---
title: General Franklin Pierce
author: Waterman Lilly Ormsby
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22141/general-franklin-pierce/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-09-15
---
# General Franklin Pierce
_Authored by Waterman Lilly Ormsby_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/22141.jpg)
## Image Caption
Portrait of Franklin Pierce in military garb, engraving by Waterman Lilly Ormsby, c. 1852.
Before Franklin Pierce would come to hold the American presidency, he enlisted in the summer of 1846 to fight in the [Mexican-American War](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mexican-American_War/). Pierce would quickly rise to brigadier general, although mishaps and illnesses – knee trauma, groin injury, acute diarrhea – plagued him throughout much of his short-lived military career.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Ormsby, W. L. (2026, September 15). General Franklin Pierce. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Ormsby, Waterman Lilly. "General Franklin Pierce." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 15, 2026. .
### MLA
Ormsby, Waterman Lilly. "General Franklin Pierce." *World History Encyclopedia*, 15 Sep 2026, .
## License & Copyright
The public domain content above is from the [Library of Congress](http://www.loc.gov/). You can copy it freely. [Original image](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/96521683/) by [**Waterman Lilly Ormsby**](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/96521683/). Submitted by [Zachary Kay](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/zacharykay/ "User Page: Zachary Kay"), published on 15 September 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.