Albert Pike
Albert Pike was a 19th-century American writer, lawyer, and prominent Freemason, born on December 29, 1809, in Boston. He initially pursued education and teaching, but faced financial obstacles in attending Harvard University. Pike's relocation to Santa Fe, New Mexico, allowed him to immerse himself in local Indian cultures, influencing his literary works, including "Prose Sketches and Poems, Written in the Western Country." His multifaceted career included journalism, law, and military service during the Mexican-American War. Pike became a significant figure in Arkansas, where he owned and edited a newspaper, served as the first reporter for the state supreme court, and gained wealth. His role during the Civil War included negotiating treaties with Native American tribes, which later led to controversy and a loss of his commission. Following his political and personal struggles, including a divorce and financial decline, Pike was eventually pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. He later became a notable leader in Freemasonry, serving over three decades as the sovereign grand commander of the Supreme Grand Council. Pike passed away on April 2, 1891, in Washington, D.C.
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Albert Pike
Lawyer
- Born: December 29, 1809
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: April 2, 1891
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Biography
Albert Pike, best known for his Western fiction, was born on December 29, 1809, in Boston, the son of Benjamin and Sarah Andrews Pike. His father was a cobbler and irreverent drunk and his mother daily read him the Bible. Pike studied in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he lived with his schoolteacher uncle, learning Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. He followed his uncle’s profession for almost a decade, saving money for a Harvard University education, but he could not afford the tuition after he was admitted as a junior. Pike was later awarded an honorary A.M. from Harvard.
Pike moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, learning local Indian languages and stories. His knowledge of Indian culture is reflected in his book Prose Sketches and Poems, Written in the Western Country (1834). Travel in the Western United States was difficult. Pike survived an Indian attack, near death by freezing, and being lost in the dessert. He eventually moved to Arkansas, where he taught again briefly. His political essays for the Little Rock Arkansas Advocate earned him a job on the newspaper’s staff, and then a position as an assistant clerk in the territorial legislature.
Pike married Mary Ann Hamilton, but they were not well suited; seven of their 10 children died young. Pike purchased an interest in the Advocate with his wife’s money and in 1835 became the newspaper’s owner and editor. However, he sold the newspaper in 1837 and began practicing law. In 1836, he was appointed the first reporter of the Arkansas State Supreme Court and was later admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pike served as an officer in the Mexican-American War. His law practice made him wealthy. He built a mansion in Little Rock and became a socialite. He divorced his wife and briefly moved to New Orleans to practice law, but returned to Little Rock three years later to practice there again.
During the Civil War, the Confederacy appointed Pike to negotiate Indian treaties west of Arkansas. Indian troops were supposed to fight only in defense of their own territory, but in 1862 they took part in a battle in Arkansas, committing atrocities for which Pike was held responsible. He was eventually arrested by Confederate officials, but he was not tried; instead, he was stripped of his Confederate commission. After this incident, Pike lost his wealth and reputation, and spent years as a transient fearing for his life. Eventually, President Andrew Johnson secured his pardon at the behest of Pike’s friends. Pike was to return home to his Arkansas house after taking a loyalty oath.
Pike later moved to Tennessee, and then to Washington, D.C. He became a Freemason and served as the elected sovereign grand commander of the organization’s Supreme Grand Council. He held this office for more than thirty years. He died on April 2, 1891, at the Scottish Rite Temple in Washington, D.C.