WYLIE MATTHEW PIERCE
The following bio was
taken from page 342 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and
edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.
Transcribed by
Claudia Schuster
Submitted by
Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator
Nancy Jane Parker Bates Pierce, twice widowed, came
to Texas in 1850 from Georgia to be near her brothers who were living in Rusk
County. She acquired some land in
the Shiloh Community east of Minden where she lived until her death February 21,
1889. Three Pierce children came to
Texas with their mother: two boys, Cullen D. and Wylie Matthew, and a daughter,
Elizabeth V. Wylie. Matthew (Doc),
the youngest, was only six years old when he arrived in Texas.
Wylie left the farm to join Hoods Texas
Brigade, First Texas Company C and fight with the Confederates.
He engaged in numerous battles including Appomattox, Manasas, and
Gettysburg and was wounded twice. After
the South surrendered he remained in Georgia with relatives approximately two
years before returning home.
Wylie married Miss Susan E. Vaughn September
12, 1867; however, they were to have a short life together before Susan’s
death. Wylie then married Miss
Nancy Jane Wallace October 7, 1869. He
and Nancy purchased the farm from his mother March 5, 1887.
They had eight children, four of whom died: infant twins; Jesse, ages
four of diphtheria; and Mollie, age nine of typhoid. The other children – Martha Ann, Sarah Elizabeth, Claudia
Frances, and Bertha Lucille – attended the Shiloh School.
It was a small one-teacher school and was often short of funds.
In 1884 the school was in dire need of funds so the patrons agreed to pay
specified sums of money to support the school for ten months.
Each patron contributing according to his ability.
Wylie Pierce agreed to pay $15.00. His wife, Susan, is credited with
having begun the annual July 4th Shiloh picnic in 1876, after she and
others had been meeting to clean the cemetery on that day each year.
She would pack a lunch, as the chore was an all day affair.
Bertha, the youngest daughter, married John
Edgar Phillips September 27, 1914, and they purchased the farm from her parents
in November, 1918. They had three
children: Joe Pierce, August 5, 1916- November 5, 1916; Francis Derwood December
15, 1921-May 3, 1940; and Janie Christene.
Bertha and Edgar lived on the farm until his
death January 25, 1964. Then Bertha
leased the farm and moved to San Antonio to be with Janie and her family.
Bertha is now residing in Normandy Terrace Nursing and Retirement Center,
San Antonio, Texas. She has a fantastic memory and related many stories of her
parent’s life.
MY favorite among Bertha’s tales is about a
pair of homespun trousers. Nancy as a new bride, was very proud to be able to
spin thread, weave cloth and make her husband a pair of homespun trousers.
After weeks of work, often at night by lamplight, she finished the
trousers. The very first time Wylie
wore the trousers, he was working in a field when something crawled up his leg.
Without hesitating, he grabbed the culprit and a very large amount of
trouser leg, which he immediately cut out with his pocketknife.
What vicious creature caused him to ruin his new trousers and infuriate
Nancy? A little field mouse!
Submitted by Janie Christene Phillips Riba