Optional page text here. Marshall S. Pierson

Marshall S. Pierson

Marshall Samuel Pierson was a 24 year old school teacher and farmer at the time of his enlistment, February 26, 1862 in Company C of the 17th Texas Cavalry regiment. A brother William C., also enlisted in Company C, and yet another name of a Pierson is listed on the company roll. From Marshall Pierson’s diary,
On February 26, 1862, Company C of the 17th Regiment Texas Cavalry was organized Tyler, Smith County, Texas. On April 22nd 1862 we took up the line of march from near Stanville for Little Rock, Arkansas. We arrived at Little Rock about the middle of May and reorganized under the Act of Congress for the unexpired term of three years.
About the 26th of May we started from Little Rock for Searcy. On the evening of the 6th, an hour by sun, we started from near Searcy, up Little Red River, to attack a party of two hundred Federals foraging. The road was rough and night soon overtook us. And dark was that night. A juard of fifty men were detailed – 25 for van and 25 for rear guard. I was in the rear guard commanded by Lt. Gibson, who maintained his position near two hundred yards in the rear of the regiment. The night being so very dark we missed the road the regiment took. Upon discovering which, we spurred our horses to a gallop, marching and counter marching and taking different roads endeavoring to discover the track of our friends, for which purpose we would dismount and strike a match to examine the road. As time passed on, we became more and more impatient, rushing our horses furiously and madly along the broken road over brush, ditches, stumps, and logs. Our horses haking frequent leaps to clear obstacles.
We had attained such a state of wildness as to amount to real danger, when it was proposed to listen, also to fire a signal. We halted, every one giving a listening ear. What a contrast within so short a time was produced. From the noise occasioned by the rushing of 25 horses over a bad road covered by many obstacle, to the most profound silence. During our pause a gun was heard, which we supposed, as it afterward proved, was a signal fired by Col. James R. Taylor’s order when he had known that we were lost. We made our way to the Regiment, which we found waiting.
About the hour of midnight we were fired on from the opposite bank of Little Red River while we were attempting to ford it. Col. Taylor ordered the regiment to right about march. We marched back half a mile where the regiment bivouaced. Ten volunteers were called for from among the guard to go down and maintain the ford during the night. I was one of the number. On the seventh at daylight some of the yanks exhibited themselves on the opposite bank of the river. We fired on them, mounted our horses, and retreated to the regiment, but reloaded and advanced to the ford again, which we maintained until the sun ws two hours high, when we were relieved and rejoined the regiment-proceeding up the river to another ford where we crossed. After crossing and going half a mile our advanced guard encountered the enemy's picket, who after firing, retreated. At length we approached the main body. We were in columns of four. Without orders we put our hourses out, going on to them like a whirlwind. Stronger hearts anad better nerves then theirs whould have quailed before us.
Source:Military History of Texas and the Southwest, Volume 8

Texans in the Civil War
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