Reuben Allen Pierson

In many places, the Confederate cause commanded service from entire families. Reuben Allen Pierson, from Bienville Parish in northern Louisiana, was one of four Pierson brothers who served the Southern cause. He was first mustered into Company C, Ninth Louisiana Infantry, on July 7, 1861, and by the end of the year was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He re-enlisted on February 5, 1862, while serving in Virginia and three months later became a regimental captain—less than a year after joining the Confederate army as a lowly private.

In 1862, Pierson's Ninth Louisiana participated in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, in which General Stonewall Jackson led a brilliant chase of several Union armies through the hills and valleys of northwestern Virginia. The regiment later earned a good reputation through several important battles, including the Seven Days' Battles near Richmond. At...