George Dallas Pearsey ¹

   Cause of his death was stomach cancer.¹

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 1880, Blue River Township, Hancock County, Indiana. ⁴ George D. Pearsey, head of household, married, male, white, age 35, born in Indiana, occupation farmer, father's birthplace Virginia, mother's birthplace Virginia

Mary L. Pearsey, wife, married, female, white, age 30, born in Indiana, occupation keeping house, father's birthplace Virginia, mother's birthplace Pennsylvania

Frank Pearsey, son, single, male, white, age 12, born in Indiana, occupation at home, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

Daisy Pearsey, daughter, single, female, white, age 10, born in Indiana, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

Elizabeth Pearsey, daughter, single, female, white, age 8, born in Indiana, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

Pearly Pearsey, daughter, single, female, white, age 6, born in Indiana, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

Alma Pearsey, daughter, single, female, white, age 3, born in Indiana, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

Chase Pearsey, son, single, male, white, age 0, born in Indiana, father's birthplace Indiana, mother's birthplace Indiana

• Biography: A History of the Pearsey Family, 2002. ¹ George Dallas Pearsey

George Dallas Pearsey was born September 17, 1844, near Rushville, Indiana to William and Margaret (Webb) Pearsey. He was named after the 1844 Democratic nominee for Vice President, George M. Dallas. During the early days of the Civil War, on June 24, 1862, President Lincoln issued a call for volunteers. On July 2, 1862, George Pearsey went to the Rushville recruiting station and volunteered for three years of service in the U.S. Army. He was mustered into Company C of the 16th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on August 19th.

The 16th Indiana left Camp Morton in Indianapolis that day for Louisville, Kentucky to meet a Confederate invasion into that state. The regiment saw heavy action at the battle of Richmond, Kentucky on August 30, 1862. They were green and poorly trained troops and were handily defeated by the enemy. Out of their 1,000 men, the 16th Indiana lost 25 killed, 120 wounded and 395 captured. George was one of the 46% who came back unharmed to Indianapolis.

From December 20, 1862 to January 3, 1863, the 16th Indiana participated in the Yazoo River Campaign of General W. T. Sherman as part of his Army of the Tennessee. It was unsuccessful. At this point, General John A. McCernand took command of the Union Army, renaming it the Army of the Mississippi, which included the 16th Indiana. It's next assignment was the capture of Arkansas Post, at which Fort Hindman, occupied by the Confederate Army, was located..

The assault on Arkansas Post began on January 10, 1863, 32,000 Union troops being led in their advance by none other than the 16th Indiana Infantry Regiment. George Pearsey and his comrades advanced across open fields toward Fort Hindman, undergoing heavy fire as they did. They suffered a number of casualties. After a four hour assault, the fort surrendered 4,791 men, the 16th Indiana capturing the first rebel regimental flag. Of the 1,061 Union casualties, 349 came from the First Brigade, of which the 16th was a part. Seventy men of the 16th Indiana were casualties.

After a period of 2 months of digging at Young's Point in an attempt to dig a canal whereby ships could maneuver around the Confederate fortress of Vicksburg, Mississippi and where a number of men died due to disease, the 16th Indiana began serving under General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee. They began his long campaign to capture Vicksburg. In March, 1863, George Pearsey was promoted to Corporal.

In it's campaign for Vicksburg, the Union Army went by ship down river to Grand Gulf, south of the Confederate strong point. They arrived there April 30, 1863 and fought a battle the next day at Port Gibson, Mississippi. It was a victory. George Pearsey's regiment then moved to Five Mile Creek by May 11th, where they had to fight and drive the rebels across the creek in order to quench their thirst in this dry and hot place. They were now on the left flank of the Union Army. Notified that the Confederate Army fleeing Jackson, Mississippi to move due west and beat Grant into Vicksburg, reinforcing the rebel force there, the 16th was ordered to march along the railroad tracks that led west from Jackson to Vicksburg and prevent the Vicksburg defense force from joining up with them. They opposing forces met at Champion's Hill, on May 16th. The battle fought there was a Union victory. The Vicksburg forces, commanded by General Joseph Pemberton, retreated to Big Black River's bank, where the Union Army attacked on May 17th.

The 16th Indiana was positioned on front lines of the right flank of the Union Army during this battle. A field separated the two forces and 1,751 rebel soldiers were captured. The 16th's casualties were very light during this victory.

The retreating force under General Pemberton now marched into Vicksburg, behind heavy defenses. At 2 p.m. on May 19, 1863, General Grant launched a coordinated assault on these positions. This was followed by another assault on May 22nd. In the 2nd attack, the 16th Indiana came within 25 feet of the Confederate breastworks, holding this vital position for 10 hours. Casualties were too high for the assault to succeed however, over 500 Union soldiers having been killed, including 60 killed or wounded in the 16th Indiana.

