Association to Commemorate the Chinese Serving in the American Civil War, Part 32

Go back to the home page, click below.
Go back to the home page

Lecture presentation on Joseph Pierce by re-enactor/researcher Irving Moy

Lecture presentation on Joseph Pierce by re-enactor/researcher Irving Moy
September 17, 2003
At the Wallingford Historical Society, Connecticut.

History of a Chinese Yankee brought to light

History of a Chinese Yankee brought to light
By Ronnie Wright
Editorial Assistant
Wallingford Voice
September 28, 2003

When people think about the Civil War, it's usually seen as a struggle between the sons of northern bluebloods and the good 'ole boys from the South.

There might even be some folks out there aware of entire regiments, fighting for the North, made up of ethnic minorities; Irish, African-American, Italian, etc. Ever heard of a Chinese Yankee?

A local resident, fascinated with Abraham Lincoln and the history of the Civil War, discovered the intriguing story of a Chinese boy, sold by his father to a northern blueblood, who would serve in the bloodiest war in American history and become a well-liked and respected member of Connecticut high society at a time when many immigrants were shunned.

Irving Moy of Wallingford regularly participates in Civil War re-enactments. This may seem strange to some who would see a Chinese man dressed as a soldier for the Union, but that never curtailed Moy's interests in Lincoln and that period of history.

"The Civil War fascinates me," said Moy. "That war made our country what it is today; the great melting pot of immigrants into a single nation that Abraham Lincoln called the 'last best hope of earth.' "
"(Lincoln) was so intertwined with the events of that time, and the Civil War was such an important part of American history, it really speaks to me of what America stands for," Moy continued. "Lincoln was basically saying that we can't be hypocritical, being the 'Land of the Free,' and still maintain slavery."

Moy subscribes to Civil War Times Illustrated, a magazine devoted to the subject. Flipping through an issue's profile section, he came across a submitted letter from Collinsville about a man named Joseph Pierce who fought in the Civil War. The writer was willing to bet that not many people knew of this man.

This wouldn't seem extraordinary save for this one fact: Joseph Pierce was Chinese. He was also said to have lived in Meriden. A Chinese descendent himself, Moy's curiosity was immediately piqued, and a year of research culminated with a story that only seems to resonate within himself, but illuminated what would otherwise be a relatively obscure historical footnote.

Joseph Pierce was sold by his biological father to Sea Captain Amos Peck, a member of a fairly prominent family in Berlin, Connecticut, in 1852. Members of Peck's crew couldn't actually pronounce the ten-year-old's given Chinese name, so they called him Joe. He picked up the last name Pierce when Peck returned to Berlin in 1853. Franklin Pierce was then President of the United States.

At the time, many Chinese immigrants were either relegated to working the construction of railroads or serving as cabin boys on ships. Pierce was fortunate to be adopted by a family of some status, and learned to read and write. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1862 and fought with the 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Army of the Potomac, which was the main army in the Eastern Theater under generals McClellan in 1862 and Grant in early 1864. The 14th Conn. Regiment fought in various battles, from Antietam onward and marched to Appomattox, where General Lee surrendered to Grant. Pierce was promoted to the rank of Corporal before the war ended.

After the war, Pierce settled in Meriden and worked as a silver engraver at the Meriden Britannia Silver Company, and married Martha Morgan of Portland, Conn. They had four children; two daughters, the oldest who died of pneumonia before the age of 16, and the other at childbirth. and two sons; Franklin Norris Pierce and Howard Benjamin Pierce. Howard was a bachelor, but his nephew, Franklin Wadsworth Pierce (Franklin Norris Pierce's son) had three natural daughters and two stepdaughters.

The circle would complete itself when Moy began giving presentations on Joe Pierce's story. "At one of my presentations, I met the brother of the woman who married Pierce's grandson Franklin Wadsworth Pierce," said Moy. "He was able to fill in some of the blanks that I had been missing in terms of Pierce's lineage." Moy eventually made contact with the eldest of Franklin Wadsworth's natural daughters, who actually wasn't at all that surprised to learn that the family had Chinese heritage.

"The way she described it, the family always had 'Mongoloid' features," said Moy. "They didn't know about their heritage, and it wasn't something that was talked about. It was a secret that wasn't to be discussed." Part of the reason for that may have to do with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, passed by Congress, which stated that Chinese immigrants were taking jobs away from American citizens. By law, Chinese immigrants were not allowed to become citizens and those that already were citizens were not allowed to bring their families over from China. At this point in American history, the Chinese were not well-accepted into American society, which makes Joseph Pierce's story all the more relevant. When Moy was able to contact one of Pierce's descendants and tell her the story, she in turn told the family, and they all seemed to beam with pride at what Pierce was able to accomplish. "I began contact with her last May," said Moy. "Her sisters and family didn't know the history, but one of them took their son down to the vistor's center in Gettysburg, where there is a picture of Pierce in civilian clothing on the 'Faces of Gettysburg' wall exhibit." "She relayed to me that they were proud of their heritage," he added.

