Civil War Pension Index. Microfilm.

Date of filing: 1866 July 17. Application No. 111,918; Certificate No. 506,209

Name of Regiment: F 1 NC Inf; C 2nd US Inf.

DEPOSITION A. Case of Isaac Pierce, No. 111,918.

On this 12th day of March 1890, at Coleraine, County of Bertie, State of NC, before me, Grafter Robertson (?), a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared Isaac Pierce, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says:

His name is Isaac Pierce, age 48 yrs, P.O. Coleraine, Bertie Co., NC, occupation farmer:

I enlisted in Co C 2nd NC Infty Dec. 25, 1863, at Newberne NC and was made sergt of that co. Afterward transferred to Co F 1st NC Infty, discharged in June 1865, Newberne NC.

I ask a pension for fracture left leg.

I was a sgt in Co C 2nd NC; after a time was transferred to Co F 1st NC Ifty. About 1st Feby 1865 I was detailed to move commissary stores under acting qrtmaster Wardell, Beaufort NC. The commissary stores were in a little house just across a bridge that went to the shore in part of the hospital. I had a detail of four or five men with me.

We were moving these commissary stores from this little house to a flatboat. While rolling a barrel of beef or pork, a plank on the bridge broke, & I fell through the bridge to the ground, a fall of some 5 or 6 feet, & fractured my left leg near the ankle.

A soldier, Sgt Frank Blythe fell through the bridge with me at the time. He came up at the moment and spoke to me just as the plank broke & we both went down together. I do not know where he is. I have tried to find him but have not been able to do so.

Marcus Culipher had, I think, hold of the barrel, rolling it with me at the time. John Butler was there in the boat & saw the fall. I don't know if Butler came to me or not.

I was hurt so bad that I do not know who helped me to the hospital. I was taken right up & carried to the hospital, which was only some 20 feet from where I broke my leg.

I got my leg put in splints by the surgeon when my brother, Cincinnati Pierce, who lived in Beaufort NC, had me taken to his house, where I stayed under Dr. J. C. Salter's care for six or eight weeks. Dr. Salter was the hospital surgeon at Beaufort.

I never was sick in hospital at Beaufort or anywhere else while a soldier. Was only in hospital for this fractured left leg at Beaufort.

My brother, James Pierce, Co C 2nd NC Infty, died in the hospital at Beaufort before I got my leg broken. I was discharged from the army while on crutches for this fracture of left leg.

I can't understand why I have no hospital record of this fracture of my left leg.

My captain, Edward C. Blunt, was present when my leg was set in the hospital. He died in Baltimore Md after the war. Lieut. Wm. Craft was also present. I cannot say where he lives. Wm. Hendricks was my orderly sgt. I don't think he was there at the time as he was made a lieut. in a colored regiment about that time. I don't know where he lives.

Q: When at Beaufort NC in 1865, didn't you attend a dance?

A: No sir. I never did.

Q: Didn't you go to a dance at the Atlantic Hotel & while standing on a platform looking in the window at the dancers, the plank on which you were standing gave way, & you fell through to the ground, breaking your leg?

A: No, sir, I did not. As the stretcher bearers carried me by that hotel, they stopped in front of the window a moment & I looked in. My leg had been set then. I positively assert that the Atlantic Hotel was the hospital, & the dance was in there, & I had got my left leg fractured and set before we stopped on the way to my brother's house, where I was being taken. Thomas Holloman & a man named Saml Lorder had hold of the stretcher carrying me along. Holloman is dead, and Lorder, I do not know where he is.

I have heard the statements of Saml H. Taylor and M. A. Marshall, made before Special Examiner Casselman, & they are false. Not a word of truth in them whatever. Both of these men know perfectly they do not speak the truth. Taylor I know. Marshall I have no recollection of. I want to be present when these men are seen, and I ask ten days' notice so I can be there.

I understand the questions asked & my answers are correctly recorded.

Signed: Isaac Pierce

Sworn & signed by Special Examiner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABSTRACT FROM SWORN STATEMENT, dated 27th day of June 1882, made before W. F. Gatling, Clerk of Superior Court, State of North Carolina, Hertford County:

Your client was nursed by his brother, Cincinnatus Pierce, who was a member of his company. His affidavit will be furnished if required.

