William S. Peirce (general)
William Sullivan Peirce was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In World War I, he commanded the Springfield Armory and later became assistant Chief of Ordnance, holding the rank of a Brigadier general.Biography
Peirce was born on May 16, 1864, in Burlington, Vermont. He studied at the University of Vermont from 1881 to 1884. He joined the United States Military Academy, graduated in 1888 and was assigned to the artillery. In 1892 he was transferred to the Ordnance Department, serving at the Watervliet Arsenal, the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, the Rock Island Arsenal and the Springfield Arsenal.
In September 1912 he was put in charge of the Springfield Armory. After the American entry into World War I Peirce was transferred to Washington, D.C., where he was serving as chief of the Administration Division and assistant Chief of Ordnance.
Peirce was promoted to brigadier general in 1918. He died in Washington, D.C., on 10 July 1923.Awards
Peirce received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his actions during World War I.
