OSCAR M. PIERCE

Oscar Montgomery Pierce was born in Sheridan Township on May 16, 1846, the son of Cyrus and Martha (Reed) Pierce, natives of New York. He was raised here in the Albion area.

Oscar joined Company I, 6th Michigan Regiment Infantry in Albion on February 15, 1864 as a private at the age of 18. The Regiment had already been converted into a Regiment of Heavy Artillery in 1863 and went by that latter designation when Oscar joined, although his 1921 service pension paper uses the Infantry designation. The 6th Regiment Michigan Heavy Artillery was assigned mainly to garrison duty during Oscar's sixteen months of service.

Oscar served at Port Hudson, Louisiana until June 6, 1864. On June 6 the Regiment moved to Morganza, LA for infantry duty. On June 25 the Regiment was moved to Vicksburg, MS where it remained until July 24 when they were transferred to Ashton, Arkansas. Company I was transferred for garrison duty at Fort Gaines, LA from August 23, 1864 to July 9, 1865 a period of eleven months. On July 9, 1865 the Regiment was transferred to New Orleans, where it remained on duty until August 20, 1865. On that date in New Orleans the Regiment was mustered out, including Oscar at the age of 19. The official discharge was in Jackson, Michigan on September 5, 1865.

Following the War, Oscar married Indiana-native Matilda Lemon of Grand Rapids in 1883, and the couple had several children there in the 1880s. While in Grand Rapids he worked as a liveryman. Later in Grand Rapids (where his daughter May Belle (Pierce) Brown (1884-1968) and family lived) Oscar became a fireman and worked in that position for nine years before his retirement. His obituary mentions that he also lived in Greenville for a period of time.

Oscar was actively involved in the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), and according to his obituary "held all the offices in the lodges at Greenville and Grand Rapids." That probably explains why Oscar wasn't a member of the G.A.R., as he already had a "club" he belonged to in which he was very active. Albion's G.A.R post wasn't even organized until December, 1883.

He returned to Albion upon retirement, purchasing a home at 200 S. Eaton St. where he lived until his death. When he passed away here on December 29, 1936, Oscar had been one of only three remaining Civil War veterans in Albion; the other two who outlived him were James Harrington, and Jacob Perine. Oscar's house remained in possession of family descendants until they were forced out during the Urban Renewal projects in 1969 when the structure was demolished.

From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of Oscar M. Pierce in his Civil War uniform, and his tombstone in Riverside Cemetery. How many of our readers have ancestors who were soldiers in the Civil War? Special thanks to Brian Pierce of Albion who is a descendant of Oscar, for his help with information and photographs this week.

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