Moy's own connection to Pierce seems too extraordinary to be coincidence. Although Moy is not directly related to Pierce, both are Chinese decent. Moy has always been fascinated by the Civil War, even re-enacting under the same regiment that Pierce served in, before he had heard of Pierce. Moy's father, whose given name was often mispronounced, was also called Joe, who also served in the US Army as a foot soldier during World War II. Pierce was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Moy is also a Methodist. Moy married an American woman from Portland, Conn., as did Pierce. And Pierce's grandson Franklin Wadsworth died in Bridgeport, blocks away from Moy's childhood residence.

"Doing research for this project was really a labor of love for me," said Moy. "I definitely feel this loose connection." "I also feel that Pierce had the hand of God on him," he said. "His father probably felt that his son would have a better life with Peck, as Chinese men really pride themselves with sons and are reluctant to do such a thing. Peck was a member of a prominent family, which helped Joe. He lived through the Civil War, and learned a trade to make decent money. He married into American society and was accepted."

"He lived the American Dream before it became the ideal that we know today," he said.

(Note: My friend Irving Moy sent me these Newspaper clippings for the website. The webmaster took the liberty to lightly edit the article based on historical accuracy.)

Reflections On the Civil War and Joseph Pierce, by Irving Moy
Reflections On the Civil War and Joseph Pierce
To find Irving Moy's picture in Civil War uniform, please scroll down the above website.

Chinese man's role in Civil War retold

Chinese man's role in Civil War retold
By Michael Gannon
Register Staff
New Haven Register
September 19, 2003

Wallingford------Irving Moy admits he doesn't know how a first-generation American and the son of a Chinese immigrant became so fascinated with the Civil War. "For a long time I wanted to join a group of re-enactors, but I didn't think there were too many Chinese who fought in the Civil War." "Then, lo and behold, I came across somebody named Joseph Pierce."

Speaking before 40 members of the Wallingford Historical Society this week, Moy, 55, offered a stirring account of the life of a young Chinese boy who was taken in by an aristocratic Hartford family in 1852. He served with distinction with the 14th Connecticut Volunteers during several of the most horrific campaigns of the war before returning home and working in the family silver business. He died in Meriden in 1916.

Moy, director of facilities at Elim Park Baptist Home in Cheshire, was bedecked in full uniform of the 14th Connecticut Volunteers, having finally joined a re-enactment group two years ago.

Born in China's Canton region in 1842, Pierce was sold by his father at age 10 to a ship captain named Amos Peck. "Sons were very important in Asian culture," Moy said. "I wondered why his father would have done that. But that was during the time of the Opium Wars, when there was a lot of fighting going on in the area. I think his father probably felt this was an opportunity to do something for his son." Moy said countless children served as cabin boys, treated little better than slaves. But Peck, a descendent of a founder of Hartford, more or less adopted Pierce, who became accepted in the family and in Hartford society. "The men on the ship home couldn't pronounce his Chinese name," Moy said. "What do they do in America when that happens? They called him Joe."

Moy's father who liked Pierce, was from Canton, also entered the country with a new family that allowed him to pass as a deceased eldest son to circumvent anti-Chinese immigration laws.

Pierce fought at Gettysburg, holding the line with Union forces during Pickett's charge. His regiment also fought at Antietam, the single bloodiest day of combat in U.S. History.

One of the two known photographs of Pierce depicts him in corporal's stripes, making him the highest-ranking Chinese man to have served. Moy said the 14th Connecticut Volunteers numbered 1,040 in 1862. Pierce was one of 215 to come home in spring 1865, welcomed back into his accustomed role in Connecticut society and becoming a silver engraver. In 1876, at age 34, he married 18-year-old Martha Morgan of Portland, Conn. The couple settled in Meriden in a house that still stands. They had four children, though only the two sons reached adulthood. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act placed great restrictions on Chinese immigration and denied citizenship to many already here.

His obituary from 1916 made no mention of Pierce's service to his adopted nation, but once again it spoke volumes about how local society did not make the distinctions Congress had. "It said, 'He was well known, and well liked,' " Moy said. "If we could have something in our obituaries, that's something we would strive for."

(Note: My friend Irving Moy sent me these Newspaper clippings for the website. The webmaster took the liberty to lightly edit the article based on historical accuracy.)

A letter to Ms. Patricia Wadsworth Pierce Haight, great granddaughter of Joseph Pierce, from the webmaster

On Joseph Pierce

Dear Ms. Patricia Wadsworth Pierce Haight,

Many researchers have contributed in compiling information on your great grandfather Joseph Pierce and I would like to tell you who they are, to the extent of my knowledge. Obviously the most in depth researcher on the subject is my friend Irving Moy. When I received his 100-page research papers, I almost fell on the floor. It is such a tremendous outstanding work. Plus he is doing re-enacting, lecturing, educating and commemorating that makes him the number one fan of Joseph Pierce. His work could be found in Part 15, 16, 17 and 24 of this website.

