Benjamin W. Pearce

Benjamin Wiley Pearce (born December 15, 1816 in Greene County , Georgia , † October 8, 1870 in Bienville Parish , Louisiana ) was an American politician . Between 1864 and 1865 he was the Confederate Lieutenant Governor of the State of Louisiana.

Career

Benjamin Pearce was born to wealthy southern parents in Greene County, Georgia. He attended the public schools in his home country and then studied for two years at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville . For health reasons, however, he broke off this course. After studying law in Tuscaloosa ( Alabama ) and being admitted to the bar, he began working in this profession in Wetumpka in 1840 . Between 1844 and 1848 he lived in Ouachita County , Arkansas . There he was also a member of the House of Representatives from Arkansas , where he campaigned for women's rights, among other things. In 1848 he moved to Franklin Parish , Louisiana for some time and then to Alabama for three years, before moving to Bienville Parish, Louisiana in 1851. There he worked in agriculture and as a miller. Politically, he was a member of the Democratic Party . He was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the State Senate there for several years .

At the beginning of the Civil War he put together an infantry company of volunteers from the state of Louisiana, which he commanded as a captain. His unit was under the Confederation Army and was deployed with him in Virginia . Soon afterwards he had to quit military service for health reasons. In 1863, Pearce was elected Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, alongside Henry Watkins Allen . He held this office between 1864 and the end of the Confederation in 1865. He was Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Senate. Pearce only exercised this office in the part of Louisiana that was not occupied by Union troops. During the war he lost a considerable part of his fortune. Benjamin Pearce died in Bienville Parish on October 8, 1870. Since November 16, 1843, he was married to Sarah Hall, Alabama, with whom he had five children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Pearce, Benjamin W.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Pearce, Benjamin Wiley (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	December 15, 1816
PLACE OF BIRTH	Greene County , Georgia
DATE OF DEATH	October 8, 1870
Place of death	Bienville Parish , Louisiana