This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/RRB.2ACE/5972 Message Board Post: PIERCE, Gilbert Ashville Senator, was born in East Otto, Cattaraugus county, NY. He moved to Indiana in 1854, and later attended the University of Chicago Law school for two years. In April, 1861, he enlisted in the 9th Indiana volunteers for three months' service, and was elected 2d lieutenant. He re-enlisted, Aug. 3, 1861, was appointed captain and made assistant quartermaster. He served under General Grant at Paducah, Fort Dennison, Shiloh, Grand Gulf and Vicksburg, being present at its surrender, July 4, 1863. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1863; served at Matagorda Island, Texas; was promoted colonel in 1864; appointed inspector and special commissioner of the war department, in which capacity he served at Hilton Head and Pocotaligo, S.C., thence being ordered to the department of the gulf, and in October, 1865, he was retired with the brevets, major, lieutenant-colonel and colonel of volunteers. He was a representative in the Indiana legislature in 1868; assistant financial clerk of the! U.S. senate, 1869-71; assistant and managing editor of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, 1871-83; editor of the Chicago News, 1883-84, and governor of Dakota Territory, 1884-87. He was chosen Republican U.S. senator from the new state of North Dakota, Nov. 20, 1889, and drew the short term, which expired March 3, 1891. In 1891 he purchased with W. J. Murphy, the Minneapolis, Minn., Tribune, and became its editor-in-chief. He was appointed U.S. minister to Portugal by President Harrison in 1893, resigning after a few months' service. He is the author of several novels, sketches and plays, and published a Dickens Dictionary: A Key to the Characters and Principal Incidents in the Works of Charles Dickens (1872). He died in Chicago, Ill., Feb. 15, 1901. Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans