Posey County, Indiana - The whole text, 1926 (part 1 of 2)

References To Other Descendants Of Jesse Price

"It was a costly victory for the white men. The killed and those dying of wounds, numbered one hundred; the wounded numbered one hundred and forty. And some writers assert that this does not in¬ clude the slightly wounded. And among the wounded was our heroic ancestor, Thomas Price."

Page 109, Edward Price's children are grandchildren of John A. R. Price; gr.-grad.-children of John A. Price and gr.-gr.-grd. -children of Thomas Price.

(N. B. Purely typographical mistakes which do not mislead the reader are not corrected. The reader will understand this. There are but few of these.)

John E. Cox

I am indebted to many relatives and some strangers for valuable assistance. All these have my sincere thanks. Besides relatives in the west who have kindly assisted me, I must mention by name some of our kinsmen in the east : Captain Herbert H. Price, Washington, D. C. ; Bal¬ lard Price, White House, Ky. ; Judge N. K. Price, Van Lear, Ky.

Others out of the family were : Mrs. Eva Grant Maloney, Newcastle, Va. ; Mrs. M. B. Crawford, Staunton, Va. ; the officials of the State Libraries and Historical Societies of Virginia and Kentucky; also many court house officials in those states-

I am also indebted to the officials of Posey County, Ind¬ iana, and especially to Mr. John E. Anderson, former ab¬ stractor, and present County Surveyor, for valuable assist¬ ance rendered.

Some Difficulties

First, there were but few family records of those living a hundred years ago or more. This can be accounted for by removals, marriages, deaths, and fires. The pioneers lived a strenuous life in which there was not much thought given to the past or the future. They perhaps did not place much value on family records, and .therefore, if they possessed such, did not take care of them. Some no doubt were destroyed in fires. Occasionally a woman of the family married and moved far away, carrying fam¬ ily records. In this way not only names but records were lost.

Then, as our ancestors came from the Carolinas, the Virginias, and Kentucky, T found it difficult to trace them in their old home states in many instances, because many court houses with all their precious documents were de¬ stroyed by fire during the Civil War. Even the State House of Virginia, with its invaluable Colonial and Revo- lutionary war records was burned. Then, where docu¬ ments do exist it is often difficult to have them examined. Some one must be employed to search through them and this is not always satisfactory; morever, the cost is pro¬ hibitive.

A Special Difficulty

A special difficulty arose in tracing the history of Thomas Price in the fact that in Virginia and Maryland there were several men of the name living at the same time. It was not easy to distinguish our man from the others- And just here many investigators have erred. For instance, many of our family identified our ancestor with Colonel Thomas Price, of Maryland. Perhaps some persist still in this belief. And we are not the only family who has made this mistake. I have found Prices in Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia who have claimed the Maryland Price as their ancestor. Inasmuch as these claimants are unrelated, some of them must be wrong. To settle this question consider the following facts :

Col. Thomas Price was born in Philadelphia, Pa:, in 1732. Our Thomas Price was born in Culpeper Co., Va., in 1738. The parents of Col. Price were named John and Rebecca; the parents of our Thomas Price were named Kalem and Mary. There is no evidence that Col. Thomas Price ever lived in Virginia, or that our Thomas Price ever lived in Maryland.

In 1774, during Lord Dunmore's war with the Indians, a battle was fought at Point Pleasant, Va., (now W. Va.) in which our Thomas Price, a Virginia soldier, was wound¬ ed. Col. Thomas Price lived in Maryland at that time, and did not serve as a soldier in that war-

I could go on and mention other evidences that Col. Price positively was not our ancestor. One or two more proves this fact conclusively: Col. Price died in 1795 and was buried in Maryland. Our Thomas Price died in

Posey county, Indiana, Nov. 12, 1828, and was buried in the Bethsaida Christian church cemetery, about two miles west of Stewartsville, Indiana, and his grave and tomb¬ stone may be seen to this day.. Col. Price left several children whose names in every instance were dissimilar to those of the children of our Thomas Price. Col. Price had a son who was a commissioned officer in the Regular Army and who died in the service as a Major in 1815 - his name was Benjamin Price. Our Thomas Price never had a son named Benjamin.

Then again : Could our man have been Col. Thomas Price and kept it a secret? If this were true, why should he have kept it a secret? Certainly neither William nor John A., his sons, knew of it. No one ever heard either of them hint such a thing. Col. Price was Colonel of 2nd Maryland Continentals from 1777 to 1780, and was a gal¬ lant officer. Would our Thomas Price's sons have put on his tombstone the fact that he was a Virginia soldier and wounded in a fight with Indians, and then omit saying that he was a high officer of the Revolution and a favorite with General Washington, if such were facts?

If ever our Thomas Price was an officer at all I can get no evidence of the fact. And at no time in his life was he wealthy. But are we to disown him because he did not leave us wealth? The fact is that he was a plain, humble man, poor in this world's goods, but honorable and patriotic. Pie left a large posterity of good, patriotic, useful men and women- As a soldier he was one among millions who have served bravely in the ranks. Let us honor him as he deserves.

The many men of the name in Virginia will be consid¬ ered as we progress with the history of our Thomas Price. Suffice it to say here that they have been eliminated until our man stands forth in the light clearly and unmistak¬ ably identified as our ancestor.

Thomas Price The Price Families

The Price families are numerous and large and are found in all parts of the United States. Most of these tribes originated in Wales and doubtless have a common origin. The name is essentially Welsh. Even the English Prices were originally from Wales. Those who know say the name originally in Wales was "Rys." This was before given names came into use. Then "Ap Rys" meant "Son of Rys." Later, when given names came into use to dis¬ tinguish individuals and there was a change, the "A" was dropped and the "P" added as a prefix to "Rys," making it Prys. After a time it became "Pryce," and finally be¬ came fixed as "Price."

The Welsh family of Prices was an important one, fam¬ ous for its soldiers and statesmen. It had royal honors. Also in England the family is an important one to this day. An English Biographical Dictionary shows many of the name are soldiers, sailors, statesmen, ministers, lawyers, and educators.

But I will add to this introductory chapter an excerpt from a personal letter written to me by Captain Herbert H- Price, U. S. Marine Corps, Washington, D. C. (Capt. Price is an honored kinsman of ours.)

"In traveling about the world (and I lived in Europe four years) I have met many Prices and at first I was astonished at the number of separate families. The Mary¬ land Prices came from a Captain John Price, who was in the first colony of twenty-four families to arrive there. In Pennsylvania there are two separate families. One Philip Price came from Wales with the first colony; and another Price family was a Pennsylvania German, whose name being similar to Price, it was changed to Price. I know two Prices who are progeny of an original settler in Connecticut, and descended from one of the Pilgrim

Fathers of Massachusetts, named Price. Several have been found whose father or grandfather came to this country but recently from England or Wales. Among these are seven brothers, all of whom are Baptist preach¬ ers. There are many families of Prices here, nearly all from Virginia. I practiced medicine in St. Louis a num¬ ber of years before I went into the regular army, and I should say that there are thirty families of Prices there. They are from all parts of the east."

John Price, the emigrant, a member of the Jamestown Colony, Virginia, 1620, was the ancestor of the largest Price family in the United States. Most of the Prices in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, are of this family. There was also in Middlesex County, Virginia, a Price family, which spread across the northern part of Virginia, westward. These Prices seem to have come di¬ rect from Wales. Several correspondents express belief that our Thomas Price was of this middlesex family. Mrs. Maloney says that the name "Kalem" as well as "Price" is Welsh. Kalem was our Thomas Price's father, and lived almost directly west of Middlesex county.

Mrs- Maloney also says: "It is safe to declare that your Kalem Price belonged to the Spottsylvania County Prices. One of the oldest Culpeper Prices was Adjalan, who was the father of Kalem and Edward of Bromfield Parish ; they were related to the Spottsylvania County Prices. These families originated with the Middlesex County Colony of Prices. Your Coat of Arms will show up as having the Roman Head on its Shield."

Thomas Price and two sons - William and John A. (and Williams family) came to Indiana Territory, but the date is not known. We know that William entered land in 1814, the same year that Posey County was organized, (which was Sept., 1814). At least William came before that date. There is much confusion in data and dates of that early period. When the territory was organized in 1800 there were only four counties in the territory. Knox County, with Vincennes as its capitol, covered all southern Indiana. The early settlers had to go to Vincennes to transact all legal business. Knox County was organized in 1801. In 1804, by treaty, the Indians relinquished their claims to southern Indiana, which resulted in a great in¬ flux of settlers in the next few years.

In 1812 Gibson County was organized out of southern portion of Knox County. All of what is now Posey County was included in Gibson County. In 1813 Warrick County was organized and included what is now Posey and Vanderburg, with county capitol at Evansville. In 1814 the counties were re-arranged as they are found today. Thus the early citizens of Posey county found themselves in four different counties- This caused much confusion of records. Then to further complicate matters, in January 1814, the records of Vincennes were destroyed by fire, and the legislature the same year appointed a commission to investivate the situation and confirm the title of lands to proper persons. Then another source of confusion was that Robinson township was the first of the townships of what is now Posey County. But there are no records of its organization or its bounds. But it probably covered most of the north part of the county. It was probably organized soon after the territory was organized.

