Creator

Date Original

1892

Description

This collection contains a copy of a letter written by Nicholas B. Pearce and a manuscript about his Civil War days.

Biographical/Historical Note

Nicholas Bartlett Pearce was born July 20, 1828, at Princeton, Kentucky. After graduating from WestPoint in 1850, he entered the service and was stationed in Texas, Utah, and Arkansas. While he was stationed at Fort Smith, he met and married Nancy Katherine Smith. They had six children that survived infancy. Pearce was against secession but upon Arkansas's secession from the Union was appointed Brigadier General to command the 1st Division, Army of Arkansas. The one major battle that he and his company fought was the Battle of Oak Hills (Wilson's Creek), Missouri. The company voted to disband after they returned to Arkansas, and Pearce made no attempt to receive a Confederate commission. Pearce became a major in the commissary department, where he remained through the duration of the Civil War. After the war, he returned to his family's property at Osage Mills, Arkansas, and rebuilt the mill afterits destruction during the war. During 1872-1874, he was professor of mathematics and engineering at Arkansas Industrial University, now the University of Arkansas. He moved to Whitesboro, Texas, in the late 1870s, due to his wife's bad health. His wife died in 1885, and he remained in Texas until his death March 8, 1894.

Physical Description

Document, 8.5" x 11"

Geographical Area

Arkansas; Kentucky; Missouri; Texas; Utah

Language

English

Identifier

SMC.006.021

Resource Type

Text

Collection

Nicholas B. Pearce papers, SMC.006.021

Publisher

Arkansas State Archives

Contributing Entity

Arkansas State Archives

Recommended Citation

Nicholas B. Pearce papers, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Rights

Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.

Disciplines

United States History

COinS