Coming home

1865: Reuben Pearce resumes life in Wellington

Back in the day, Reuben Pearce was just a regular farmer, a family man, and a respected member of the Wellington community where he lived and farmed on County Road 2, just like many others of the time. It was an odd and sudden decision that saw Reuben abandon his young family to join the American Civil War as he enlisted with the United States Army, where he later found himself wounded, captured and imprisoned, until his ultimate release when the war ended. This is the fourth and final instalment of a taste of the life British immigrant Reuben Pearce led in Prince Edward County during his lifetime spanning the mid-1800s until his death in Wellington in 1909. Mark Pearce, Reuben Pearce’s great-great-grandson, spent 10 years researching his ancestor and he felt it important to share some of his findings with the Prince Edward County community, especially since many of Reuben’s descendants remain County residents, some of whom Mark has been in contact with during his research. “For the descendants of Reuben Pearce, his life is a colourful piece of family history,” says Mark.

With the American Civil War now over, and having spent 16 months behind enemy lines as a Canadian enlisted with the United States Army, Reuben was finally released from a Richmond, Virginia prison on April 19, 1865. It was time to come home to Wellington and return to the wife and four young children he had so suddenly abandoned in November 1863. What is strange is after his release from prison, Reuben did not return home immediately. “He worked on a farm in Virginia for two months, then in Charleston as a mason for four months,” explains Mark. “Finally, he returned to Buffalo and was mustered out of service on November 2, 1865.” What is intriguing is during all this time, he had been listed as “missing in action” as his family had not heard from him in almost two years.

Mark’s research found that Reuben wanted to come home after being released, but was afraid to return in the dire physical condition he was in. “When he was released, it is estimated that he only weighed about 90 pounds and was severely malnourished,” says Mark. Reuben struggled with his health from the wound and other ailments brought on by his confinement. “He wanted to come home, but did not want to looking like a wreck of a man and chose to take some time to regain some weight and improve his health, so that he could come home as an able man ready to resume his farming life.”

“According to family records, Reuben returned home to his family in December 1865 and walked in the front door just in time for breakfast.” Eight months had passed since he had been released from prison and it was almost two years to the day since he walked out on his family in Wellington to enlist. In December 1865, Reuben Pearce returned to his wife of 10 years and his four young children and his Wellington farmstead (which no longer exists) on the west side County Road 2 where life resumed and he carried on as a farmer. “Reuben was more than happy to be a farmer again,” adds Mark. Twenty-six year-old Sophia clearly forgave her husband for abandoning her and the family because they went on to have 11 more children, for a total of 15. Sophia Pearce (née Hazard) passed away in 1898 at age 59.

Financially, Reuben had done alright from his time away as he collected his pension from the United States government for his Civil War service, having accumulated a lot of back pay while in prison. As well, he was paid his bounty for joining up in the first place. “This was all paid to him after he was released from the prison and discharged, and he came home with a nice sum of money,” explains Mark, adding, “I also think he returned home a little wiser in valuing the life he had in Canada, and that life on the farm was not so bad after all.” In 1881, sixteen years after his return from war to the family farm on County Road 2 just north of Wellington, Reuben sold the farm he had owned for 27 years and bought another bigger and better farm on the same road, not far from his first farm, this time on the east side of the road. The larger property was likely needed to accommodate his growing family, which eventually totalled 17 members. The 100- acre 1867 farm, located at 1244 County Road 2, and now known as the Brighthouse Farm (originally the Anderson/Bright house), not only still stands, but has been gleamingly restored by its current owners where the former dairy farm lives on. Reuben sold the farm to his son Charles Pearce in 1899, but continued to live there until 1903, when Charles sold the property. Reuben lived out his last years with his son and daughterin- law in a property located at Main and Consecon Streets in Wellington until his death in 1909.

When Mark first wrote about his great-great- grandfather‘s life, particularly his involvement in the American Civil War, the information available to him was limited. In the past decade, Mark has learned more, researched heavily, and had the opportunity to pursue his ancestor’s life in more detail, and once he retired five years ago, he was able to spend more time putting together a book of his findings. “Back then, I was still doing research on my ancestor and hadn’t planned to write a book, but since 2009, I have gathered a lot more information which then allowed me to complete a book.” For Mark, the research process took a long time to complete because Reuben Pearce left hardly any written information about his life. “I had to piece it together from descendants and researching the events that he experienced.” Research was also done through books, archive centres, government records, including Reuben’s service record, where Mark admits it was a lot of work and very time consuming.

Mark has met a number of other descendants plus the great-great-granddaughter of the prison commandant who was in charge of the prison when Reuben was confined there. “The story of my ancestor has given me a very rewarding personal experience,” he says. “I now know a lot about my family history, have connected with many relatives that our family had lost touch with.” With everything Mark discovered about his great-great-grandfather, he notes how one of the biggest surprises was discovering how difficult Reuben’s life was at times. “He probably could have had a very good life in England if he stuck with his father’s business, as his father was a wealthy man,” explains Mark. “Instead, he chose to be a farmer in Canada when he was only 19 and had no family assistance and he had no experience. Then he takes off to enlist in the Civil War and gets captured and is stuck in a Confederate prison, yet he survives all this and in the end has a decent life in Wellington and a large family of children.”

Reuben Pearce is buried in the Wellington Cemetery, In 2009, his gravesite received a marker from the United States government in recognition of his service during the Civil War, something the Royal Canadian Legion, Wellington Branch 160, subsequently acknowledged with a Colour Party tribute. The full story of Reuben Pearce’s life is revealed in Mark Pearce’s self-published book, Reuben Pearce: A County Farmer and American Civil War Veteran available at Books & Company in Picton.