Just here 1 want to relate an incident that occurred in the same year that William Price entered land in 1814: A few miles north of the Price settlement hostile Indians came across the Wabash river from Illinois and scalped a hunter or trapper, a white man, on Coffee Island. This was the last Indian raid into this locality. This Price settlement was located on the Stewartsville and New Har¬ mony road, about two miles from the former and five or six miles from the latter.

The children of Thomas Price- knew that he was born in what is now known as Culpeper County, Virginia, about 1738. Hoping to get information I wrote the County Clerk of Culpeper County and asked him if he had any record of Thomas Price. I received a prompt and cour¬ teous reply from Mr.- J. E. Guinn, the county clerk, as follows :

"The will of Kalem (or Calem) Price, dated 1758, men¬ tioned as one of his children, Thomas Price; and I find that this Thomas Price sold the land inherited under this will to Alexander Burk, in 1775. But I cannot find the name of Thomas Price after that date. It seems that this Kalem Price was a well-to-do land owner at the time of his death. The dates would indicate that this was your Thomas Price, but it seems that we can't locate him after 1775."

In another letter Mr. Quinn says that three years after Kalem Price's death his widow married Alexander Burk. So Thomas Price deeded the land inherited from his father to his step-father-

Believing that our family of Price's will be interested enough to read the will of Kalem Price it is reproduced here, exactly as to form and spelling. It is valuable as

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I Kalem Price of Cul¬ peper County in Bromfield parrish being very sick and weak in Body but in perfect memory thanks to Almighty God and considering the uncertain Estate of this transitary life do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following viz. first I give and bequeath my soul to Almighty God that gave it to me and my Body to the ground to be decently Buried in full hopes of a joyful Resurrection to eternal life and my worldly Goods I leave and dispose of in manner and form following

Item Secondly I give and Bequeath to my loving Wife Mary Price my Plantation whereon I now live during her Natural life and all land belonging to the James from my lower cornor line tree on the River up to the mouth of a branch above the Plantation and up the branch to the head and that Course to the back line, and as my Wife is now with Child if she should be delivered of a son and it should live my Will and desire is that after my Wife's death that this son shall have the aforesaid Land and Plantation but if my Wife should be delivered of a Daughter my desire is that my son James Price shall have the said land and Plantation after his mothers Death.

Item Thirdly I give and Bequeath to my son Humphrey Price all of my Land lieing between a Branch above my Plantation that runs into the River and another Branch that runs into the River below the Plantation, whereon John Barn¬ hyfle now lives and from the head of the said branches the same course to the back line.

Item Fourthly I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Price, the remainder of my track of Land I now live on from the branch below the Plantation whereon John Barnhyfle now lives up to my uper corner on the River with the said Plan¬ tation wdiereon Barnhyfle now lives.

Item Fifthly I leave three hundred and twelve acres of land lying on the waters of Bessabell run to be divided equally - afolloweth if my wife should be delivered of a daughter that tract of land to be equally divided among my other two daughters and the one born but if it hapon my wife should have a son so that my son James Price should not inherit the Plantation whereon I live my desire is that my son James should have an equal part of the aforesaid Land with his two sisters Ann Price and Mary Price to be divided among them three and he to have first choice in the Lands.

Item Seventhly I leave my Stocks of Horses, Cattle and Hogs and Sheep for support of my Wife and Children and to be equally divided among my children as they come of Age.

Eighthly I leave my Gun to my son Humphrey - my house¬ hold furniture and goods I leave for the support of my wife and children and to be divided among my children after their mother's death.

Lastly I constitute and Apoin Samuel Short and Richard Thomas Executors of this my last Will and Testament to Act and do for my Wife and Children in the best way they can and to receive all debts due me and divide all equally Among my children according to this my last Will. I like¬ wise leave a Quantity of tar to be sold for money and the money divided among my children. In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal this twenty-first of April 1758.

This last Will and Testament of Kalem Price deceased was exhibited to the Court by James Graves and was proved by the oaths of James & John Wright two of the witnesses thereto and Ordered to be recorded. Richard Thomas one of the Executors therein named refused to take the Burthen of the Execution thereof. At the same time Mary Price, Widow of the said decedent came into Court and renounced all Benefit of the said Will choosing to accept of the pro¬ vision made by Law.

On the motion of Alexander Burk who has lately inter¬ married with said Mary Price, Widow and Relicit, of the said Decedent Certificate for Obtaining Letters of Adminis-

I, C. T. Guinn, Clerk of the Circuit Court for the. County aforesaid, in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the last Will and Testament of Kalem Price, which is of record in this office in Will Book A, at page 246.

These legal documents preserve for us the names of Thomas's parents, and his brothers and sisters. The posthumous child was a girl and was named Milly. Mrs. Malony found in Augusta County records where Ann, Mary and Milly Price, orphans of Kalem Price, were con¬ firmed by an Act of the Augusta County Court, to their legal right to 312 acres of land, left them in their father's will. This was in 1767, and these daughters were living in Augusta County at that time. The two older sisters were married - Ann married Waugh Darnell, and Mary married James Davis.

It is evident that Kalem Price's children, after his death, left the old home (this might have occurred after the mother married so soon after being left a widow). Certain¬ ly the daughters and Thomas moved to Augusta County. A Thomas Price figured in the affairs of that county for several years and he never was mentioned as being in Culpeper County but once, in 1775, when he returned there to deed his land to his step-father. Under the date of Feb. 25, 1925, Mr. Guinn says: "I do not find any Thomas Price, except the one who deeded the land left him by his father's will."

It is certain that Thomas Price located in Augusta County. This was the natural trend of emigration. It was near his old Culpeper County home. Here, too, his sisters had gone and permanently settled. And other relatives lived there. There was one or more "Calera

Prices" living there; doubtless a nephew of Kalem (or Calem) of Culpeper County, and cousin of Thomas Price. There were many Prices at that time in Augusta County and have continued to be there; but as far as records go but few of these were related to our tribe- There were many John Prices, Daniels, Augustines and other names, but those families did not have a Thomas among them. There was a Thomas Price in the county and only one, and he was the one who enlisted to fight Indians in 1774, in Captain John Lewis' company. And after Dunmore's war he continued to live in Augusta County. Judge Chalkley's Records show that he had business relations with other men. He had court business. Once he was a wit¬ ness in a trial. I will prove at the proper time that he was a militiaman in 1780 in Augusta County militia. And the Records show that after he moved from Augusta County to Randolph County, no Thomas Price appeared in Augusta County for many years. Mrs. M. B. Crawford, of Staunton, says she believes confidently that this Thomas Price of Augusta County is the man who was wounded in the battle with Indians, in 1774. This man we know to be our ancestor.

Various Thomas Prices

There were various men in southwest and western Vir¬ ginia in counties bordering, or near each other. This fact at first was puzzling. I spent two or three years investigating these men in an endeavor to identify cer¬ tainly our man. In a book entitled, ''Dunmore's War," I read of a Thomas Price, James Price and Richard Price. These three were militiamen in Capt. Daniel Smith's company in 1774. This was in Washington County. 1 was inclined to believe this Thomas Price was our man- Some of our Prices had believed for yeafls he was our man. But they were mistaken. When 1 learned that this Thomas and Richard were brothers and were born in

Then there was a rather famous Thomas Price who figured in Western North Carolina and Southwestern Vir¬ ginia. He was an Indian trader and interpreter. He is mentioned in several histories - even in Col. Roosevelt's "Winning of the West,'' as being an interpreter at the famous Watauga treaty conference between the Whites and Indians in 1772. Some correspondents thought this man might be our Thomas Price, but when I learned that this man died in North Carolina in 1795, he was rubbed off my list.

Then there was a noted Thomas Price who lived in Bottetourt County: but when I learned that he was born 1751, and diea 1823, he was eliminated. Some of his descendents say they have a family tradition that he was a soldier in the battle of Point Pleasant. But I doubt this. None of the muster rolls of the Augusta County regiment were preserved, but the muster rolls of the Bottetourt County men can be found in the book entitled "Dunmore's War," and his name does not appear. He was a Revolutionary War Soldier, but there is nothing to show that he was in Dunmore's War. He was also a very wealthy man and left a large body of land, much property, including slaves. The court records of Bottetourt County show these facts. He could not be our man.

Then Captain Price wrote me of a Thomas Price from Shenandoah who was a Revolutionary War soldier who moved to southern Kentucky and then on to central Indiana where he died in 1838. Some parties believe this man was our ancestor. But I, and every member of the family in this country, know that he was not. There were two Thomas Prices in Henrico County. One was Colonel of a Virginia regiment, the other was a captain, but these men lived in eastern Virginia and neither could have been our man. There was still another Thomas who had a wife named Jane. He died in 1795, and was eliminated.

Thus one by one all these Thomas Prices were eliminated excepting the one born in Culpeper County, and who lived in Augusta County for many years, and the only Thomas who ever did live there until long after our Thomas Price moved out of Augusta County.

If this Augusta County man was not our Thomas Price, will some one tell me where he was all these years? Also, tell me who and what this Augusta County man was, if not our Thomas Price?

Mrs. M. B. Crawford of Staunton, Va., who was recom¬ mended to me as a reliable and capable investigator of Court records, has been diligent in searching the records of Augusta County, and has found much information, gathered from Judge Chalkley's Records and from original records and manuscripts. Some of the Chalkley gleanings were also sent me by Mrs. Maloney. And while I was in Springfield, Mo., recently, I got acquainted with Prof. Edward M. Shepard, of that city, who has a splendid patriotic library, which includes Chalkley's Records, Mc¬ Alisters Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War (I have a copy), Croziers lists of Virginia Militia in Revolutionary War, and other valuable historical books. In these I saw where Thomas Price's two brothers were named as being Revolutionary War soldiers. Mrs. Maloney had written this fact before- The books confirmed what Mrs. Maloney and Mrs. Crawford had written me. But Mrs. Crawford was fortunate in discovering an original manuscript in Staunton, Va., which gave us valuable information about our Thomas Price. This manuscript will be referred to again under the heading: "A Revolutionary Soldier."

Thomas Price A Colonial Soldier

Thomas Price, our ancestor, was certainly a Colonial soldier. Virginia, under Governor Dunmore, waged war against hostile Indians in Ohio, 1774. Our Thomas Price enlisted in Captain John Lewis' company of the Augusta

Miss Bessie Gill, searcher, in the Virginia State Library, whom I secured to search for documents that might give us some light on the service of Thomas Price, found two important documents which refer, unmistakably to our Thomas Price. Other parties at once claimed that these papers referred to an ancestor of theirs, also named Thomas Price. Because of this controversary I shall go into this matter at length, so that it cannot be a subject of dispute hereafter.

I have photographic copies of both documents, furnished me by the Virginia State Library officials. One was a petition of a Randolph County, Va., Court, to the Governor of the State as follows:

At a Court for the County of Randolph the 23rd of March, 1790. ORDERED that Thomas Price an old Soldier who was wounded at the Battle of the Point, on the 10th day of October 1774, under the command of Colonel Charles Lewis, in the company of Captain John Lewis of Augusta. Be it recommended to his Excellency the Governor as a proper Object of Public Charity; and that it is the opinion of this Court that a Pension should be allowed him of Fifteen Pounds per Annum.

A Certificate

This certifies that the following is a true and correct copy of a manuscript, which is a petition now on file in the Vir¬ ginia State Labrary, presented to the General Assembly of Virginia on October 21, 1790.

Petiition Of Thomas Price

This Petition of Thomas Price Humbly Sheweth, That your Petitioner was a Soldier in Colonel Charles Lewes' Regiment and in the company of Captain John Lewes of Augusta, that on the 10th of October in 1774, he was wounded in the left Arm which rendered his Arm in a grate meaisure useless ever since. Your Petitioner would have appled for a Pention at the same time others did who were wounded at the same time, but was laying with his wound unable to attend at Staunton where I was informed the Officers and wounded Soldiers were to meet for that purpose. That his wound frequently swelleth and brakes and fractured Bones has been taken out as late as the year 1789. That he has often been confined to his bed for many weeks together. That he has a wife and five small children. And from his inability merely occationed by said Wound, he is unable to provide for them a moderate and scanty subsistance. -

Your Petitioner prayeth that your Honorable Body would take the premces under your wise consideration and grant your Petitioner such relief as you in your wisdom may think competent and right.

Died Nov 12 1828 aged 90 years or Upward he was born in Culpeper Co Va & was wounded in Lewis Battle at Point Pleasant by an Indian in the left arm died in Posey Co. Ind.

Any unprejudiced person comparing the description of the wound in the Petition, with that on Thomas Price's tombstone, will say that the petitioner is the very same man who is buried in Bethsaida church cemetery, Robb Township, Posey County, Indiana-

Indeed, the evidence is so convincing that persons who are trying to claim the petitioner was their ancestor, de¬ clare our ancestor's tombstone is a fraud - that it has recently been erected as evidence in order to acquire honors that rightfully belongs to another!

Because of these charges I have tried to find out the history of that old marble slab. But no member of the family is old enough to remember when it was erected. The opinion of all, perhaps, is that it was put up by either William Price or John A. Price, his sons, or by both of them. My father was born 1823 - five years before Thomas Price died and yet he couldn't remember when it was put up. This shows that it was placed there soon after Thomas Price died. I have heard about it, as well as I can remember, all my life since old enough to notice such things. I remember examining it myself, 35 years ago, and it was an old marker then. Rev. Ed. Barrett, whose father lived near the church (the old church was organized in his home in 1824) says he can remember it being there 60 years. Mr. Harrison Barrett, living in this city, an older brother of Rev. Ed. Barrett, says he can remember that it was there 70 years ago. He says they played in the cemetery when young boys, and that this tombstone of an old Indian fighter, fascinated them. Mr. George Barrett, more than 80 years old, and the oldest member of the church, can't remember when it wasn't there. He has resided near the church all his life. Mr. James H- Price, a great grand son of Thomas Price (a son of William, Jr.) was born in 1858, and he says when he was about 8 years old, he was at the cemetery, and his father led him by the hand to the grave of Thomas Price, read the inscription to him and explained what it all meant. That was sixty years ago. Isaac Price, a great-grandson of Thomas Price (a son of John A. R. Price and grandson of Maj. John A. Price) says he has known the stone to have been there for 60 years. The three Barrett gentlemen are in no way related to the Prices.

One thing certain - our ancestor was wounded in the left arm by an Indian in the Battle of Point Pleasant. Our family KNOWS this to be true. William Price and Major John A. Price were intelligent and highly honor¬ able citizens. They both lived many years after their father died, and no one ever heard one of them say a word in contradiction of the tombstone statement. William was born in Virginia, 1777, three years after the battle when his father was wounded. He was 13 years old when the Thomas Price petition was presented. He would have known all about it.

I had thought for years that David B. Price, a son of Major John A. Price, was dead- He lived in South Dakota since 1883, and some years ago he was reported to be very ill. And the rumor passed around that he was dead. But just a few days ago I got a letter from Mrs. George F. Brand, David's daughter, that she went to South Dakota two years ago and brought him to her home (in Bloom¬ ington, Ill.) and cared for him until Oct. 9, 1925, when he passed away, aged 94 years! How I regret that I did not know of his being with his daughter? Had I known it 1 would have gone to see him and talked with him. But his testimony on this very point comes back to us as one speaking from the grave. Mrs. Brand says in her letter: "I have heard him talk of Thomas Price, who was in Dunmore's war with the Indians, in 1774. And I have heard him also tell about the inscription on his tombstone in the Bethsaida church cemetery."

David B. Price was born in 1831, three years after Thomas Price's death. He was 18 years old when William died and 36 years old when his father, Major John A. Price, died. No doubt but he had heard his father - and

Another evidence on this point is that Thomas Price - our Thomas - lived in Augusta County, while the other Thomas lived in Bottetourt County. There are no muster roils in existence, of the Augusta County soldiers in Dunmore's war; but the petition and the act of the Assembly proves that our man was a soldier from Augusta County* But the muster rolls of the Bottetourt regiment are pub¬ lished in the book, entitled "Dunmore's War," and not a single Thomas Price appears in the lists. There is a copy of this book in Central Library, this city, and can be seen by anyone. I will probably refer to it again. But more on this line when I prove that this Thomas Price was a Revolutionary War soldier, as well as a Colonial War soldier.

I am not reflecting on the Bottetourt County Thomas Price. He was a gallant Revolutionary War soldier, serv¬ ing three years in the Second or Third Regiment of Vir¬ ginia Continentals, from May 3, 1777 to May 3, 1780. His will shows that he was a wealthy man. A letter from the Bottetourt County clerk says: "The will of Thomas Price, dated October 5, 1820, admitted to probate March 20, 1823, witnesses, James L. Woodville and William Anderson, who resided in Bottetourt. No doubt proof of the death of Thomas Price was made when will was ad¬ mitted to record." He gives names of seven daughters and one son and one grandson as named in the will as follows: Sophia, Madorah, Agnes, Rebecca, Polly, Sarah and Mary; a son Thomson and a grandson named Hol¬ stein. Four children by a previous marriage were men¬ tioned, making 12 children in all. Our Thomas Price had a family of only six children - five boys and one girl. Yet some folks try to claim these men were identical!

But there is more evidence that the soldier of the peti¬ tion was our man. His petition was granted and a pen¬ sion given him and the pension paid up to the close of

1828, four or five years before the pension ceased being paid. And there is not another Thomas Price in all Vir¬ ginia that these facts will fit, and nails down the fact beyond all contention that the Colonial Soldier of the Petition, who was granted a pension, was our ancestor. This evidence is so important I will give it in detail so this question will be settled beyond all question for all time to come.

Thomas Price Pensioned

"Section 1. WHEREAS, it has been represented to this present General Assembly, that a certain Thomas Price, of the County of Randolph, served as a soldier in an expedition against the Indians, undertaken during the administration of Governor Dunmore, and by reason of a wound received at the battle of the Point, is rendered unable to support himself by labor.

