REUBEN HARRISON PIERCE  born Oct 13 1812 in Edgefield Dist SC

5.  REUBEN HARRISON² PIERCE (JAMES H.¹) was born October 13, 1812 in ,Edgefield Dist., SC, and died August 24, 1890 in Pyatt, Marion Co., AR.  He married SARAH BAKER December 15, 1836 in ,Hall Co., GA, daughter of SILAS BAKER.  She was born October 06, 1815 in ,,GA, and died 1886 in Pottsville, Pope Co., AR.

Notes for REUBEN HARRISON PIERCE:

Reuben H. Pierce was said to have been a witness in Edgefield District, SC to the marriage i n 1818 of his sister Elizabeth to James R. Russell.  The Russell family relocated to Hall Cou nty, GA in 1822.<2>  It is presumed that Reuben moved with his family to Hall County about th e same time.  He was included as Reyben H. Pierce (13) in a report of poor school children i n Capt. Dorsey's 575th District, Hall Co., GA, July 5, 1825, by David G. McClusky, Lemuel Cla yton and John Burnett.  He was also included in a receipt for Ephraim M. Johnston for teachin g in the 575th Militia District, April 1, 1828, and another report for the 595th Militia Dist rict Oct. 1829.  William G. (Green) Russell and his siblings, Elizabeth, Martha Ann and Poll y Ann (Mary) were also in the same schools, as was Levi and Hamton (sic) Pierce.  Reuben, the refore, was probably in Hall County, GA as early as 1822, very close to the Russell family.

In the 392nd Militia District, Oct. 1829, was Mariah Russle(12) and Franklin Russle(15), chil dren of Robt. W. Russle. It is not known if the latter were related to the James Russell fami ly.<35>

On 29 Apr 1831 (p.57) and 7 May 1831 (p.63), Reuben H. Pierce's name appeared in account book s of one of Frances C. Anoc's stores or taverns in Hall Co. or Cherokee Indian Nation.<61>

The name of R. H. Pierce appeared as a teacher for 1836 on a list of Hall County poor schoo l students for 1836, dated 1837, from the Counties Oversize, File II, Georgia Department of A rchives and History.<62>

On 25 Jun 1838, Reuben H. Pierce was a Second Leutenant of the 575th District of Hall Count y of the Georgia Militia.<63>

In 1840, Reuben(age 20-30) and Sarah(age 20-30) were in the 827th District, Cass County, GA w ith two sons (R. J. and W. L.) under age five.  Nearby in the same County was Levi(age 30-40 ) and Matilda H. Pierce(age 20-30) with a daughter under five.<31>

On 12 Sep 1850, Reuben(age 40), Sarah(age 38) and six children (ages 4 mo. to 14 yr.) were i n Savannah District, Lumpkin County, GA .<34>

In 1851-1852, A. M. Russell and R. H. Pierce were Representatives to the State Legislature re presenting Hall County.<64>

In 1860, Reuben(age 50), Sarah(age 40) and eight children(ages 2 to 23) were in Dawsonville , Savannah District, Dawson County, GA.<65>  Dawson County was created out of Lumpkin and Gil mer Counties in 1857.<6>

In 1861, Alfred Webb and R. H. Pierce represented Dawson County as delegates to the Secessio n Convention held in Milledgeville and Savannah, GA.<66>

Reuben enlisted in his nephew, Capt. John R. Russell's infantry company in Dawson County, G A which was organized in Atlanta on March 4, 1862 and became Company I, 52nd Regiment, Georgi a Volunteer Infantry, Army of Tennessee, Dept. of East Tennessee, CSA. He was First Sergeant .  The regiment served briefly at Chatanooga, TN before moving to Cumberland Gap.  In late 18 62, the unit was transferred to the Dept. of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana. Stationed a t Vicksburg, the unit later served in the Army of Vicksburg and was captured when the city fe ll to Federal forces on July 4, 1863.  Reuben  was discharged, over-age, in 1863.<41>  The Re giment reformed and was involved in further conflicts in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Miss issippi and surrendered at Columbus, MS, May 4, 1865.<67>

The 1870 Georgia Census of Sanford's District, Dawson County, at Dawsonville, on 30 Jul 1870 , enumerated at p.510, dwelling 657: Harrison Pierce (age 55, School Teacher, b. GA), Sarah ( age 54, b. GA), Mary (age 22, b. GA), Nancy (age 13, b. GA), Nancy A. (age 36, b. GA), and Jo hn (age 8, b. GA.)  Harrison was Reuben H. Pierce, born in SC, not GA.  Nancy, age 13 was Ad a Missouri(Sou).  It is not known who Nancy A. was.  John was probably her son.<68>

Georgia and the rest of the south became so impoverished that the restoration of order and pr osperity was slow in coming.  Reuben, his wife and children and their families left Georgia i n late 1870, following his eldest son, Dr. R. J. Pierce, who migrated to Arkansas the year be fore.