Norfolk Va
April 10th, 1890

Hon. Green B. Raum
Comr. of Pensions

Sir:

I have the honor to return the papers & to make this report in the claim for pension #111,918, Isaac Pierce, late private Co C 2nd NC Infty & Co F 1st NC Infty, present P.O. address Coleraine, Bertie County, NC.

Basis of claim: fracture left leg.

This case was referred for Special Examination to determine whether the claimant received a fracture of left leg while in the service & in line "of duty." No record.

The usual notices were served on the claimant & all of his privileges fully made known to him. He requests ten days notice be given him as he desires to be present at the taking of testimony at Beaufort NC.

The claimant has a good reputation as to truth amongst his neighbors. They call him "Hard Times," & he is known better by that name than as Isaac Pierce.

John Butler (Dep C Page 11 this report) stands about "fair" as to truth. He is drunk all the time & was somewhat under the influence of liquor when I took his deposition.

Marcus Culipher (Dep B Page 9 this report) 'tis impossible to attain his credibility. He has no neighbors, and lives in a swampy canebrake section. I could find no one who knew how he made his living. The colored people will not go near where he lives, & the whites say, "Follow that path for a mile in the brake & you may find him & you may not." I mark him fair.

As nearly all claimant's witnesses have either been interviewed by Special Examiners or have written letters to the office & in every instance all state their knowledge was from hearsay, I only saw witnesses who had not been seen by Special Examiners & who had not written letters to the office.

I respectfully recommend the testimony as to origin be taken of Samuel H. Taylor & M. A. Marshall, Beaufort, Carteret Co. NC, & if possible Samuel Lorder should be found. Tis said he is running a water mill in Granville County NC, but the location I was unable to get. Sgt. Frank Blythe & Lieut. Wm. Craft should also be seen if they can be found.

I believe this case of doubtful merit. See claimant's statement as to looking at the dancers, Dep A, Page 8.

Very respectfully,
Grafter Robertson (?)

 

 Reluctant Soldier

Jns. N. Watson, C Div

GENERAL AFFIDAVIT
State of Virginia

National Soldiers' Home, Va.
United States Reservation

In the matter of Ctf. #506209 of
Isaac Pierce Co F 1 NC Inf Vols

On this 13th day of July A.D. 1901, personally appeared before me, a United States Commissioner for the Eastern District of Virginia, in and for the aforesaid county, duly authorized to administer oaths:

Isaac Pierce, aged 60 years, a resident of Phoebus in the County of Elizabeth City and State of Va., whose post office address is Phoebus, Va., well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declares in relation to the aforesaid case, as follows:

That he is the claimant; replying to requirements of the Comr. of Pensions, dated July 10, 1901:

~~~~~~~~~~

I have to state that when I was 17 years old I lived in Harrellsville, Hertford County, North Carolina, & when the war broke out in 1861, I was a student in Harrellsville Academy. It was a military school.

We were ordered to go to Raleigh, N.C., to do duty in the state service & we were sworn in the state service for one year. I served nearly all that year in doing guard duty at & near Raleigh.

I never took the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. I refused to take the oath.

Before the year was over, I went home on a furlough and stayed home, and about a year after (Dec 1863) I enlisted in the Union army in Co F 1st NC Vols Inft & served until June 1865.

I never fired a gun against the Union flag or its soldiers.

I got away from the school company just as quick as I could to join the Union army, as I then had two (2) brothers in the Union army.

Captain Poole commanded the school company. I never served in any other organizations than these above stated. If I had refused to go with the school company, they would have taken me anyway. I went against my own wishes.

I am now a member of the National Soldiers Home near Hampton, Va., but live nearby at Phoebus with my family.

Signed:
Isaac Pierce

THE WHOLE STORY

Deposition
Case of Isaac Pierce, C. No. 506209

On this 4 day of March 1903 at Phoebus, County of Elizabeth City, State of Va., before me, H. D. F. McLooley, special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Isaac Pierce, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says:

~~~~~~~~~

. . . . Will be 62 tomorrow, residence and P.O. address are Co. A, Soldiers Home, Elizabeth City County, Va. I am pensioned under the General Law under the above certificate number, having served as a private and sergeant of Co C 2 Union Vols and private of Co F 1 NCVI.

I was born in Hertford Co., NC, near Winton. My father's name was Jesse Pierce (dcsd) and my mother's Lucretia Pierce (dcsd). Was born in 1841. My full and correct name is Isaac Pierce, and I have never been known under any other name.

I enlisted at Newbern NC Dec. 25 1863, in Co C 2 Union Vols and was made duty sergeant of that company.

I served in that company until it was consolidated with Co F 1 NC Inf Vols, along about Feb. 1864, and then the two regiments were consolidated in 1 NCVI.

I was stripped and given a thorough physical examination at enlistment and was sworn in at Newbern, NC. John A. Reid, of Harrisburg, Pa., and who belonged to 103 Pa. Inf. and who subsequently became 2nd lt. of that company, recruited me.

I was honorably discharged at Beaufort NC June 8 1865.

I broke my leg (left) at Beaufort NC and hurt my left foot there along about the forepart of Feb. 1865, while moving commissary stores from Morehead City NC to Beaufort NC. A load of hardtack, barrel of pork and myself broke through a bridge, and hurt me in the manner described.

QUESTION: Did you ever serve in the CSA or Navy?

ANSWER: Well, I was attached to Co G 31 NC Inf CSA for about a year. I was attending school, military school, at Harrellsville NC, Hertford County, in 1861, and the Confederates moved our whole school up to Raleigh NC and we did guard duty. I never got a discharge but when my year's schooling was out, I came home to Hertford Co. and remained there up to the time of my enlistment.

I was about 21 when I enlisted in the Union Army.

(Examiner's note: Original discharge certificate shows Isaac Pierce, private of Lt. J. W. Smith's Company F 1 NC Inf Vols, was enrolled on Dec. 25, 1863, and discharged June 8, 1865, at Beaufort NC, in accordance with General Order No. 37 Dept. NC dated May 5, 1865 . . . . . . born in Hertford County NC, 21 years of age, 5 ft 8 in high, fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair and occupation farmer. . . . . Present personal description tallies with above, pensioner being 5 ft 8 in tall.)

I was mustered out and paid off at Newbern NC, and went back to Beaufort, Carteret County NC, where I lived for some years and then went back to my home in Hertford Co. NC, living there and in Bertie Co. NC up to about six years ago when I moved up here.

I never enlisted in the USA or CSA or Navy after my discharge from 1 NC Inf.

Col. of 2 NC was Walter S. Poor, or rather he acted as such. He was a lt. col.

Major was . . . . I forget . . . . from NC. Captain was Edmund C. Blount . . . . 1st lt. was Wm. Kraft from Pa. . . . 2nd lt. was John Reid, who was the officer who recruited or enlisted me. Orderly sgt was Wm. H. Hendricks.

I bunked with James Barber. I didn't really stay in camp much for I got married down there and had my house right near the camp, and the officers permitted me to go home nights.

I never saw the 1st Regiment from Feb. when injured, until discharge. I was in the General Hospital at Beaufort NC. J. C. Salter was the surgeon in charge.

I never was in any battle.

My pension certificate is in the treasurer's office in the Soldiers' Home, Va.

I have been drawing a pension about seven or eight years for fracture of left leg previously described. I draw $6 under the General Law.

My witnesses . . . . can't recollect, except . . . . can't think of any. Joe Etheridge, Colerain, Bertie Co. NC, did some of my writing in my claim but I don't recollect that he charged me a cent. Jos. W. Hunter, Washington, D.C., was my recognized attorney, and I paid him $25.

I draw my pension through the treasurer of the home. I never borrowed a cent on my pension papers.

I have been married only once. Was married to Annie Maria Salter of Beaufort NC in May 1864 by Squire Jas. Ward, JP. Neither of us had been previously married. I have no children under 16.

Questions are understood. Answers are correct.

Signed
Isaac Pierce

Contributed by: James David Pearce

 

©2009 to present by the NCGenWeb Project