Section 2. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEM¬ BLY, that the Auditor of public accounts, on application by the said Thomas Price, or his attorney, legally authorized, shall issue a warrant on the treasury, for Fifteen Pounds, which warrant shall refer to this act, and express the consideration whereon it was granted, and be made payable by the treasurer out of the contingent fund.

Section 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the said Thomas Price shall be entitled, on application to the Auditor in the manner and form aforesaid, to receive half year¬ ly, that is to say, on the first day of March and the first day of September, in each succeeding year, while he lives, a like war¬ rant for the sum of seven pounds and ten shillings, payable as in herein before directed." have been enacted during this present session of the General Assembly, shall and the same are hereby declared to commence and be in force from and after passing of this Act .... And an Act entitled: ' An Act making provision for Thomas Price, a wounded solder.' Passed the 29th of December, 1790."

I employed Mr. Z. S. Farland, 915 West Grace Street, Richmond, Virginia, who was recommended to me as a capable and trustworthy person, to search the State Li¬ brary records for references to this pension. He reported that he had discovered in some unpaged books from the Auditor's office an account of the paying of the pension to Thomas Price up to and including 1827. The authori¬ ties at the Library sent me photographic copies of the pages of the books containing the entries referred to by Mr. Farland. On these is found the following official cer¬ tificate :

Certificate

"This certifies that these are photostat prints of an unnum¬ bered page in a volume in the Virginia State Library, known as "War 51" which is a Pension Roll of Virginia, 1785-1816."

There is a second certificate on a print from a similar book known as "War 52," which carries the account be¬ yond 1816. Miss Gill says these books came from the Auditor's office.

The prints are from a large book the pages of which are 10x15 inches in size. Parts of them are clear but some are dim. The statement is clearly legible that Thomas Price was pensioned by "Act of '90 to be paid March 1st and Sept. 1st for life." The payment of fifteen pounds was paid regularly each year to 1816 or 1817, when it seems that there was a break in the payments; from March 1, 1817 to 1820 annual payments ceased. Then in 1820 it is stated warrants were issued for payments for three years and a half up to Sept. 1, 1820. Then there was a lapse until 1826, Dec. 5th, when warrants were issued for payment for six years, bringing to Sept. 1st, 1826- The prints are not clear after this entry, but Mr. Farland certifies the book shows that "on Dec. 1st, 1827, the pension was paid up to that date." While these accounts do not give the place of the residence of Thomas Price, they do show that the pension was paid to the year of his death. Our Thomas Price is the only pensioner of the name to whom these facts will apply. The Bottetourt county Thomas Price died in 1823 and his estate settled in Court, while our Thomas was still drawing his pension.

Another Testimony

There is strong confirmatory testimony in the fact that the old Deckard rifle that our Thomas Price carried in the wars in which he participated, is still in existence, having been preserved until the present. It is now in my possession, and is deposited in the Murphy Meseum, New Harmony, Indiana, for safe keeping, and where it can be seen at any time by anyone interested.

The Price family, generally, knows the traditional his¬ tory of this old weapon. Mr. James II. Price, of Griffin, Indiana, a great-grandson of Thomas Price has fired the old gun. Mr. Isaac Price, a grandson of John A. Price and a son of John A. R. Price, remembers his grandfather and knows the history of the gun.

This is to certify that the old gun and powder horn, now in possession of Rev. John E. Cox, and to be deposited in the Murphy Museum at New Harmony, Ind., were formerly owned by my father, John A. R. Price, and before him by his father, my grandfather, John A. Price, the son of Thomas Price, my great-grandfather.

Cousin Isaac says there was also an oramented shot pouch, which seems to have been lost- This gun and powder horn have been handed down from generation to generation as follows:

This old gun and powder horn are of the fashion pre¬ vailing on the Virginia border one hundred and fifty years ago. The rifle barrel is long and small bored. The stock is short and ornamented with silver bands and plates. In the side of the butt is a receptacle scooped out, that has a silver cap cover. The powder horn is covered with fine etchings of a crocodile, Indian head, an eagle, sun, moon, etc. Col. Roosevelt in his "Winning of the West," second volume, on page six, says of the men who fought in the Lewis Battle at Point Pleasant : "His weapon was the long, small bore, flint lock rifle, clumsy and ill balanced, but exceedingly accurate. It was heavy and when upright reached the chin of a tall man, while the butt was short and the butt scooped out. Sometimes it was plain and sometimes ornamented.,, linas in the days of Thomas Price, and says : "His powder horn was engraved with wondrous scenes." Our powder horn proves the truthfulness of this statement.

More About The Bottetourt Thomas

But the descendants of the Bottetourt man claim that he is the man who was wounded at Point Pleasant, and who petitioned for a pension. Let us see. The Bottetourt man was twice married, there being four or five children in the first family and eight in the second. Our man only had one family and only six children, five being boys. But here is a historical fact that proves that there were two Thomas Prices - both Revolutionary War soldiers at the same time in 1780. Again, documentary evidence was found by Capt. Price in the census bureau, Washington, D. C. The census report shows that a Thomas Price lived in Bottetourt County, Va., 1810, and also in 1820, while the census shows that our Thomas Price lived in Floyd County, Ky-, in 1810; and in 1820 lived in Posey County, Indiana. The Bottetourt man was wealthy. The Kentucky and Indiana man was not wealthy. The Botte¬ tourt man had much property and slaves. Our man had no property. The 1820 census for Indiana shows that our Thomas Price was no longer the head of a family but was living in the home of his son, John A. Price. Which of these men meets the description of the petitioner as given in the court appeal and the petition, as given elsewhere in this book.

All this evidence proves that there were two men named Thomas Price, and also proves that our man was the petitioner and the one who was pensioned.

And here is one more evidence - the signitures of both men - the signiture of the petition and the signiture of the Bottetourt will. I submitted these signitures to hand writing experts at two banks in this city, and three of

There had been continuous raids by Indians from Ohio along the western and southwestern borders of Virginia, in which many of the border people were killed and others carried off to a wretched captivity. In 1774, Governor Dunmore determined to carry war into the red men's country, and preparations were rushed for the invasion.

Dunmore, himself, organized a small army in the eastern part of Virginia, and General Andrew Lewis of Bottetourt County, organized another in the southwestern counties of the state. Lewis assembled his army at "Camp Union" on the "Big Levels," in what is now Greenbrier County, in West Virginia. Colonel Charles Lewis (a brother of General Lewis) assembled his regiment, composed of Augusta County men, at Staunton, county-seat of Augusta County, and marched them to Camp Union. Our Thomas Price was with this command in Captain John Lewis' company.

Early in September the army was completed. One of the officers was Major Thomas Posey, who afterward was the first governor of Indiana Territory and for whom Posey County was named. Maj. Posey was commissary officer of the expidition. Wagons could not be used as there were no roads through the mountain forests, so hundreds of pack horses were used to carry necessary camp equipage and supplies. Also a large herd of beef cattle was driven along in the rear of the army. A por¬ tion of the army started on September 6th, to clear out a trail along which the men and animals could travel. They moved in a westerly direction, crossing rugged mountain ridges, then crossing Gauley River and over a ridge, struck the head of Kelley's creek, and down this stream to the Great Kanawha river about 20 miles above Charleston. On September 12th the entire army was on the move. From the mouth of Kelley's creek the march was down the valley of the Kanawha river. Kelley's creek got its name from a man named Kelly, who was the first white man to settle with his family on the creek, and all were massacred by the Indians. (I lived for five years on the south bank of the Kanawha river, opposite Kelley's creek, and have held religious services on the creek.)

The army rested a short time at the mouth of Elk river where Charleston is now located. Camp was pitched on north side of Elk river. (I once lived on this camp site, and our youngest child was born there.)

The army reached the Ohio river on October 6th. Gen. Lewis and his men were disappointed at not finding Gov¬ ernor Dunmore there with his army, according to arrange¬ ments by Dunmore himself. At this point both armies were to unite, cross the river and march direct to the Indian towns. For three days the army rested and waited impatiently. On the 9th the notorious Simon Girty arrived at the camp with dispatches from Dunmore to General Lewis, informing him that their plans had been changed - that he would cross the river where he was, and order¬ ing Lewis to cross the river and march northward and meet him at a designated point.

It is certain that General Lewis was surprised and an¬ noyed by this change in their war plans, but he began at once to obey orders- He ordered that the next day be spent in preparation and that on the 11th the army would cross the river and march to the designated place.

It is certain that many of these men doubted the loyalty and trustworthiness of Simon Girty, who had disappeared soon after delivering his papers to General Lewis. Some even doubted the loyalty of Lord Dunmore himself. In fact, the spirit of the American Revolution was strongly manifested in Lewis' camp. England's obnoxious tax laws were being enforced in Massachusetts and all of the Colonies were agitated. A Colonial congress was in ses¬ sion in Philadelphia. Committees of safety were being organized in all the Colonies. On October the 8th (two days before the battle at Point Pleasant) the Continental Congress voted resolutions of sympathy with the patriots of Massachusetts, and among other strong expressions said: "All America ought to support them in their oppo¬ sition." And even Lord Dunmore's independent soldiers met and adopted resolutions pledging every "power in them in defence of American Liberty." No wonder that the battle of October 10 was often referred to as the "first battle of the Revolution."