In 1872 Reuben homesteaded a 160 acre farm at Sugar Orchard Creek in Marion County, Arkansa s and built a hewed log house for Sarah, himself and his youngest daughter, Sou, who was the n about thirteen years old.  While living here, he taught school.  In 1875, he sold the far m and purchased a small place on Carrion Crow Mountain in Pope County, Arkansas, near the hom e of his daughter, Betty Allmon.  Soon after, he and Sarah sold this place and lived in tur n with their children in Marion and Pope Counties.<3>

The 1880 Arkansas Census enumerated on 8 Jun 1880 in Green Log Township, Pope County, AR, Enu meration District 198, p. 8, dwelling 53, Rueben Pierce (age 68, Teacher,b. SC, f b. NH, m b . NC) and Sarah (age 65, b. NC, f b. GA, m b. GA.) His son, Rube and family lived in the adjo ining dwelling.<37>  Sarah died in 1886 and was buried in Pisgah Cemetery, near Pottsville, P ope County, AR.<69> Reuben died in 1890 and was buried in Patton Cemetery, near Pyatt, Mario n County, AR.<70>

FOOTNOTE:61*Robert S. Davis, Jr., "Families of Hall County, 1817-1849," Magnolia Press, Gaine sville, GA, 1991.

FOOTNOTE:62*From the Counties Oversize, File II, Georgia Dept. of Archives and History, Atlan ta, GA, contributed by Robert S. Davis, Jr.

FOOTNOTE:63*State of Georgia Military Records, 1829-1961, Vol.3, p.162, Drawer40, Box 17, Geo rgia Dept. of Archives and History.

FOOTNOTE:64*State of Georgia Official and Statistical Register, 1975-1976, p.1548, Ben W. For tson, Jr., Secretary of State, Georgia Dept. of Archives and History, Atlanta, GA.

FOOTNOTE:65*1860 Dawson County, Georgia Federal Census, M653, Roll 119, p.68, dwelling 334, N ational Archives, Fort Worth, Texas.

FOOTNOTE:66*The Confederate Records of the State of Georgia, Vol. I, Journal of the Conventio n held at Milledgeville in open session, 16 Jan 1861, p.214, Georgia Dept. of Archives and Hi story, Atlanta, GA.

FOOTNOTE:67*"Grey Books, Vol. 7", pp.976-981, Civil War Confederate Collection, Hill College , Hillsboro, TX.

FOOTNOTE:68*1870 Dawson County, Georgia Federal Census, M593, Roll 146, National Archives, Fo rt Worth, Texas.

FOOTNOTE:69*Tombstone incsription, Pisgah Cemetery, Pope County, AR.

FOOTNOTE:70*Tombstone inscription, Patton Cemetery, Marion County, AR.

More About REUBEN HARRISON PIERCE:

Burial: Patton Cem, Marion Co., AR

More About SARAH BAKER:

Burial: Pisgah Cem, Pope Co., AR

Children of REUBEN PIERCE and SARAH BAKER are:

17.       i.   DR ROBESON JASPER³ PIERCE, b. August 23, 1837, ,,GA; d. 1911, Yellville, Marion Co., AR.

18.      ii.   WILLIAM LAFAYETTE PIERCE, b. December 19, 1839, ,Hall Co., GA; d. August 21, 1910, Hazeldell, Comanche Co., TX.

19.     iii.   MARTHA B. (MAT) PIERCE, b. June 16, 1842, ,,GA; d. December 06, 1897, Pottsville, Pope Co., AR.

20.     iv.   LEVI RICHARD (BUD) PIERCE, b. August 23, 1844, ,Marietta, Cobb Co., GA; d. January 07, 1918, Yellville, Marion Co., AR.

21.      v.   MARY JANE PIERCE, b. January 19, 1848, ,,GA; d. Abt. 1873, Pyatt, Marion Co., AR.

22.     vi.   SARAH ELIZABETH (BETTY) PIERCE, b. February 15, 1850, ,,GA; d. September 27, 1912, Pottsville, Pope Co., AR.

23.    vii.   JR REUBEN HARRISON PIERCE, b. October 22, 1852, ,,GA; d. February 04, 1930, Hamilton, Hamilton Co., TX.

24.      viii.     ADA MISSOURI (SOU) PIERCE, b. October 16, 1858, ,Forsyth Co., GA; d. July 09, 1904, Pottsville, Pope Co., AR