Hillman Pierce was born in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, on 9 June 1815. He was the grandson of Revolutionary War patriot, Jacob Pierce, who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Hillman’s parents moved with their three sons to Oswego County, New York, along the coast of Lake Ontario, in 1837. There Hillman became a farmer and owned land along the Salmon River. He married Sarah A. Wood on 26 November 1839 and they had four children: Lewis Orsil (b. 1845); Willard J. (b. 1848); Alveco E. (b. 1852); and Harriet M. (b. 1855).

On Friday, April 12, 1861, Union soldiers occupied Fort Sumter, South Carolina, when General P.G.T. Beauregard led his Confederate forces to fire on the fort. The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center described the impact to the Pierce’s town this way:

“The telegraph brought the startling intelligence to Oswego city, on Sunday morning about eight o’clock. The news spread like wild-file, and by nine o’clock the streets were full, and crowds were gathered around the bulletin board. The excitement became so great that the churches were nearly deserted by male worshiphers in the morning, but in the evening they were thronged. In every pulpit the event of the day was the them of the discourse. Just as the Rev. Dr. Ludlow’s sermon closed, the National falg was unfurled from the organ loft over the congregation, and the people by one consent rose to their feet and sang “My country, ‘tis of thee.” (Source)

Five months later, on 17 September 1861, 46-year-old Hillman, enrolled in the Union army at Sandy Creek, N.Y. for a period of 3 years. He joined Company “B” of the 7th Regiment of the New York “Black Horse” Cavalry. The following month, on 20 October 1861, Hillman’s younger son, Willard, also enrolled in the army, stating that he was 17. Hillman mustered in on 6 November 1861, but Willard was forced to muster out on 20 December, while the rest of the 81st Regiment of the New York Infantry organized in Albany, because it was discovered that he was only 13 years old.

Hillman’s time with the Black Horse Cavalry was limited. The company was in Washington, D.C., when the Secretary of War declared that there was an “excess of Cavalry” and the Black Horse was made to muster out on 31 March 1862. Hillman returned home to Oswego County, where he must have followed the news of the ongoing military conflict within his country for the next year. On 20 February 1864 he again enrolled in the Union army, this time with his oldest child, 18-year-old Lewis.

Father and son joined Company “A”, New York 2nd Heavy Artillery. Their regiment, “took part in the engagements at Spottsylvania, the North Anna, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor, first assault on Petersburg, Weldon railroad. Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, Reams' station, Hatcher's run. Fort Stedman, White Oak ridge, fall of Petersburg, Deatonsville, High bridge, Farmville and Appomattox Court House.” [Source] While on duty in Petersburg, Virginia, in June 1864, Hillman “incurred rheumatism.” He was briefly hospitalized but returned to duty 6 August 1864. It was in Farmville, Va., on 8 April 1865, that Lewis was wounded. First Lieutenant Schneider of Company “A” gave the following account of the incident:

“On the 7th day of April A.D. 1865, at or near a place called Farmville Va. while in an engagement a servere gun shot wound from the enemy, the ball occasioning said wound being reserved in his neck & passing through the same & lodging near his left shoulder & in its passage cutting & passing through his wind pipe & so affecting his voice as to render him unable to speak above a whisper & entirely rendering him unfit for Military duty. That he recovered in no degree from the effected said wound while he remained with his regiment & from the effect thereof he was sent from his Regiment to Hospital.”

Lewis was discharged at Philadelphia on 6 July 1865. His father was discharged 29 September 1865. Both returned to Oswego County, N.Y. having served their country honorably.

Lewis married Martha Newton Allen on 6 October 1869, and together they had two daughters and two sons. Tragically, their last child, Lewis Orsil Pierce Jr., was born 3 months after his father died of complications from his wartime injury, in 1884. Hillman, however, lived a reportedly vibrant life until his death on 3 April 1912 at the age of 96. Both are buried at South Richland Cemetery in Pusaski, N.Y. A monument 5 miles away in downtown Pulaski commemorates the areas Civil War soldiers, including Hillman and Lewis.

If this story of this family of Civil War soldiers ignites your curiosity about your own ancestors, contact me. I can help you dig up your family’s roots that have been buried by time.