Mr. J. T. McAllister, of Hot Springs, Va., in his book entitled, "Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War," places General Lewis' men among the soldiers of the Revolutionary war, saying: "The service of the militia in 1774 are included because the battle of Point Pleasant in that year was really the initial battle of the Revolution."

After the Battle many survivors of Lewis' army be¬ lieved Lord Dunmore wanted these independent libertyloving men of the border, defeated and cowed, hence he had changed his plans so as to give the Indians the oppor¬ tunity to annihilate them. A few days later, when the two armies met, General Lewis had difficulty in preventing his men from assaulting Dunmore.

The fact that Dunmore would use Simon Girty as a messenger was good ground for suspicion. It is altogether probable that Girty carried news at once to Cornstalk, the leader of the Indians, of the situation, and that astute warrior decided to surprise and destroy Lewis' army. Girty ever after became a leader of hostile Indians-

The Battle Of Point Pleasant

The "Lewis Battle" was fought October 10, 1774. It was desperately and savagely fought on both sides, and proved to be a decisive one. It really ended the war, at least for a year or two.

ference it favored the red men. The Indians were from the various Ohio tribes, the Shawnee warriors predomina¬ ting. And all these warriors were the selected fighters of their tribes.

The white army, composed largely of border men, were naturally good fighters. They were brave, self-sacrificing, self-reliant and self-willed, and not easy under military authority. But when it came to fighting "they were there with the goods." It has been declared that they were among the best individual fighters in the world. They could fight singly as the Indian fights ; but when necessary they could do their part in group fighting.

The commanders of these antagonistic armies were equally brave, trained, experienced and skillful. General Lewis was an experienced Indian fighter and had never failed to give a good account of himself. And he was seconded by heroic and able officers.

There was another respect in which these armies were alike: A spirit of revenge animated both of them. Some bad white men had murdered some inoffensive Indians, so the Indians blamed all white men and sought a bloody revenge. On the other .hand, many of these white men had suffered at the hands of bad Indians- Some had lost wife or children, or both, by the tomahawk. And, worse, some had members of their family carried away into cap¬ tivity. These men, almost without exception, hated all Indians and wanted revenge.

And it was. It was to the death. Not' a prisoner was taken on either side. The slain on both sides falling into the hands of the enemy, were scalped.

tack, but because he was cautious and always ready for emergency. And well for him that he was. He and his officers believed there were no Indians in force east of the river.

Cornstalk showed his Napoleonic talents by bringing his warriors down to the river in the night, and crossing over a short distance above the camp of the white men, and doing this so quietly that his presence near the camp was unsuspected.

Lewis' camp was peculiarly located. On the west side was the Ohio river; on the south was the Kanawha river; on the east, about a mile from the Ohio river, was Crooked creek coming down from the north, parallel with the Ohio river and emptying into the Kanawha about a mile and a quarter from the mouth. The north part of the tongue of land was covered by timber and thick underbrush, and in places was rough and rocky.

Cornstalk put his fighters in battle array in a skirmish line that reached from the Ohio river to Crooked creek. They crept down the tongue of land quietly, expecting to surprise the sleeping white men about break of day. No doubt but Cornstalk and his savage warriors believed their well-laid plans were certain of success. So confident was he of victory that he stationed warriors on the west bank of the Ohio river and on the south bank of the Kanawha river, to cut off any of the white men who might try to escape by swimming the rivers.

As morning was dawning two men of Captain Russell's Company of Clinch river men quietly slipped out of the '*- camp for purpose of killing a wild turkey or a deer for breakfast. Their names were James Hughey and James Mooney. About the same time two men of Captain Evan Shelby's Company, of Holston river men, also were hungry for game, and slipped quietly into the forest. Their names were James Robertson and Valentine Sevier. The hunters did not know of each other's actions. Russell's two men

Both parties were greatly surprised. But these hunters acted instantly. They fired at the Indians and sped back to camp. Only three reached there. The Indians fired, killing Hughey. It is said the fatal shot was fired by Travnor Ross, a white renegade with the Indians.

Then the Indians made their first mistake. Believing these hunters were the advanced skirmishers of Lewis' army, they thought that Lewis was advancing to give them battle. So they waited to receive the attack. But finding they were mistaken, they went forward again. Had they followed on the heels of the hunters all the advantage would have still been theirs. That short pause was fatal.

The white men, hearing the firing of guns, sprang to their feet and were ready for the foe. When the hunters reported to General Lewis, he ordered his brother, Col. Charles Lewis, to advance with one hundred and fifty men along the course of the creek. Col. Fleming was sent with hundred and fifty men up along the Ohio river. The white men deployed across the narrow strip of land as they advanced. Capt. John Lewis was in Col. Lewis' command and, of course, our Thomas Price was there with his company. The sun was just rising as the two armies met.

Unfortunately for the white men, at the first onset of these savage foemen, the gallant Colonel Charles Lewis was mortally wounded. Handing his rifle to a soldier, he calmly exhorted his men to fight bravely, was taken back to camp, where he soon breathed his last. About the same time Col. Fleming was seriously wounded. This brave man pushed his liver, wdiich was protruding from an awful wound, back in its place, and was taken back to camp. The Indians attacked the whites ferociously, fighting like mad men. In the beginning they greatly outnumbered the white men. They pressed hard upon the command of the stricken Col- Lewis. These men did their best to hold their part of the line. But they were beaten backward for some distance. Men were being killed and wounded in numbers. It looked for a moment as if the line would be forced to give way. It is probable that in this terrific hand to hand struggle was when our Thomas Price was wounded. But in the darkest moment Captain Fields and his company dashed in to the relief of the white men and stopped the backward movement. The leaders had been reorganized, too. Captain Even Shelby, a noted Indian fighter, took Col. Lewis' place, and Lieutenant Isaac Shelby took his father's place. The heroic Captain Fields fell dead. But General Lewis rapidly threw his entire' force into the fight, and soon the white men re¬ gained their lost ground.

A deadlock then followed for hours. Both battle lines reached from Crooked creek to the Ohio river. The fight¬ ing was terrific and terrible. General Lewis could be heard shouting encouragement to his fighters. He was ably seconded by all his officers. The stentorian voice of Cornstalk could be heard above the din of battle shouting to his warriors: "Be strong! Be strong!"

The lines were only about twenty paces apart. It seemed for hours that neither side could win, and neither would yield. The white men fought after the fashion of their opponents. It was man against man, each hiding behind trees, logs or rocks, all the time trying to get the advan¬ tage of his antagonist. The Indians even climbed into the trees- The whites were the better marksmen, but the Indians were better at dodging and hiding. These indi¬ vidual antagonists often taunted each other, and dared each other to step out into the open and fight it out with knife and tomahawk. Several duels were fought between the lines. Scout William Bowen accepted a challenge and a desperate duel was fought. Bowen was the victor and came back with the scalp-lock of his opponent.

men began to break. A terrified warrior, panic stricken, started to run, when Cornstalk brained him with his toma¬ hawk. At this critical moment General Lewis ordered Isaac Shelby to lead a force around the flank of the Indian line and attack them from the rear. Shelby and his men slipped down into the deep bed of Crooked creek and worked their way past the Indians.

"The battle scene was terribly grand. There stood the combatants - terror, rage, disappointment and despair riveted on the faces of one, while calm resolution and un¬ bending will to do or die marked the other. Neither would retreat, neither could advance. The noise of the firing was tremendous. No single gun fire could be dis¬ tinguished - it was one continuous roar. The rifle and tomahawk now did their work with dreadful certainty. The confusion and perturbation of the conflict had now reached its greatest height. The confused sounds and wild uproar of the battle added greatly to the terror of the scene. The shouting of the whites, the war whoops and dismal yelling of the Indians, were discordant and terrific."

At this crucial moment Shelby's men opened fire on the Indians from the rear. At once the Indians began a slow retreat, contesting every foot of ground. Toward the close of day they reached an advantageous position and stopped their retreat- The white men, who had fought from sunrise to sunset, without food, water or rest, were too much exhausted to press the battle further. Darkness soon brought the firing of guns to end. Food, water and ammunition were brought to the white men, and they rested on their arms the best they could, ready to resume the battle at a moment's notice. When the morning of Oct. 11th dawned they were ready and eager to finish the job.

It was a costly victory for the white men. The killed and those dying of wounds numbered one hundred and forty. And some writers assert that this does not include the slightly wounded. And among the wounded was our herioc ancestor, Thomas Price.

Officers wounded were: Col. Fleming, Captains Dick¬ inson, Buford, Skidmore and John Lewis of Augusta county; Lieutenants Goldman, Robinson, Lord and Vance.

This battle was fought before the United States became a nation and most of the official papers were sent to Eng¬ land by Governor Dunmore. What reports are available are very incomplete.

My object in giving this description of the battle is that the descendants of our ancestor, Thomas Price, may better understand his patriotism, his herioc courage and his sacrifices, that we may better appreciate and honor him for his service to his country. If he had left us a great fortune we would probably place a monument over his grave. But in my opinion we ought to be more proud of such an herioc ancestor, though lacking in worldly riches, than if he had only left us money by which to remember him.

