Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-06-11

EDITOR BEACON As Il friend OF our
common friend, Judge VIM. Price, l
know you will gladly allow me the use
of your columns to say a few words
commemorative Of his life and virtues.
William Price was born in Chester
dist -ict, South Carolina, Aug, ., 1889
He removed with his parents to Noxu-
bee county, Miss, in lS4S. Here he
received, in the common schools OF the
country, his primary education. In his
youth he was considered precocious in
English and other languages. Even to
his death nothing gave him more annoy.
ance than a grammatical error or a word
not properly spelled. 1t was his boast
that he never committed errors OF either
kind. He attended the University of
Mississippi, where he received the SOU
briuuet of Judge, - by which he was
aff~ecIionately known by his countless
friends. But, as with so many other
W n men of the South, the civil war
put an end to his studies, and h, enlist
ed at the very beginning and went with
the Noxubee Rifles to Pensacola. He re.
manned with this company to the end of
the struggle. 1t was in the 18th Miss.
regt. Jos. R. Davis's brigade Heth' S
Division. After his return from Pensa-
cola he had a severe attack of pneumo-
MIA and was very much troubled for fear
that he could not go with his company
to Virginia. He did go, however, al
though he was very feeble. He was in
the first battle of Manassas, was wound
ed and captured at Seven Pines was ia
ken first to Fortress Monroe and then to
Fort Delaware, uring his first i'm
pri sonment he and the prison surgeon,
DR.. Clark, formed a friendship which
was maintained for many years. After
six months he was paroled and returned
home and after another month he WIS
exchanged. The ball by which he was
wounded having never been removed
from his leg, he was unfit for field duty
and was placed on detail duty at Rich
mond. W~earying of inactivity he wa
at his owr request soon ordered to join
his command. His leg became so in.
famed on the first days march it was
prove he was unfit for duty. Some
suggested that he was entitled to an hon
orable discharge, others that he ought
to be given an easy place. But at his
own request be was mt to the hospital,
the ball was removed and as soon as the
wound healed he rejoined his command.
He was never in the hospital during the
entire war except from wounds. He
$500, ..,.n clnt 1nwn NJ Gala Harhnr ht1t
returned to his command as soon as he
recovered from his wound. He was in
all of the great battles of the army Of
Virginia, except those fought while he
was in prison or disabled from wounds.
He was captured with others of his com
pany while on picket duty a few days
before the close at Appomatox, and did
not get home till late in the summer Of
'65. Mai. Brady, II of the officers in
charge during his last Imprisonment,
became very fond of him, and this feel
ing in some measure enabled him to nit
igate the sufferings of hi fellow priso-
ners.
His father having moved to Memphis,
Ala. he made that place his home and
taught school there tor some time. Then
he went to farming, He came back to
Noxubee county in 1871, taught school
and read law. He took charge Of the
High School in Louisville in 1873, and
was admitted to the bar there. He did
full service in overthrowing radical ule
in ~1S74-5.6. In 1880 he was the demo
cratic elector and canvas-ed his district
He was married at Louisville, Miss. :,
Dec. 25, 1876 to Miss Mary X Miller,
who, with a daughter, May Price Ora
ham their only child, survives him
From the cate Of their marriage till his
death he lived continuously IN Louis
vile, practicing law when his health
permitted. On Sunday, April s., 1898,
after years of suffering, he passed into
rest, and the next day was buried in the
| cemetery at Louisville Miss.
After this brief recital of some of the
salient facts of my friends life, | will
endeavor to speak of his character. No
| one ever mr perfectly carried out that
maxim 1.-the friends thou hast and their
| adoption tried, grappie them to thy soul
with hooks of steel. - But this line OF
conduct was not the fruit Of any cool
calculation, hut the outcome of a warm
and loving heart. VIM. Price was an
unseltish man. 1t is a proverb that ar
my life is the most unfailing test of clar
acter. He went through the entire wal
without seeking relief FROM hardship OF
danger. When in prison he drew his al
lowance Of tobacco and gave it to his
comrades, when he did not use tobacco
himself and when he might have com
muted his allowance into something lie
could have enjoyed himself, He sid
treasured keepsakeS in prison for bread
| for his friends, and when a prison com
mandant at his release gave him SIS, so,
he gave half Of ii for a pair of shoes for
a comrade, While taking an active in
terest in pt litiral affairs his efforts were
nearly always expended in advancing
the pr litical fortunes of friends. He
was noted for his Astounding hospitality
Learning just before he died that the
writer would visit him he urged his wife
to &c be snre to have him a good din.
ner. 1t was his greatest JOY to enter
tain and make his friends happy in his
own home. His loyalty to his friends
was perfect. 1t extended to all, white
and black, rich and poor One of his
last requests was that his own negroes
be allowed to dig his grave, march in
his funeral procession and help fill his
grave, all of which was done.
Judge Price had to a high degree the
manly virtue Of courage. His courage
before physical danger he demonstrated
on countless battlefields. He had like
wise the courage to think and speak and