June 10, 1865, he first lived in New Britain as a farmer. He moved from New Britain toMeriden in 1868, and learnedsilver engraving in the next two years.[16] He worked as a silver engraver for the rest of his life.[17] On November 21, 1876, Pierce married Martha Morgan, an 18-year-old fromPortland, Connecticut. They had one daughter and two sons.[18] In the1880 United States census, Pierce registered his race as "Chinese," but due to the1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, he listed his race as "Japanese" forthe 1890 census.[19] The Pierce family attended the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in Meriden, where Pierce himself was baptized on November 6, 1892.[20]
Pierce began to receive a pension around 1890,[20] though an 1899 report fromThe New York Times stated that Pierce received his pension in 1891.[21] Pierce petitioned to increase his pension due to his injuries and illnesses, which was not granted until 1907.[22] He died on January 3, 1916, due to a combination of "thegrippe" (influenza),arteriosclerosis, andchronic bronchitis. He was buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery, Meriden.[23]
Media related toCorporal Joseph Pierce at Wikimedia Commons