This battle was a small alfair compared to some battles since- It is so little understood and so little appreciated that it is barely mentioned in modern histories. And many of the rising generation know nothing about it.

But it was an event of mighty influence. It discouraged Indian raids. It secured release of Indian prisoners. It made the Indian slow about joining England during the

Revolutionary War, which began soon afterward. It prevented abandonment of the new settlements in Ken¬ tucky and Tennessee. It fired the patriotic zeal of Ameri¬ cans, and the survivors of this battle were among the first to take arms for independence. General Lewis and officers distinguished themselves in the Revolutionary War. Many of the men who fought here went direct to Ken¬ tucky and helped hold the new settlements there against the Indians and British. General George Rogers Clark was an officer in Dunmore's army, but was not in the battle. Many of the men who followed him on his vic¬ torious march through Indiana and Illinois were in the Point Pleasant battle. Major Posey was Indiana Terri¬ tory's first governor. Isaac Shelby became an honored govenor of Kentucky.

Had the white men been defeated by the Indians at Point Pleasant, the opening up of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois would have been delayed for many years.

And the only survivor of this battle of the Point, buried in southern Indiana is our ancestor, Thomas Price. His grave ought to be honored by all patriotic citizens but especially by his descendants.

A Revolutionary War Soldier

According to tradition among the older members of the family in Indiana, Thomas Price was a Revolutionary War soldier. And there is among the descendants of Jesse Price (who was a son of Thomas Price) a tradition that Jesse's father was a Revolutionary War soldier. And among the later generations it was about the only tradi¬ tional knowledge they had of him.

Mrs. M. B. Crawford, who was searching the county records and histories for me, recently learned of the exis¬ tence of an original manuscript and on examining it found that Thomas Price had served in Augusta County, Vir¬ ginia, militia from March 25, 1780 to Sept. 23, 1780, and perhaps longer. This fact was certified to. This evidence was substantiated by the following legal document:

This is to certify that Thomas Price, whose name appears in Company of Captain Givens, April 8, 1780, June 20, 1780, June 27, 1780, is recorded in manuscript records of Colonial and Revolutionary Forces of Augusta County, Virginia, page 196, saw actual service in Capt. Givens' Company, Revolutionary War.

An Affidavit

I, Harry Burnett, a Notary Public, for the county aforesaid in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Mrs. M. B. Crawford, organizing Regent for Staunton and Augusta county, Virginia, personally appeared before me and made oath that the foregoing certificate is correct. Given under my hand, this 22nd day of December, 1925.

I have a copy of Attorney J. C. McAllister's book (Hot Springs, Va.) entitled, "Virginia Militia in Revolutionary War." This volume is authority on Revolutionary War matters. I find on examination following references to military service performed by Captain John Givens' com¬ pany of Augusta County Militia, during the Revolutionary War :

Page 99, section 87, 1781, Captain John Givens' com¬ pany, Col. Wm. Boyer's regiment, General William Camp¬ bell's Brigade, of General Lafayette's army, at battles of Hot Water and Jamestown-

Page 124, section 134, we are told that Captain Givens' company helped run Tarlton's British soldiers out of Charlottsville, and then joined Gen. Lafayette's army.

Just how long Thomas Price was a soldier we have no way of knowing. But he was probably a member of Givens' company from time it was organized until end of war. Certainly he was a member when the company went to Richmond Sept. 1, 1780, and performed three months guard duty, for we have positive evidence that he was a member of the company Sept. 23, 1780.

Mrs. Crawford, who is a prominent official of the Daughters of American Revolution, assures me that the proof that Thomas Price was a soldier in the Revolution¬ ary War, and that his descendants have "iron-clad" evi¬ dence to admit them to membership in the Patriotic So¬ cieties of the Revolution is indisputable.

And just here I want to testify to the ability and re¬ liability of Mrs. Crawford as a searcher for historical facts. She has my gratitude and sincere thanks.

Mrs. Crawford will furnish this "iron-clad" evidence to any descendant of our Thomas Price. Anyone interested writing me will be furnished Mrs. Crawford's address, with my best advice on how to join the Patriotic Societies.

Thus I have proved that our ancestor was twice a sol¬ dier - ones as a Colonial soldier and once a Revolutionary War soldier, who in all probability served under the gal¬ lant General Lafayette- gency soldier to help win the fight for liberty. He was only 42 years old in 1780. He was a strong and rugged man, excepting a weakened left arm, caused by the wound received six years before. This might prevent his joining the regular service, but would not hinder him from being an emergency soldier in the militia. Any man able to march and fire a gun could enlist, or be drafted for emer¬ gency service. Even boys 16 years old fought in the Revolution. And the Prices have ever been ready to fight for their country. Thomas Price's two brothers - James and Humphrey - were Revolutionary War soldiers. I have been astonished at the large number of Prices who have been soldiers. They have fought in every war. In the Civil War many Prices fought on both sides. Several were generals on both sides. They were in the Mexican War and the war of 1812. Many served in the World War. I know several descendants of our Thomas Price

(I must explain that while Mrs. Argenbright only men¬ tions three dates, I have evidence that he was mentioned as being in this company March 25, 1780, April 8, 1780, May 20, 1780, June 29, 1780, Sept. 25, 1780.)

A Possible Objection Answered

Some one might enter the objection that the wounded soldier of Capt. John Lewis' company in the Lewis battle, for which he received a pension in 1790, sixteen years later, could not have served as a Revolutionary War soldier six years after being wounded. My knowledge of wounds makes me brush aside any such objection at once. But I thought best to get expert medical testimony bearing on this point, so 1 submitted to three eminent physicians this question : "Is it possible for a soldier wounded in the arm in battle, to so far recover as to be able to perform military service again six years later? And then some years later the old wound break out, necessitating an operation and the removal of shattered bones?" First, it was submitted to Dr. James Y. Welborn, head of Wal¬ ker's Hospital, in this city, a noted physician and surgeon, who promptly declared that it was possible. He said such wounds almost certainly heal quickly, so that he could perform the duties of a militia soldier. Then, at a later date, there might be a recurrence of trouble with the wound. He used many medical and scientific words that I cannot remember. But he answered emphatically in the affirmative. Second, I propounded the question to Dr. Wilson, one of the staff doctors of Walker's Hospital. His special work for years has been dressing and caring for wounded patients of the hospital. He agreed with Dr. Welborn, (he didn't know that I had interviewed Dr. Welborn) except that he added that "such man might be able to not only join the militia, but even enlist in the regular service." Third, I laid the question before Dr. W. H. Holmes, of Wesley Hospital, Chicago, and one of the most noted diagnosticians in that city, and who served in the army in France; and he agreed with the other doctors without knowing of my interviews with them, but added that there was an example of just such a case in his neighbor's home: A young fellow was injured, the wound healed and he seemed to be well for a time, but the old trouble reappeared and he was being prepared to go to the hospital for another operation. I went over to the neighbors and saw and talked with the boy. The next day they took him to the hospital.

Conclusion

the Assembly granting the pension; the Auditor's books showing the pension paid to year of death ; the legal documents showing that he was a militiaman in 1780; besides much corroborative evidence, conclusively prove that this Thomas Price, who was a Colonial and Revolu¬ tionary War soldier, was the man buried in Robb town¬ ship, Posey county, Indiana, and the ancestor of the large tribes of Prices in Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and other states.

Let me state here that Virginia had perhaps 50,000 of these militiamen - emergency men. They were loosely organized. There were no doctors' examinations. If men didn't volunteer to serve an officer would order them to serve. And in many instances, when the emergency passed the officer in charge would tell them to go home, and in many instances not give them a discharge. Many of the militiamen would serve a three months "tour," and some men served on several different "tours." Yet all these emergency soldiers, who lived to 1835, were pen¬ sioned by the government. And their descendants are eligible for membership in the "Sons" or "Daughters" of the American Revolution.

Thomas Price moved with his family to Randolph county, then on western border of Virginia, perhaps at that time adjacent to Augusta county, Va. Just when he moved we have not been able to learn. But we know that in 1790 he lived in Randolph county. The official act of the court states that he lived there; also the State Assembly states in the Pension Act that he lived there in 1790.

Attorney Andrew Price, of Marlinton, W. Va., writes me that recently he was looking over some old records or data of Randolph county (now West Virginia) and "found where Thomas Price was summoned as a witness in a Randolph county law suit."

Moves To Kentucky

It is certain that he moved to Floyd county, Kentucky, about the year 1793. About that time his youngest son, John A. Price, was born. The descendants of Jesse Price, (a son of Thomas Price) say this family came to Kentucky from Virginia in 1793.

The Prices of this family living in Indiana and other western states know that Thomas moved to Kentucky; that John A. was born there; that William married there; and that these three came to Indiana Territory. It was known, too, that some of Thomas Price's family did not come here with him.

It was believed that those coming here came from eastern Kentucky. Cousin George W. Price of this city, a son of Isaac Price (son of William) says that he re* members hearing his father say that William and family came here first, and that Thomas and John A. came later. And Cousin George says there was another son who started with this group, but seems to have dropped out some way. This tradition is strongly supported by evi¬ dence which has recently been discovered.

