A Short Life History of Richard Pendleton Price
Private,
Jackson’s Battery, CSA
The Price (or Priesch) family sailed from Offenbach, Germany in 1732 to Philadelphia and by 1748 were some of the earliest arrivals of what became known as “the German Settlements” in Giles County, Virginia, where many descendants remain.
Richard Pendleton Price was born
February, 1845 in Prices Fork, Giles County, VA, the second son (of a total of
13 children) of George Pearis Price and Mary Roberts Price. In the 1860 White
Gate, Giles Co., VA Census, Richard was listed as “Richland” Price, age 15,
farm laborer and attending school.
With the start of the Civil War,
Richard’s father George and several uncles apparently enlisted in Company C of
the 36th VA Regiment (Second Kanawha, formed in July, 1861).
Richard’s older brother Amos, age 18, joined Company C of the 60th
VA Regiment (3rd Regiment, Wise Legion, formed in August, 1861).
According to his pension application in 1902, Richard Price enlisted sometime
late in 1861 as an artilleryman in Jackson’s Battery (at that time called the
Kanawha, or Hale’s Battery?). He must
have lied about his age, because he was only 16 years old at that time. That
may also explain why he didn’t enlist in the same regiment(s) as his relatives.
On his pension application, in answer to the question: How long were you in the
service? He stated “during the war from start to finish”. Presumably, he was
with the battery when it surrendered with the army group at Fort Donelson in
1862, was exchanged, and rejoined the battery when it reformed in early 1863 as
Jackson’s Battery. Jackson’s Battery was “Horse Artillery” and assigned to
cavalry brigades in the Army of Northern Virginia.
In June, 1863, Jackson’s Battery was a
part of Jenkin’s Cavalry Brigade, which accompanied General Ewell’s Corp north
as far as Harrisbug and York, PA during the Gettysburg Campaign. At the age of
18, Richard Price was in the Battle of Gettysburg, where Jackson’s Battery
supported General Stuart’s Cavalry Corps in action against the federal cavalry
on the third day of battle. A year later, during General Early’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign and march on
Washington, D.C., Jackson’s Battery was assigned to General McCausland’s
Cavalry Brigade. Richard Price was “shot through the foot…in a fight just
before we crossed the Potomac…at the Battle of Hedgesville, VA (aka the Battle
of North Mountain, in what is now WV) on July 3rd, 1864”.
Apparently, the bullet tore away part of the instep of his right foot. Unable
to walk for a while, he nevertheless remained with the battery through the end
of the war, according to his 1902 disability pension application statement.
Richard’s father George survived the
war, and both Amos and Richard returned home and were living with their parents
in Hobbs Ferry, Staffordsville Township, Giles Co. VA at the 1870 Census.
Shortly afterward, Richard married a woman named Elvina, born about 1853 in
North Carolina. My great grandfather, Charles Grayson Price (and possibly a
twin girl), was (or were) born to them in 1874. Richard Price was listed as a
blacksmith and the family (Richard, Elvina, and children: Charles, age 6; Lucy, age 2; and Gracey, age 1) lived in
Walker’s Creek, Giles Co., VA at the 1880 Census. Sometime after their sixth
(or seventh) child was born in 1889, Elvina died, with Richard Price listed as
a widower in the 1900 Census.
He applied for a rerating, from partial
to total disability, for his pension in 1914, at the age of 68. An accompanying
Physician’s Statement is dated July 29, 1914. The Pension Board approved his
Total Disability in July, 1915. By then
he was 70 years old and still living in White Gate, VA, but I have no record of
his date of death.
I am descended from Richard Price
through his son, Charles, who was my great grandfather (my mother’s mother’s
father). I have two pictures of Richard and his family, shown below, but no
picture of him in uniform or with the Battery. Many thanks to everyone who has
posted historical, geneological, and military information on the web! Any corrections,
omissions, or additional information will be greatly appreciated.
Chris Bolt, written February, 2006
Chrisbolt1@verizon.net
Price
family picture, taken about 1877 or 1878
From L to R: Richard Pendleton Price;
unknown girl (may be twin of Charles – if so, died before 1880 census); Elvina
Price; Charles Grayson Price (born April 3, 1874).
Written on back by Lois Price Whitt
(Charles’s daughter:” Grandfather R. P. Price, White Gate, Giles Co., VA”
Price family picture, taken about 1890
from L to R: Richard (age 45), Grace
(age 11), Mamie (age 4), Mahlen (age 1, on lap), Elvina (age 36), Ada (age 6),
Lucy (age 13), and Charles (age 16).
Written on back by Lois Price Whitt
(Charles’s daughter): “Daddy’s Baseball Team”