Benjamin F. Pearson (abt. 1818)

Born about 1818 in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States

Husband of Margaret Ann McTeer (Campbell) Pearson — married 27 Feb 1853 in Mc Donough, Illinois

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: J. Salsbery [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin Pearson served in the United States Civil War.
Side: USA
Regiment(s): 24th Missouri Infantry

Benjamin Pearson was Wounded in Action during the American Civil War.

Benjamin is a brick wall. I have been searching for his parents for a very long time, but I don't have much to go on.^[1]

Benjamin was born circa 1816-1818 in Adams County, Pennsylvania.^[2] On 27 February 1853 he married Margaret Ann McTeer Campbell in Mc Donough, Illinois.^[3] Their only child, William Elias Pearson, was born 13 December 1853 in Illinois.^[4]

Benjamin F Pearson enlisted in the Civil War near Springfield, Mo and served in the 24th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment. In occupation he was a farmer. When he enlisted in 1861 he gave his place of residence as Barry County, Missouri.^[5]

Service: Enlisted into Company “F” the 20 August 1861 in Rolla, Missouri. Rank: Private. Height: 5’11”; Hair black; Eyes: dark; Complexion: dark.^[6]

Mustered into service 14 October 1861 at St. Louis, Missouri. He was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas on 7 March 1862. He was sent back to Springfield, Missouri. Discharged: 4 September 1862 at St. Louis, Missouri on account of wounds received at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas.^[7] Had first served in the Stone Prairie, Barry County Home Guards and then transferred to Company “M” of the Greene-Christian County Home Guards. Benjamin F Pearson was also known as Benny F Pearson or possibly Benny J.

The surgeon who signed the army discharge wrote that his leg wound made him "entirely unfit for duty" and would "permanently disable him from performing the duties of a soldier or farmer."^[8]

No pension was applied for.

His wife, Margaret Ann Mcteer (Campbell) Pearson was a frail woman who worked very hard while Benjamin was away. She contracted a severe cold which settled into what they called “Quick Consumption” and died soon after the close of the war.^[9]

Benjamin and his son William batched for awhile but finding that pretty hard Benny decided to take William up to Jesup, Iowa to live with an aunt who offered to take him. Aunt Liney, Caroline (Campbell) Clark, was Margaret's sister.^[10]

Benjamin went back to Missouri intending to settle up his business there and then come back. He was never heard of again. They wrote and wrote but could never get one word of information concerning him. William said that his father, Benny Pearson, was a hot tempered man and very outspoken. The feeling in the South was very bitter at that time. William always thought that his father likely got in a heated argument with some Southerner who killed him.^[11]

Big Y-500 DNA Test

A Family Tree Y-67 DNA (FTDNA) Test of Benjamin's great-grandson H.E. Pearson showed that their Haplogroup is Q-M242, which is found almost exclusively in Asia.

A FTDNA upgrade to a Big Y-500 test revealed that their terminal SNP is Q-Y18021. I then uploaded the raw Y-DNA file (BAM) to YFull.com. Among testers so far who are in the YFull or FTDNA databases, there are only three men who share the SNP Q-Y18021.

Testing shows that all currently known descendants of Lawrence Pearson, who was born about 1607-1620 at Pownall fee, Cheshire, England, carry the Y18220 SNP. H.E. Pearson and two of his Y-DNA matches share a novel mutation of Lawrence’s SNP - Y18021. This mutation must have occurred sometime after Lawrence’s sons. One of H.E.'s matches definitely descends through Lawrence Pearson; his son Thomas Pearson and then Thomas’ son Enoch Pearson. We can infer that our descent must be through Lawrence Pearson and Thomas Pearson also – and perhaps Enoch.

Sources

• Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
• The 24th Missouri, Subject: United States Civil War, 1861-1865
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
• Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge.
• Memories of their son William Elias Pearson, as told to his family, "The Pearson Family Saga" by Gladys Pearson Johnson
• Houp, J. Randall; History of the 24th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
• Janice (Pearson) Salsbery, OUR EXTRAORDINARY ANCESTORS; The Ancestors of Clinton Wilbur Pearson and Bessie Adelaide White, Zayante Creek Press, 2019.

References

1. ↑ J. Salsbery
2. ↑ Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge
3. ↑ Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
4. ↑ "The Pearson Family Saga"
5. ↑ Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge
6. ↑ Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge
7. ↑ Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge
8. ↑ Army of the United States Certificate of Disability for Discharge
9. ↑ "The Pearson Family Saga"
10. ↑ "The Pearson Family Saga"
11. ↑ "The Pearson Family Saga"