I searched all over Kentucky in an attempt to discover the locality where our ancestors lived and concluded that the most probable place was eastern Kentucky, and put a statement of the situation in the Paintsville Herald, John¬ son Co., Ky. In it I asked any Prices living in that sec¬ tion to please write me. I was rather surprised and delighted at the response: I got letters from several counties in eastern Kentucky, from Cincinnati, Chicago, and Washington. They all told the same story. They be¬ longed to a Price family which originated in Jesse Price, a Virginian, who had come to Eastern Kentucky with other members of his family about 1793- But not one knew what Jesse's father's name was, or what became of him. Some said the tradition of the family was that he was an old soldier. Some of their younger generation thought he must have been killed in the Revolutionary War. It began to look like we could get no where here, when I got a letter from a woman who said she had a neighbor, a man related to the Price's, though his name was not Price, and this man said his great-great-grand¬ father was Thomas Price; and then I got a letter from Ballard Price, living at White House, Johnson county, Ky., and he declared positively that his step-father, an old man named Brown, told him that the father of Jesse was Thomas Price. The feeling, generally, seemed to be inclined to accept Thomas as being their ancestor. Judge N. K- Price, Van Lear, Ky., declared that we were kins¬ men and addressed me as "cousin." Capt. Herbert H. Price of Washington, D. C., the historian of this fine Price family, admitted that everything pointed to Thomas being the father of Jesse, but he wasn't satisfied yet. He joined in the search for documentary evidence. One fact hindered us very much and that was the destruction of the court house of Floyd Co., Ky., in 1808, by fire, with the loss of all early records. But Captain Price succeeded in solving this puzzle. Being a U. S. service office he has access to public documents in the archives in Washington. He examined the U. S. census reports. Some of the earliest were destroyed when the capitol was burned by the British in 1812, yet some were preserved. The earliest census of Kentucky was for 1810. While these reports are mea¬ ger, often they contain valuable information. Only the head of a family is named. Exact ages are never given. Usually minumum and maximum figures are given. If a person is over 45 it is so stated though he might be twice that old. I suppose this was done to find out how many men were of military age. Captain Price found but two Price families living in Floyd county in 1810. These were Thomas Price and wife and two sons and Jesse Price, wife and one child. This Thomas Price is recorded as "over 45 years" old. Also his wife was "over

45 years." One "son under 16 years," and one "under 26 years." The son 16 years or under was undoubtedly John A., who evidently was six months or a year younger than we supposed. The second son was the one born about 1784, whose name seems to be lost. Thomas and Jesse lived near each other.

The census report for 1820 shows that Jesse was the only Price living in that part of Floyd county. The 1820 census report for Posey county, Indiana, shows that William Price, wife and several children were living in Robb township, and John A. living in "Lynn or Smith" township with his wife and one child (at home). Thomas Price does not appear as a householder, but there was an aged man enumerated as living with John A. This man is not listed as a farmer. Evidently he was old and feeble. This is certainly Thomas Price making his home with John A- The census for 1830 shows that the old man had disappeared. (He had died in 1828.) Now we know that William was here in 1814. It is certain that he was not in Kentucky in 1810. Captain Price could find no Eatons listed in the census reports of Floyd Co., Ky., so it is evident that William must have gone to another part of Kentucky where he married, and after a few years emi¬ grated to Indiana Territory. Soon after 1810, Thomas Price's wife seems to have died, then he and John A. fol¬ lowed William to Indiana.

These documents show that Jesse Price was one of Thomas Price's family of five children born in Virginia, that went to Kentucky with him and wife in 1793.

Since above was written I have a letter from Captain Price with additional information. I quote him: "I have a letter from my great-aunt, Louisa Price Todd, a daugh¬ ter of Rev. George Washington Price, who writes me that while she has no positive record, she has heard it said that Jesse Price's father was named Thomas Price." The Captain says that his father - John Clinton Price, Coffeeville, Kansas - writes him that he remembers hearing his grandfather, Rev. George Washington Price, talk a lot about a "Thomas Price, as if he were an honored member of the family." The Captain says his father at that time was a school boy and not interested in family history, and so did not inquire into the relationship at that time.

We know that in 1790 Thomas had a wife and five children. This is stated in his petition to the Assembly. There may have been children who died. The name of wife is unknown to any of his descendants. But I have come to the conclusion that in all probability her family name was Alverson. This is not a Price name, and yet, John A. Price's name was John Alverson Price. He does not get "Alverson" on the Price side, so it seems alto¬ gether probable that it was his mother's family name. I see in the list of Revolutionary War soldiers in Virginia, that there was a John Alverson in Bottetourt county. And Miss Gill writes me that their records show there were four Alversons who were Revolutionary War soldiers - John, James, Jeremiah and Teliff. Not only was John Anamed Alverson but so was John A. R. Price; and Ed Price, of Poplar Blulfs, Mo., has a boy in the navy named "Alverson Edward Price." My opinion is that when we discover Thomas Price's wife's name it will be "Alverson." We know John A. was born in Kentucky, and when he was accidentally killed on May 13, 1867, it was said that he was 74 years old. This would have made his birth year May 13, 1793, nearly six months younger than we usually think he was. And the probability is that he was only in his 74th year. The census report makes him about a year younger than we thought, yet only six months younger as it stands.

Jesse is the only one of the sons who remained in eastern Kentucky. Remember that Captain Price found only two families in Floyd county in 1810 - Thomas Price, wife and two sons, and Jesse, wife and one child, and these families living near each other. In 1820, only Jesse and family remained.

Edmund and William had gone down the river country in all probability. No doubt but the son (name not known) and John A., accompanied Thomas soon after 1810, when they went to join William. There is a tradi¬ tion that this son, who was born in 1784, went down the river, married and drifted westward with the ever-moving border, and on down to Texas, where he founded a large Price tribe. It seems possible that he might have gone on to Indiana with his father and brother, for the U. S. cen¬ sus shows that in 1820 John A. was the head of a family, and at that time living in either Lynn or Smith township. He was about 26 ; his father, Thomas, lived with him ; and near him lived Frederick Price, who was "over 26 and under 45 years of age," had a wife and one child. The son born in 1784, who was "under 26" in 1810 would be about 36 years old in 1820. Frederick seems to have disappeared from Posey county soon after this date. I find no mention of him afterward. In 1830 the U. S. census shows that no such man lived in the county. John A- Price, in 1824, bought a farm east of and joining his brother William's farm, and moved there at once, and lived and died there. He lived there when I knew him, sixty years ago. He afterward bought "Seminary" lands.

The recollection of George W. Price fits in here - that Thomas Price and his son, John A., were accompanied by another brother, when they came here. But Cousin George W. was under the impression that they lost this man somewhere about Cincinnati, but he might have come on here and then have gone west. If this conjecture is true, then this member of the family was named Frederick.

Jesse Price was a brother of our William and John A. He became a very influential man in eastern Kentucky. He was a deacon in the Baptist church and several of his sons were Baptist preachers. His wife was a Preston, one of the finest old families in Virginia. She was an educated woman and looked after the education of her children herself ; Jesse and his wife had 13 children, eight .of them being boys. The oldest son was Rev. George Washington Price, who was twice married and was the father of nineteen children! This is a fine family. Cap¬ tain Price has furnished us its genealogy for the family history. .

I want to mention one characteristic of the family which crops out in both the western and eastern Kentucky bran¬ ches: Thomas Price lived to be 90 years old and upwards. Jesse lived to be 92; Rev. George W. was 80 at death, Zachariah was 85, William, Jr. 85, David B. 94, and many others lived to a good old age-

1 want just here to acknowledge our indebtedness to Captain Herbert H. Price, our honored kinsman, for his assistance in solving some family mysteries. Captain Price is the historian of the Jesse Price branch of our family. He has had the manuscript ready for the printer for some years. Now that the great puzzling question of

A Suggestion

There is one matter I must speak of in closing this his¬ torical sketch. The descendants of Thomas Price should, without delay, see that a suitable marker is placed over his grave- It seems to be providential that the little old-fashioned slab now marking his grave has stood al¬ most a century. If it should be removed or be broken down the grave of Thomas Price would be forever lost. No doubt but that there are descendants living who are well able to place a heavy granite block over his grave, which would stand for centuries. If we have no such descendants, then 1 propose that we have small gifts from the many descendants to perform this duty. To this end I suggest a "Thomas Price Memorial Association" be or¬ ganized to properly push this matter. I would like to hear from others who favor this move.

Another Suggestion

This for the descendants of William Price, Sr., and his wife, Elizabeth Eaton Price: William died in 1849, and Elizabeth died in 1865. They were buried in the little Price burying lot, on William's old farm, back of the orchard. For the past thirty years this farm has passed out of the hands of the Price family. I visited this bury¬ ing lot recently and found it sadly neglected. Only two or three small markers are standing. William's marker was lying flat on the ground and Elizabeth's marker could not be found at first, but was dug out of the leaves and growth which covered it entirely. The stone was lying face down. Now I appeal to the descendants of these honored pioneers to see that a proper and permanent monument be placed over their graves. The present owners of the land are honorable gentlemen. But the time will come, if present conditions continue, when the land will probably fall into the hands of some one who will pitch the little marble slab aside and plow up the cemetery, as has happened in this country. This would be an everlasting disgrace upon all of us. I shall be glad to hear from others with their suggestions. Cousins, let us join hands and remedy these conditions. One thing I forgot to mention : The burial lot is not enclosed but should be.

