Pierce Mason Butler (April 11, 1798August 20, 1847) was an American soldier and statesman who served as the 56th Governor of South Carolina from 1836 to 1838. He was killed while serving as colonel of the

Palmetto Regiment The Palmetto Regiment of Volunteers of South Carolina was an infantry regiment that participated in the Mexican–American War. It suffered heavy losses and was known for the first American colors over Mexico City, when it raised its regimental fla ...

at the Battle of Churubusco, during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. Born in

Edgefield County, South Carolina Edgefield County is a county located on the western border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,657. Its county seat and largest municipality is Edgefield. The county was established on March 12, 17 ...

, Butler was a son of William Butler (1759–1821) and a brother of Andrew Pickens Butler and William Butler, Jr., all of whom served in the United States Congress. He was educated by

Moses Waddel Moses Waddel (June 20, 1770 – July 21, 1840) was an American educator and minister in antebellum Georgia and South Carolina. Famous as a teacher during his life, Moses Waddel was author of the bestselling book ''Memoirs of the Life of Miss C ...

at the

Willington Academy Moses Waddel (June 20, 1770 – July 21, 1840) was an American educator and minister in antebellum Georgia and South Carolina. Famous as a teacher during his life, Moses Waddel was author of the bestselling book ''Memoirs of the Life of Miss C ...

Willington, South Carolina Willington is a census-designated place (CDP) in McCormick County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 177 at the 2000 census. History The Calhoun-Gibert House and Guillebeau House are listed on the National Register of Historic P ...

. Butler was appointed a second lieutenant in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

in 1818 and rose to the rank of captain before resigning his commission in 1829. Following his term as Governor of South Carolina, he became agent to the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...

(present day Muskogee County, Oklahoma), a post he held until 1846. Following his death in Mexico, Butler's body was returned to South Carolina for burial. He was first entombed at Trinity Episcopal Church, just across from the State House. In December 1853 he was reburied in the Butler Family Cemetery, in the graveyard of what is now Butler Methodist Church in Saluda County. Others buried in the plot are his father, Major General William Butler, his mother, Behethland Foote Moore Butler, a sister, five of his six brothers, Colonel Zachariah Smith Brooks, grandfather of Preston Brooks, and two children of his brother William, the only sibling not buried there. He is buried at Christ Episcopal Church in Greenville. Collectively they were four Colonels, one General, one Lt. Colonel, three Majors, and one Judge and US Senator. The General was a member of Congress, too.Yarborough, Motte Jean. "Pierce Mason Butler and the Palmetto Regiment" in Saluda County: ''In Scene and Story''. (Columbia, South Carolina Tricentennial Press, 1970) 15. James C. Gardner, who served from 1954 to 1958 as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Shreveport, Louisiana, is a descendant of Pierce Mason Butler.

References

External links

SCIway Biography of Pierce Mason Butler

NGA Biography of Pierce Mason Butler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Pierce Mason 1798 births 1847 deaths United States Army colonels Democratic Party governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees American military personnel killed in the Mexican–American War United States Indian agents Butler-Belmont family People from Edgefield County, South Carolina 19th-century American politicians

See also

References

External links