Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/260

 PEARCE

PEARCE

Jefferson, Mrs. James Madison. Thomas Sully, Oliver H. Perry, Runmolmii Roy. G. W. Bethune, William Bainbridge, Joseph Priestly, General Armstrong and Stephen Decatur. His figure compositions include: Napoleon on Horseback; Babes in the ]Vood; Ernna; Song of the Shirt; Jupiter and lo; Wine and Cake; Lyseppa on the Rock; Roman Daughter; An Italian Peasant; Ascent of Elijah, and Court of Death. He lectured on " Wasliingtou and His Portraits" in several of the larger cities of the Union, and edited the Portfolio of an Artist (1839). He is the author of: AnAccountof the Skeleton of the Mammoth (IS02); Historical Disquisition on the Mammoth (1803); Notes on Italy (1831); Graphics (1841); Reminis- cences of Art and Artists (lSi5). and translations contributed to the Cnj^o?t anil other publications. He died in Philadelphia. Pa., Oct. 3, 1860.

PEARCE, Charles Edward, representative, was born in Whitesboro, N.Y., May 20, 1843; son of "William Greene and Rebecca Ann (Paine) Pearce; grandson of Nathaniel and Anna (D'Auby) Pearce, and of Philip and Plio^be (Stevens) Paine, and a descendant of John Pearce of North Kingstown, R.I., and of Nicholas Stilhvell of Manhattan Is- land. N.Y. He attended Fairfield seminarj-; was graduated from Union college, N.Y., in 1863, and enlisted in the Federal army immediately upon his graduation, as captain of a company of heavy artillery. He was promoted major in June, 1864, and served in the armies of the James and the Potomac. After the fall of Fort Fisher, he was appointed on the staff of Maj.-Gen. A. H. Terry, and was detailed as provost marshal-general of the eastern district of North Carolina during the occupation of Wilmington, Del. He resigned from the army in 1865; removed to St. Louis, Mo., in 18G6; was admitted to the bar in 1867, and established himself in the practice of law and in manufacturing. He was chosen commander of the national guard of the state of Missouri in 1875; organized the first regiment in 1877, and served as its colonel, 1877-78. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1888; chair- man of the Sioux Indian commission in 1891, and in 1894 was sent to India and Japan to inves- tigate their industries. He was a Republican representative in the 55th and 56th congresses, 1897-1001. lie died in St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 30, 1902.

PEARCE, Charles Sprague, artist, was born in Boston, Mass., Oct. 13, 1851; son of Shadrach Houghton and Mary Anna (Sprague) Pearce. He traveled in Egypt and Algiers, 1873-74, and stud- ied painting under Leon Bonnat in Paris, 1873-75. He exhibited frequently in the Paris Salon and also in New York, Boston and Pliiladelpliia. He was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honor, France, 1894; chevalier of the order of Leopold, Belgium, 1895; chevalier of the order of the Red

Eagle, Prussia, 1897; chevalier of the Order of Danebrog, Denmaik, 1898; a member of the Society of American Ai'tists in 1886; first vice- president of the Paris Society of American Painters; member of the National Society of Mural Painters of New York; the National Insti- tute of Art and Letters, and the Salmagundi club, and received prize medals in Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Paris, Ghent, Munich, Berlin and Vienna. He was a member of the jury of awards at the Paris exposition of 1889; at the Antwerp exposition of 1804, and chairman of the Paris advisory committee and jury of recep- tion for the World's Columbian exposition of 1803. He was married to Louise C, daughter of Louis Bonjeau of Paris. Among his more im- portant works are: Death of the First Bom in Eiiypt (1877); Le Sacrifice d' Abraham {\SS\); De- capitation of John the Baptist (1881); Prelude (1883); Water Carrier (1883); Bebe et sa Sceur (1883); Pra?/er (1884); A Toiler of the;S'ea(1884); Peines de Coetir (1884); Une bergere (1886); St. Genevieve (1887), and mural decorations for the congressional library, Washington.

PEARCE, Dutee Jerauld, representative, was born on Providence Island, R.I., April 3, 1789. He was graduated from Brown university, A.B., 1808, A.M., 1811, studied law and established himself in practice at Newport, R.I. He was active in state politics; served as a representa- tive in the state legislature for several years; was attorney-general of Rhode Island, 1819-25; Monroe and Tompkins presidential elector in 1821, and U.S. district attorney for Rliode Island, 1824-25. He was a Democratic, National Republi- can, People's and Administration representative in the 19th-24th congresses, 1825-37, having been first elected at a special election Nov. 25, 1825, not receiving a majority at the election of Au- gust, 1825, and was re-elected successively until August, 1837, when he was defeated as the Ad- ministration candidate by Robert B. Cranston, Whig, by 960 votes, as declared by the canvassing board, Sept. 2, 1837. He died in Newport, R.I. , May 9, 1849.

PEARCE, James Alfred, senator, was born at Alexandria, Va.,Dec. 8, 1804; son of Gideon and Julia (Dick) Pearce, and grandson of Dr. EHsha CuUen Dick, the medical attendant of General Washington. His first ancestor in America, James Pearce, emigrated from Kent, England, in 1680 and settled in Cecil county, Md. James Alfred Pearce attended a private academy at Alexandria, Va., and was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1822. He studied law in Baltimore, Md.; was admitted to the bar in 1824, and established himself in practice in Cambridge, Md. He engaged in .sugar planting in Louisiana, 1823-31, and resumed his law practice in Chester-