Still Another Suggestion

This is addressed to the descendants of Major John A. Price: Major Price's grave is on his old farm, almost directly in front of his old home, between the Stewartsville and New Harmony road and the railroad, quite near the latter. It is on a small elevation. There are several other graves there. The Major's grave is marked by an old-time marble slab which has fallen down and broken. I saw it recently. This little burial lot is enclosed, but is overgrown with briers and brushwood. Cousin Isaac Price of Poseyville has been trying to care for this ceme¬ tery for years; but he is no longer young, his health is not good and, like myself, he is not able financially to employ others to look after it. As in the case of Thomas and William there ought to be a memorial association organized, composed of Major Price's descendants, to properly mark his grave and look after it in the future. I am in the William Price line, but I am perfectly willing to join with Major Price's line, to help along this good work. Until such an organization is effected I will gladly hear from any or all who are interested, or in favor of something being done- Let these offer suggestions. But what we do let us do quickly.

William Price

William was born about the year 1777, probably in Augusta county, Virginia. He died at his home in Robb township, Posey county, Indiana, on January 19, 1849, aged 71 years, 8 months and 1G days. These dates are copied from the stone over his grave, which is located on the old Price farm, entered by William in 1814, as shown by the records in the Court House, Mt. Vernon, Indiana.

He married Elizabeth Eaton about 1802 or '03, in Kentucky. A large family was born to them, (eleven children). Several wTere born in Kentucky. The first child, born about June, 1804, was a daughter named Nancy who became my grandmother.

William cleared and developed his land until he had a fine pro¬ ductive farm, and a valuable property. He became a man of some wealth in his day, and seems to have been a man of influence in his community, and had personal friends among the leading citi¬ zens of Posey county.

These parents reared seven sons and four daughters who became leading citizens of the country. Most of these reared large families who made good useful citizens. Most of these were conteijt to be good farmers, though a few turned to mercantile pursuits and became successful business men. But few seemed to have any desire to seek public office, though a few of the later generations have held county office. Many of the later generations are teachers in public schools and some are on faculties of colleges. Several are ministers of the gospel. During the Civil War several fought in the Union army. No doubt but that I have failed to get names of all these. Also in the late World War many young men entered the army. The Prices have been men of peace, but when necessary to fight they showed no fear. They were patriotic and have always

Probably William died of a chronic or long continued illness. Nearly a year before his death he must have had premonitions of approaching death, for he made his will, disposing of all his proper¬ ty. Two of the most noted men in the state of Indiana, and well known thoughout the United States, were witnesses to the will - Hon. Robert Dale Owen, and Hon. David Dale Owen, brothers, of New Harmony, Ind. The will was made in April 1848. David Dale Owen held the will until William's death and then filed it in the Probate Court. My grandfather, John Cox, husband of Nancy

It is regretable that we know so little of William Price. But there are no persons living who knew him personally to tell us about him. But he was evidently industrious and thrifty, at the same time raising a family of seven boys and four girls. And be it said to the credit of these pioneers that their children became highly honorable and useful citizens.

We know but little about Elizabeth, only that she was born in Virginia and at an early day moved (it is supposed with her par¬ ents) to Kentucky, but we have not been able to learn what county they moved to. She died Oct. 6, 1865, aged 82 years. A year or and daughter) visited our home. It was a great day for the young¬ sters in the home. As this aged woman told of the Indians attack¬ ing her father's, cabin and the father and others defending it from the inside, I remember that I looked on her with admiration and awe.

She was larger and much stronger than my grandmother. I never saw either again. Grandmother soon passed away; great-grand¬ mother Elizabeth died about a year afterwards. Elizabeth was buried beside her husband in the cemetery on the old Price farm.

Major John A. Price, her husband's brother, stood beside the open grave and made an address on the life and character of Elizabeth. If that address had been preserved it would, doubtless, be interesting and valuable now.

"Know all men by these presents, that I, William Price, of Posey county, State of Indiana, being of sound mind and mem¬ ory, but being desirous of making suitable disposition of my

WHEREAS: The land owned by me consists of two hundred and fifteen acres, lying in section Number Twenty-one, Town¬ ship Four, and Range Thirteen, being the same on which I, myself, and my son Romelia, now live. Now, therefore, give and bequeath unto my son, Romelia, one hundred acres of such land to be taken off the south part of the same; being the same tract on which the said Romelia is now living.

PROVIDED, however, & this bequest is made on that condi¬ tion, namely, That the said Romelia shall pay unto my daughter, Nancy Cox, twenty-five dollars; and also to pay unto my son, Zachariah Price, seventy dollars; and also pay unto my son, John Price, the sum of seventy dollars, making in all, the sum of one hundred and sixty-five dollars to be paid by my son Romelia.

And I hereby bequeath unto my son William, the remainder of my said land, amounting to one hundred and fifteen acres, being the same tract on which I now live.

PROVIDED, however, and this bequest is made upon that express condition, that my son William shall pay unto my daughter Lourania Bennett, twenty-five dollars; and unto my son, Isaac Price, seventy dollars; and unto my son, Hansford Price, seventy dollars; and to my daughter, Elizabeth Cox, twenty-five dollars, making the sum of one hundred and ninety dollars to be paid by my son William; and -

PROVIDED, farther: These bequests are upon this express condition - that is to say that they, my sons, shall take care of and support my wife, Elizabeth, if she should survive me, for and during the term of her natural life, supplying her with whatever may be necessary to make the remainder of her days comfortable, which I estimate may be about one hundred dollars a year, while she remains in health, & probably more in case of sickness.

PROVIDED, however, & this bequest made on that condition, that he, my son, William, shall pay whatsoever debts may be due by me at the time of my death, for the payment of which debts, I desire that necessary amount of personal property may be sold, and I hereby constitute and appoint my son-in-law, John Cox, sole executor of this my last Will & Testament."

Will and Testament, by the said William Price, in the presence of us, who, at his request and in the presence of him, the said testator & of each other hereunto subscribed our names as wit¬ nesses, this 22nd of April, 1848."

Children Of William And Elizabeth Price

Major John A. Price was the youngest child in the family of Thomas Price. He was born in eastern Kentucky in what was at first Floyd county, but now Johnson county. The name of his mother, or her family, is not known.

backward this would make his birth date May 13, 1793. The national census report makes him a little younger thap we believed him to be. Perhaps he was only in his 74th year at death. He remained at his father's home in Floyd county, Kentucky, perhaps, until after his mother died, soon after 1810, when he and an un¬ married brother and his father followed William, his brother, to Indiana territory. Just what year this was we do not know. In 1810 he was about 16 years of age. They perhaps reached Indiana by 1812. Then he must have married (Anna Anderson) 1814, for his first child was born 1815. He would be about 20 years old at this time. The census report of 1820 shows that he was living in "Lynn or Smith Township," Posey county, at that time. (It seems there was some confusion as to the line of separation between the two townships and the U. S. enumerators classified them together as one.) The county records show that in 1824 John A. bought the farm lying east of and adjoining his brother William's farm. He purchased it from a man named Valentine Crabtree, who had en¬ tered the land in 1814, the same time William had entered his land. He lived on this farm to the day of his death, and it is known as the "Old Major Price Farm" to this day, though it is no longer owned by any of his descendants.

John A. Price was buried in the family cemetery on his farm, on an elevation almost directly in front of the old home, in a field between the highway and the railroad.

There seems to be a query in the minds of many persons as to why he was called "Major." I explain that he came by the title legitimately. In the old days every man in Indiana who was able to perform military service was considered to be a member of the state militia, and was legally obligated to report at stated places on certain designated days for muster and drill. It seems that each township had a man authorized by the state as a mustering officer for his township, or section. This officer ranked as a Major of the state militia. John A. Price was this official in his section. I suppose these officers were uniformed. Mr. Harrison Barrett, of this city, whose home was about a mile north of this Price settle¬ ment, says Major Price owned a beautiful officer's sword, a valued relic of the old militia days. He says the last time he ever saw this sword was during the Civil War, a few years before the death of the Major, when there was a great patriotic meeting held in Bethsaida church house, and the committee in charge borrowed the Major's sword and displayed it on the wall of the church. It seems that the sword has been lost since his death, as I cannot learn of its existence anywhere.

Major Price, with several of his neighbors, once hauled produce (perhaps pork) to Evansville. Several wagons were in the group with the Major's team and wagon leading. The next one in the procession was an old man named Miller, who told of the incident. When the procession reached Babytown hill overlooking the city .of Evansville, the Major suddenly stopped his team, and gazed long at the city. Finally Miller called, asking why they were stopping so long. Miller told afterward that the Major suddenly became aroused, waved his hand toward Evansville and exclaimed: