Elisha Pierce ^{1 2 3 4}

   FamilySearch ID: L6YQ-2VC.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence: in 1851 in Licking Township, Blackford, IN. ³

2. Occupation: attorney in 1872 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ³

3. Census in 1880 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁵ The 1880 census recorded Elisha Pierce, lawyer, 34, living with wife Ella, 27; and son Greely, 8. Elisha and his mother were born in Ohio and his father in North Carolina. Ella and her parents were born in Pennsylvania. Greely was born in Indiana.

4. He was elected as State Representative in 1886 in , Blackford, IN. ³

5. Occupation: county attorney in 1897 in , Blackford, IN. ³

6. Census in 1900 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁶ The 1900 census recorded at 88 S. Jefferson Street: Elisha Pierce, attorney at law, 54, Dec 1846, living with wife Ella, 49, Oct 1851; and son Greely, box maker glass factory, 28, Apr 1872. Elisha and Ella were married for 30 years and she had birthed only 1 child by 1900. Elisha and his mother were born in Ohio, and his father in North Carolina. Ella and her parents were born in Pennsylvania. Greely was born in Indiana.

7. Census in 1910 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁷ The 1910 census recorded at 220 Jefferson Street; Elisha Pierce, lawyer, 63, living with wife Ella, 58. He and his mother were born in Ohio and his father in North Carolina. Ella and her parents were born in Pennsylvania. They were married for 40 years and she had birthed one child by 1910, still alive that year.

8. Book: Biographical Memoirs of Blackford County, Indiana: bio of Elisha Pierce, 1920. ³
HON. ELISHA PIERCE. The gentleman by whose name this sketch is introduced has had a most remarkable and varied career, and his life, beset as it was in the beginning with discouraging environments, over which by sheer force of indomitable will he finally triumphed, may serve as a stimulus to those whose fortunes and destiny are still to be realized. He is in the best sense of the word a striking example of the successful self-made man, such as only our full institutions produce and the honorable positions to which he has attained in both public and private life mark him as possessing mental ability of a high order and a determination of purpose that hesitates at no difficulty and laughs at obstacles, however numerous and formidable.

The paternal ancestors of Mr. Pierce were for many generations residents of North Carolina, where some of them settled in the colonial period, and the name is still to be met with in various parts of that state. His grandfather, the first of the family of whom anything very definite has been learned, was a wealthy planter and slave holder and a man of more than local repute in the community where he lived. Like many of his progenitors, he became the possessor of a large landed estate, known far and wide as the abode of a genuine, open-hearted hospitality, which was generously dispensed to all who laid claim to his friendship. Such free-handed hospitality was prevalent among the wealthy classes throughout the south during the ante bellum days, but with the changed conditions wrought by the war it is now only too rarely met with.

Littleberry Pierce, father of Elisha, was born on the paternal plantation in North Carolina and there grew to maturity, remaining with his parents until twenty-two years of age. He then engaged in agricultural pursuits for himself, but did not remain long in his native state, going thence to Ohio in 1842 and settling in the county of Clinton, where he purchased land and made his home until 1851.

Thinking to better his condition in a country abounding in better opportunities for a man in moderate circumstances, Mr. Pierce, in the latter year, moved to Blackford county, Indiana, and bought eighty acres of woodland in Licking township, which in due time was cleared and developed into a first-class farm. At the time of his settling there the place contained a small clearing of fifteen acres, the remainder of the tract being in its primitive condition of dense woods and thick underbrush, in short, an almost unbroken wilderness, penetrated only by a few foot paths.

Addressing himself to the herculean task before him, Mr. Pierce, by working early and late, soon felled the forest monarchs, enlarged the area of cultivable land and within a few years had a comfortable home, patterned in many respects after the old plantation in North Carolina, though by no means so large in extent as the latter. Here he lived and reared his family and until advancing age and the infirmities incident thereto compelled him to desist somewhat from manual toil, he followed agricultural pursuits profitably and earned the reputation of a high-minded and honorable Christian gentleman.

In 1896 he moved to Hartford City, where he passed the residue of life yet remaining, and here, amid a large circle of friends who respected him for his many sterling qualities, this good man was called to the higher life in September, 1898.

For over twenty years Littleberry Pierce held the office of justice of the peace in Licking township and as a dispenser of justice and adviser of his neighbors in matters of law he is remembered for the impartiality of his decisions and the disinterested manner with which he compromised much troublesome and expensive litigation. In early life he united with the Methodist church, to which he ever afterwards remained loyal, and for nearly a quarter of a century he was a licensed preacher in his denomination, though not at any time regularly employed or in charge of a circuit or station. He ministered to the people of his neighborhood in holy things without financial remuneration and did much to spread the cause of religion in Blackford and neighboring counties. His intellectual attainments were far above those possessed by the average man and his wide reading and general information upon all the leading questions of the day, both secular and religious, made him a leader of thought in the community where he lived so many years.

In addition to his agricultural interests, he gave much attention to stock dealing, trading in realty, etc., which added considerable to his income, although at no time was he what might be considered a wealthy man? only a good liver and a liberal contributor to all benevolent and religious enterprises.

As stated in a preceding paragraph, Mr. Pierce gave considerable attention to the law and in addition to his office as justice of the peace he was frequently retained as counsel in justice courts.

He married in Clinton county, Ohio, soon after locating there, Huldah Graham, a descendant of an old Scotch family, and became the father of twelve children whose names are as follows: Elisha, the subject of this mention ; James, a soldier in the Civil war, died in 1864 at Raleigh, North Carolina; Rebecca, wife of William Spence, of Eaton, Ohio; Franklin, deceased; William, a merchant of St. Louis, Missouri; Stephen D., a farmer of Blackford county; Handford resides in the state of Nebraska; Wiley, a resident of Hartford City; Mary married D. Adkinson and lives in Kansas; Charles, attorney at law and deputy prosecuting attorney of the county of Blackford, and Minnie, wife of D. Smith, a farmer of Delaware county, this state. The mother of these children is still living, at the age of sixty-nine, her home at this time being in Hartford City.

Elisha Pierce, the eldest member of the above large family, was born December 14, 1846, in Clinton county, Ohio, and when five years of age was brought by his parents to the county of Blackford.

His youth was passed on the little farm in Licking township which at that time was being fitted for cultivation, young Elisha contributing his share towards clearing the land and preparing it for the plow. This labor, hard and exacting as it was, developed strength of muscle and resoluteness of purpose and served not only as the foundation for a vigorous physique, but also as a lesson of self reliance.

With limited educational advantages Mr. Pierce learned his most important lessons by direct contact with nature and he states that the sum total of his schooling until a young man embraced a period of less than four months.

During the progress of the great Rebellion, when it became necessary for the governmernt to resort to the draft in order to procure the necessary number of men, his father was included among those required to fill the quota from Blackford county. Immediately after the draft Elisha offered himself in his father's stead, and although quite a young man at that time, volunteered in Company I, Fifty-fourth Indiana Infantry, for one year's service. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Mississippi under Generals Sherman and Grant, and among the battles in which he bore a gallant part were the siege of Vicksburg and engagements in that vicinity: Jackson, Mississippi , Port Gibson, Arkansas Post, Milligan's Bend and minor engagements in various parts of the south.

At the expiration of his period of enlistment Mr. Pierce was mustered out at New Orleans, and returning home, again entered the army as substitute for a gentleman by the name of Glascoe, of Wells county, joining Company C, Twenty-sixth Indiana Volunteers, in the fall of 1864. For two months following his enlistment he was engaged in drilling drafted men and substitutes at Camp Carrington, Indianapolis, after which his company was assigned to various regiments.

Mr. Pierce again found himself in the Army of the Mississippi under General Smith, and took part in all the varied experiences of his command until the close of the war. He was first stationed at Fort Butler, seventy-five miles above New Orleans on the Mississippi river, where he remained one month and then was placed in charge of one of the heavy guns forwarded from that place to Mobile. At the latter place he took part in the battles of Forts Spanish and Blakely, directly in front of the city, after which he accompanied his command in a forced march of fourteen days duration to Montgomery. From the latter city his company was subsequently sent to Louisville, thirty miles west, where he remained until the cessation of hostilities.

At the close of the war Mr. Pierce was placed in command of a squad of men to gather in government property, and he was thus engaged for six months, during which period he traversed the greater part of Mississippi and Alabama, collecting vast stores which were turned over to the proper authorities. In the fall of 1865 he received his final discharge at Jackson, Mississippi, and immediately thereafter turned his face towards the dear old home from which he had been so long absent. The military career of Mr. Pierce was replete with duty faithfully and heroically performed in behalf of one of the noblest causes that was ever settled by the arbitrament of war.

Actuated by motives of filial regard he saved his good father from a long and probably fatal service, and throughout his entire experience at the front he never lost sight of the high obligation he was under to the government, which at that time was almost stranded upon the rugged rocks of disunion. If narrated in detail his experiences would fill a volume. On the firing line in many bloody battles, with death upon every hand, in dangerous situations from which escape appeared impossible, on the forced march, tired and footsore, in the hasty bivouac, exposed to the inclemencies of the elements, standing picket in the dark and lonesome night a target for the hidden foe, through these and many other experiences fraught with dangers seen and unforseen, he passed unscratched and returned to tell the story of the struggle which struck the shackles from the limbs of three millions of bondmen and made them free, and reunited a disrupted country in the ties of an indissoluble brotherhood.

The experience of army life, although fraught with dangers manifold and great, is not without its ludicrous side, as many an old soldier can testify. Mr. Pierce relates many incidents and being an entertaining story teller is always sure of appreciative auditors. Among his numerous adventures he relates with much interest the incident of the bee hive. Being very fond of honey and knowing that a liberal store was in a farm house near by, he hurriedly left his post and securing a full hive was returning with it in his arms when whom should he meet but the colonel of his regiment. With many harsh words did the officer reprimand him, at the same time tearing off his sergeant's stripes and reducing him to the ranks for such flagrant violation of army discipline. during all this time the luckless duty sergeant kept tight hold upon the honey and although humiliated he and his comrades that night reveled in sweetness long drawn out and made the camp hilarious with their resounding songs and laughter. The following day he was put on duty as eighth corporal, but from the time of the incident, which by the way was never reported at headquarters, until mustered out of service Mr. Pierce continued to draw a sergeant's pay.

As already stated, Mr. Pierce's education prior to entering the army was of a very meager character, indeed he could with difficulty read the simplest sentence and as for writing he had never learned to trace a single letter. All his communications with his parents during his first period of service were written by a bunk mate, a fact which humiliated him not a little and he formed a resolution to master the mystery of chirography if it required all of his leisure to do it. During the latter years of the war he applied himself so diligently that, with such instructions as a comrade gave, he was soon able to write a legible hand besides learning the fundamental rules of arithmetic, to-wit : addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. By carefully poring over such books and papers as fell into his hands he became in time a fairly good reader, after which his desire for knowledge became almost a passion.

Immediately upon his return home he took up the branches constituting the common-school course and, though a young man at the time, began with the simple elementary studies and so diligently did he apply himself that he soon outstripped his classmates and became a fairly good scholar. When the school closed he continued his studies at home with such advantage to himself that in due time he was enabled to enter the Hartford city high school, where he remained one year and for the same length of time was a student in the high school at Jonesboro, Grant county.

Mr. Pierce long contemplated studying law, but the many difficulties in his way made the realization of his wishes appear a remote possibility if not totally impossible. He was led to enter upon the undertaking under very peculiar circumstances, a brief statement of which is as follows: He had arranged his affairs so as to further pursue his studies in the Hartford City high school and while going to the building on the opening day of the term was invited by Mr. Jetmore to step into that gentleman's law office. Mr. Jetmore had long known the young man and being convinced that he possessed tin ability and characteristics requisite to success in the law, lost no time, on this particular morning, in holding out such flattering inducements to be desired from the legal profession that almost before knowing what he did young Pierce decided to abandon further scholastic study and began at once a course of professional reading. Thus in a few minutes the entire drift of the young man's life was changed, a most fortunate circumstance indeed for to it is due the presence to-day of one of the ablest and most distinguished members of the Blackford county bar.

Laying aside his school books, Mr. Pierce with his accustomed energy took up the study of law under the able instruction of Mr. Jetmore, in whose office he continuedone year, making during that time remarkably rapid and substantial progress. While pursuing his professional studies.

Mr. Pierce, on the 30th day of October, 1870, was united in marriage to Miss Ella Beecher, of Pennsylvania, and in order to procure means necessary to go to housekeeping, took charge of the district school which he taught one winter.

The following spring he erected a small cabin, 16x17 feet in size, on his father's farm, two miles west of the city, cutting the logs himself and performing nearly all of the work required to complete the building. In this primitive domicile Mr. Pierce and his devoted wife set up their first domestic establishment and they look back to the time spent beneath its humble roof as some of the happiest in their married experience.

After becoming settled Mr. Pierce again resumed his legal studies in Hartford City, walking the distance between the office and his home twice each day. He was thus engaged the greater part of five years, rarely missing any time and eating but two meals a day, breakfast and supper, both with his wife. After working early and late and triumphing over difficulties before which many of less energy would have retired in defeat, Mr. Pierce was at length, in 1872, admitted to the bar of Blackford county by Judge Haines and immediately thereafter began the practice in Hartford City, removing his family here a short time afterwards.

From 1872 to 1875 he had an office of his own, but in the latter year effected a co-partnership with Jacob Wells, which lasted until some time in 1876. Again he practiced by himself for eighteen months, when J. B. Weir became his partner and the firm thus constituted did an extensive business until its dissolution two years later.

Mr. Pierce's next associate was Hon. W. H. Carroll, with whom he continued until the election of that gentleman to the bench two years later, after which he conducted his own office until becoming a partner of Hon. B. G. Shinn. The firm of Shinn & Pierce, which lasted eight years, was one of the strongest legal partnerships in Hartford City and its reputation was not confined to the local courts of Blackford county alone, but extended throughout neighboring counties of this part of the state.

Since dissolving the partnership with Mr. Shinn, Mr. Pierce has at different times practiced with two other well-known lawyers of this city, namely : J. A. Hindman, from March 8, 1893, to January, 1895, and his present partner, John A. Bonham, with whom he has been asociated since the 19th day of October, 1895.

During the interim of 1873 to 1875 Mr. Pierce served as deputy prosecuting attorney of the counties of Blackford, Huntington and Grant, and in 1880 he was the Democratic candidate for the office of prosecutor, making the race against a reliable majority of eight hundred, which he greatly reduced, being defeated by Charles W. Watkins, whose majority was but sixty- four votes. In 1886 he was elected joint representative in the general assembly from the counties of Adams, Blackford and Jay by a majority of twelve hundred and sixty four, and two years later was unanimously re-nominated by his party and at the ensuing election was returned to the legislature by a largely increased majority. While a member of that body Mr. Pierce served on a number of important committees, was active in defending his measures on the floor and had the honor of presenting several important bills which ultimately became some of the most valuable laws upon the statute books. He was instrumental as a member of the committee on corporations in bringing about much needed legislation, and it was his pleasure to assist in the dedication of the present magnificent state house, in the exercises attendant upon which he took an active part.

At the conclusion of his legislative career Mr. Pierce resumed his professional practice, if indeed it had been interfered with during his absence at the state capital, and in 1897 he was appointed county attorney, an office he has since filled by consecutive reappointments. For a number of years he has been a prominent factor in local politics and few share with him the leadership of the Democratic party in Blackford county.

His popularity with the public, irrespective of party affiliations, has long been a subject of comment and the large majorities he has at different times overcome attest the strong friendship felt for him by the opposition. Financially his success has been most encouraging, he having accumulated a comfortable competence, and in his domestic relations he is happy and content, having an amiable and devoted wife and one child, Horace Greely Pierce, an intelligent and highly educated young gentleman, at this time an employe of the Flint Glass Company, in Hartford City.

Mrs. Pierce, to whom reference has been made in a preceding paragraph, was born October 31, 1851, in Tipsy, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Jesse and Elizabeth (Trussel) Beecher, both parents natives of the Keystone state. She is well and popularly known in the city of her adoption and as a member of the Methodist church is foremost in all good work of the congregation to which she belongs, as well as a helper in general benevolences among the poor and unfortunate of the community.

Mr. Pierce is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Pythian brotherhood and the Grand Army of the Republic, having held in the last named the position of post commander. Endowed by nature with a strong physique and much more than ordinary powers of intellect, he has by an application akin to passion overcome a remarkably unfavorable environment and by the exercise of will power which laughed at obstacles however formidable, has forged to the front and won for himself an honored standing among the successful men of his city and county.

As a lawyer he is studious and resourceful, and his knowledge of the underlying principles of the profession, together with his power as an advocate, make him a formidable opponent, besides attracting to him a large share of public patronage. He is quick to detect any flaw in the opposition, untiring in taking advantage of the same, but is always courteous in his treatment of opposing counsel, never losing sight of the ethics of the profession nor stooping to anything savoring of disreputable practice.

An incident illustrating his tact is related by a friend who recalls the time when clients were few and the family exchequer in consequence thereof frequently quite low. Shortly after receiving the appointment of deputy prosecutor and while still living in the little cabin on the farm, his wife expressed a strong desire to attend the Forepaugh show, which on a certain day was to exhibit in the town. Much to the disappointment of both, it was found that the sum total of available cash in their possession would be insufficient to pay the way of either into the tent. During the afternoon's exhibition Mr. Pierce observed quite a number of gamblers and others plying unlawful devices upon the grounds to defraud the innocent and gullible out of their money. Quick to seize an opportunity he at once had the entire posse arrested and arraigned before the proper authorities by whom they were heavily fined. The fees thus falling to him were by no means inconsiderable, and that evening both himself and wife occupied reserved seats at the performance.

As a public official Mr. Pierce proved true to the trust reposed in him by the people, and in every relation of life he sustains an unblemished character_ As a citizen he has been active to encourage every utility, takes a lively interest in promoting the general good and the community is proud to number him among the most substantial members of the body politic.

9. Cause of Death: thrombsis of cerebral arteries causing cerebral softening and hemiplegia, 30 Dec 1929, Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁴

10. Occupation: retired laywer on 30 Dec 1929 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁴

11. Residence: 215 S. Jefferson St., Hartford City, IN on 30 Dec 1929 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. ⁴

Elisha married Elmira Ella Beecher, daughter of Jesse Beecher and Elisabeth Trostle, on 2 Nov 1870 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN. (Elmira Ella Beecher was born on 31 Oct 1851 in , Tioga, PA,^{3 8 9 10} died on 26 May 1931 in Hartford City, Blackford, IN ^{9 10} and was buried on 28 May 1931 in Hartford City: Hartford City Cemetery, Blackford, IN ^{9 10}.)