The Union Army tried to starve the city of Vicksburg out for the next 43 days, shelling it continuously. On July 4, 1863, General Pemberton's forces surrendered and the 16th Indiana marched into the city, singing "The Battle Cry of Freedom", a popular tune of the war. They then were ordered to march east to Jackson, Mississippi, to lay siege to that city.

The regiment was ordered to New Orleans, Louisiana, August 24, 1863 where they were reorganized into a mounted infantry regiment. They participated in the Red River Valley campaign of General Nathaniel P. Banks, which was ill conceived and executed. For the 16th Indiana, the high point of the campaign came on March 21, 1864, when seven of their companies marched through heavy sleet and rain right into a rebel camp at Henderson's Hill, Louisiana. Since it was dark and the rain and sleet made visibility difficult, the enemy didn't realize the 16th was upon them, one picket post after another being quietly disarmed and sent to the rear. The 16th Indiana captured the entire 2nd Louisiana Cavalry of 259 men and officers, along with 4 artillery pieces and 200 horses, after riding four abreast into their camp. Only a few shots were fired.

During this campaign, the heaviest fighting was seen on April 8-9, 1864. On April 8th, at Sabine Cross Roads, near Texas, the 16th held off wave after wave of Confederate troops, their Union force of 4,500 being outnumbered more than 2 to 1. Being ordered to fall back to their right, George Pearsey and the men of the 16th fired from behind logs and trees as they did so. They held their position for two hours. The battle however, was a total defeat. The 16th went into the battle with 260 men left from their original 1,000 in 1862. They lost 55 men that day.

George Pearsey was listed as missing after the battle along with 7 other members of his company. He rejoined the regiment that day and reached Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, at 3 a.m., where they got some sleep.

The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864. The men of the 16th Indiana were awoken by the sound of fighting in the distance at 5 a.m. They sprang to arms. George Pearsey and his comrades were in the 2nd line of defense, laying flat, holding their fire while the artillery prepared to fire on two lines of Confederate troops who were advancing from a wooded area.

The signal to fire was given, and at once, 7,000 Union troops and 24 cannon fired in unison. The first line of Confederate troops went down and gaps appeared in the 2nd line. It was said at the time to have a volley of gunfire seldom equaled in warfare. An estimated 1,000 rebels died at that moment.

The Union Army charged and captured 800 men, the 16th Indiana dismounting and capturing the flag of the 19th Texas. At some point during the 3 hours of fighting, an artillery shell exploded near George Pearsey's head, blowing off a part of his right ear, rendering it deaf and causing him to suffer temporary amnesia. He was helped on the battlefield by a friend, but received no medical attention for his wounds.

Pleasant Hill was a victory for the Union Army. The remainder of George Pearsey's service in the Civil War was rather uneventful, consisting mainly of skirmishes in the bayous of Louisiana. They participated in a scrap at Brown's Plantation, Louisiana, on May 11, 1865. The last battle of the Civil War was fought on May 13, 1865 at Palmetto Ranch, Texas. George was mustered out on June 30, 1865. His regiment left New Orleans on July 1st, arriving by train at Indianapolis on July 10th. There were 365 officers and men in the regiment at that point. During the war, 85 men were killed or mortally wounded, 212 died from disease for a total of 297 deaths. A public reception was held on the grounds of the statehouse on July 11, 1865, the regiment being addressed by Governor Morton, General Hovey and others.

• Obituary: the Rushville Republican, April 26, 1915, Rushville, Rush County, Indiana. ³ Veteran of Civil War Dies Sunday

George D. Pearsey, age seventy years, expires of cancer of stomach after long illness. Survived by 10 children.

George D. Pearsey, 70 years old, a well known resident of this city, died Sunday morning at 5:00 at his home, corner of 1st and Spencer Streets, after a long illness from cancer of the stomach. He had been in critical condition for some time and his death was expected. Mr. Pearsey was a veteran of the Civil War, having served in Company C, 16th Indiana Regiment. He enlisted at the age of 18.

Mr. Pearsey is the last survivor of his company in Rushville Township. Survivors: Frank, Mrs. Daisy Black, Marshal, Mrs. Riley Siders, Mrs. Albert Levi, Chase, Charles, Mrs. Chase Levi, Bertram and Ralph Pearsey. The funeral services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 in the Main Street Christian Church. The GAR will assemble in the C. H. and attend the funeral in a body.

George married Mary Loretta Boblett, daughter of Isaac Boblett and Elizabeth Ann Hilkert, on November 22, 1866 in Rushville, Rush County, Indiana.^{1 2} (Mary Loretta Boblett was born in 1850 in Rushville, Rush County, Indiana,^{1 2 4} died on January 8, 1895 in Rushville, Rush County, Indiana ^{1 2} and was buried in the East Hill Cemetery, Rush County, Indiana ¹.)