Hello. My gg grandfather was Jerimah D. Pearce (d.1900 in Durant, Oklahoma),
called Jerry, who was with the 8th Arkansas Infantry, CSA formed in Independence County though
he was raised in Mifflin,Tennessee where he and his dad were gunsmiths. They were sent
east of the Mississippi early on in the war.
He was a Sgt. in charge of the gun powder, etc and left Independence County
with at least one first cousin, possibly two, Pearces. The cousin died at Shiloh and my thoughts are he
was probably buried in one of those burial pits. (source: the Gerdes site)
Sgt. J. D. Pearce was at Shiloh where he was shot "through and through" meaning the bullet hit
but passed through without damaging any vital parts. (source-my grandmother)
Sgt. Jerry Pearce survived because his brother who lived at Mifflin, Tennessee went out in the
wagon and picked him up and took him to their father's home where he healed.
On July 4th, Sgt. Jerry Pearce sat out walking to catch up with the 8th. (source, his widow's pension application)
There were only a handful of men left from the 8th when the war ended. Jerry Pearce first went
back to Mifflin and later in about 1869, moved to Arkansas with his wife and child.
In 1880, he moved into Lonoke from Pigeon's Roost and was still a gunsmith. (source: Lonoke Democrat)
I have heard estimates of fewer than 100, but I truly believe it was a lot less.
Because the 8th Arkansas were such hard fighters, there is a reinactors group up in
Michigan that calls itself the 8th Arkansas as a tribute. (source: internet research)
In the past I have heard from two different men who were working on a history of the 8th.
Each history had a different slant but neither one has gone to print.
I just keep hoping that someday, one of the books will hit the presses.
I just want you to remember that when anyone says a man was with the 8th, that is a real
tribute to his family and speaks well of the kind of person he was.
Linda T. Acrey
gg grandchild of Sgt. J. D. Pearce, 8th Arkansas CSA
Lonoke, Arkansas

(P.S. Everything that I know has been gleaned from different people and spots, and especially this site.)