Benjamin Kendrick Pierce

Benjamin Kendrick Pierce was born on August 29, 1790, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. He was the eldest son of Benjamin Pierce, who served as the Governor of New Hampshire, and Anna (Kendrick) Pierce. Pierce was a descendant of Thomas Pierce (1618–1683), who was born in Norwich, England, and emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

For his education, Pierce attended Phillips Exeter Academy in preparation for higher studies. He enrolled at Dartmouth College in 1807 but was dismissed in 1810 due to misconduct, which included damaging campus property by firing a loaded cannon during an Independence Day celebration. Subsequently, he studied law under attorney David Starrett in Hillsborough as preparation for a legal career.

Pierce’s military service commenced shortly before the outbreak of the War of 1812, when he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 3rd Artillery on March 12, 1812. During the war, he commanded Pierce's Company of Artillery and participated in several battles, including Fort Oswego, Fort Erie, Chippawa, and Lundy's Lane. He remained in military service after the war, serving in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Artillery Regiments, and was promoted to captain in the 1st Artillery on October 1, 1813.

His post-war assignments involved duties at various forts, including Fort Holmes and Fort Mackinac, where he was stationed between 1816 and 1821. During this period, his brother John Sullivan Pierce and brother-in-law John McNeil Jr. also served in the Army, performing duties at Fort Holmes and Fort Mackinac.

In the Second Seminole War, which began in 1835, Pierce was assigned to Florida-based forts such as Fort Defiance and Fort Drane. He was promoted to permanent major in the 1st Artillery Regiment on June 11, 1836, and brevet lieutenant colonel in October 1836 for distinguished service at Fort Drane. He was also appointed as colonel in the Florida Militia, serving as quartermaster general and commander of a mounted regiment of Creek Indians. His military efforts contributed to the defeat of Seminole leader Osceola’s forces, notably at the Battle of the Wahoo Swamp on November 1, 1836.

In 1838, Pierce directed the construction of a blockhouse on the Indian River, which came to be known as Fort Pierce in his honor. Throughout the Seminole War, Pierce received recommendations for brevet promotions, although these were not always acted upon.

After the Second Seminole War, Pierce was reassigned several times, including commands at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York, and Plattsburgh Barracks in upstate New York. His promotion to lieutenant colonel in the 1st Artillery became permanent on March 19, 1842. From September 1843 to July 1845, he commanded Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.

During the Mexican–American War, Pierce served as commander of Fort Barrancas near Pensacola, Florida, but his health limitations prevented active participation in Mexico. He was then transferred to Fort Adams in Newport, where he served from June 1847 to September 1848. His health declined in later years, leading to his residence in a hospital in New York City.

Benjamin Kendrick Pierce died in New York City on April 1, 1850, after 38 years of military service. He was initially interred at the military cemetery at Fort Jay on Governor’s Island; his remains were later re-interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Pierce was married three times. His first wife was Josephine "Josette" Laframboise, whom he married in 1817 at Fort Mackinac; she died in childbirth or shortly after in 1820. His second marriage was to Amanda Boykin in 1823 in Alabama; she died in January 1831 at Fort Delaware. His third wife was Louisa Gertrude Read, whom he married in 1838; she died in 1840.

He was the father of Harriet Josephine Pierce, Benjamin Langdon Pierce, Elizabeth Boykin Pierce, Charlotte Boykin Pierce, and other children. His descendants include individuals who married into notable military families.

Pierce's legacy includes the town of Fort Pierce, Florida, named after him. As a hereditary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati by descent from his Revolutionary War-serving father, he was recognized within military hereditary organizations. Records reflect commendations from several military supervisors, affirming his performance during his service.