Another friend of mine, the pre-eminent author/novelist/historian Ruthanne Lum McCunn also did excellent independent research on Pierce. She published her findings on a Journal, Chinese American: History and Perspective, 1996; Title: Chinese in the Civil War: Ten who served. You can find it in Part 5.

Pierce's first photograph (the one with a queue) is the property of his comrade, Private Edwin Stroud's grandson, Harold Harrison, of East Berlin. The picture was published in History of the Fourteenth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, by Charles D. Page, in 1906.

The picture was reproduced in Herbert J. Stoekel's, More About the Chinese Yankee; The Courant Magazine (Aug 4, 1963); and Stoekel wrote another article in the same magazine (June 30, 1963); Oriental Yank from Berlin. Also see Charles P. Hamblen, Connecticut Yankees at Gettysburg, Kent State University Press, 1993.

Seventy-six years later, John Dynia, a retired U.S. Army colonel and Civil War enthusiast from Connecticut, became interested in Pierce when he read George Stewart's Pickett's Charge that Pierce was (believed to be) the only Chinese in the Army of the Potomac. Figuring Pierce was then likely the only such person in the approximately 160,000 men taking part in the Battle of Gettysburg, Dynia submitted Pierce's photograph along with a recommendation for the veteran's inclusion in The Faces of Gettysburg at the Visitor's Center, in the Gettysburg National Military Park in 1993. I managed to contact him and thank him.

In 2001, Michael J. McAfee, Senior Editor of the Military Images magazine and Curator of the Museum of United States Military Academy published Joeseph Pierce’s photograph in Union uniform on the cover page of the Military Images magazine. He also wrote a short article on Pierce.

In early 1990, my friend, the Australian researcher Terry Foenander had started researching Asians serving in the Civil War, and Joseph Pierce was one of his research subjects.

An article called; An Oriental Yankee Soldier; by John M. Archer, of Collinsville, Connecticut was printed in the Civil War Times Illustrated, September/October 1994 issue, on the "Time Lapse" page. You could find it in Part 24.

In 1997, I heard from my Olde Colony Civil War Round Table friends mentioning that there were Chinese serving in the Civil War. Not knowing there were works on Joseph Pierce out there, I tried to collect as much information as possible. Scott Hartwig, National Park Service in Gettysburg gave me some assistance. In May 1998, I wrote a short article on Pierce and printed it in our Civil War Round Table Newsletter.

Dr. Qingsong Zhang, a Ph.D. in History from University of Virginia, wrote a book Dragon In The Land Of The Eagle in Chinese, in 1997. One Chapter talks about Joseph Pierce serving in the Civil War. The Chinese language book would provide an opportunity for the Chinese in China to read about Pierce’s deeds. Dr. Zhang also submitted a short description on Pierce in Chinese American Soldiers in an Encyclopedia of the American Civil War, A Comprehensive Reference from ABC-CCLIO, Colorado Springs, in 1999. You could find it in Part 8.

In April 1999, Civil War author Tom Lowry and CW Navy researcher Edward Milligan wrote an article on Chinese in the Civil War in the North and South magazine, of which, Pierce was one of their focal points. Tom referenced on Ruthanne’s work.

Independent Documentary Film Producer and Director, Montgomery Hom, gathered a handful of scholars who had done research on Chinese serving in the American Civil War, and requested them to discuss the topic in his Documentary Film, "Men Without A Country: Chinese in the Civil War" The shooting was done in December, 2000. The documentary film will be shown in PBS nationwide soon.

There are several people re-enacting Joseph Pierce. You already know of Irving's involvement with the 14th CT Voluntary Infantry in Connecticut. I know there are at least 4 more Asians portraying Pierce and they are from Maryland, Georgia, California and Indiana.

In January 2000, I launched my web site with the intention of spreading the message to the public. The internet also provides a medium for dialogue with readers. It serves me well in finding people with similar interests, and Joseph Pierce is one of the historical focal points. My web site address is at
http://members.aol.com/gordonkwok/accsacw.html

Michael J. McAfee wrote an article "Uncommon Soldiers" in the Civil War Times Illustrated, December 2003 issue. He included Joseph Pierce’s photograph in Union uniform.

The China Press (Qiao Bao), based on New York City, published a 4,000 words article in Chinese characters/language, on Chinese serving in the Civil War, on November 1, 2003. Joseph Pierce was one of the major persons featured.

Sincerely, Gordon Kwok, 6/29/2002 (with update information added after 6/29/2002)
(Note: There could be more information published on Joseph Pierce out there that I am not aware of.)

COPYRIGHT (C)

Links

Go back to the home page, click below.
Go back to the home page

Go to ACCSACW Part 31, click below.
Go to ACCSACW Part 31.

Alternative homepage