The north Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, 1921-07-15
CAPT. C. W. PRICE
SOLDIER AND CITIZEN
Brief Biographical Sketch of
His Life-War Record and
Activities as Civilian.
HIS WAR RECORD


Capt. G. w. Price was born July
8, 1912, 18 miles West of Pontotoc,
Pontotoc County, Miss. and was mus
tered into service in his eighteenth
year, April %, 1861 at Sarepta, CAL
houn County, Miss. He was elected
Third Sergeant of the company,
which was known as the Magnolia
Guards. They left Oxford for Cor
inth, Miss. May 27, 1861 and were
put in the Seventeenth Mississippi
Regiment as Company X. He was
then elected as First Sergeant.
The first battle in which he par
ticipated was the battle of Manassas,
or Bull Run, in which he received a
flesh wound. The brigade to which
he belonged was known as "Jones
Brigade" which was composed of the
Thirteenth, Seventeenth and Eigh-
teenth Mississippi and Eighth Vir-
ginia Regiments, and they followed
the Union Soldiers Retreat toward
Washington to Centerville, Va.
They were then sent to Leesburg,
Va, and were encamped at Camp
Carolina, three miles south of Lees
burg. The company to which he be-
longed known as Company X, and
commanded by Capt. Duff, was de-
tached and sent into camp at Big
Springs, two miles north of Leesburg,
with the Richmond Howitzers, three
piece artillery, to guard the crossing
of the Potomac River at Balls Bluff,
or Smarts Mill, also another crossing
three miles north, and still another
crossing, Mason's Ferry, three miles
farther north, six miles from his
camp, one sergeant and six men on
duty three days and nights.
On Oct. 21, 1861, part of Sedg-
wick's Corps or Division crossed at
Balls Bluff and drove in the pickets
on guard. Capt. Duff's Company,
with AZ men, including Capt. Price,
turned out to meet them and found
five companies opposing them behind
a rock wall fence at the residence of
Mrs. jackson. Capt. Duff's company
about facd and retreated down an in
clined meadow about 800 yards close
ly followed by the federals, who ex-
pected to take them prisoners. They
about faced when the federals were
within fifty yards of them, expecting
them to surrender, but instead of
surrendering they dropped upon their
knees, fired and fell fiat. They fired
a solid shot with their muskets, three
buskshot and ball, and cut the full
width of their company through the
enemy as they fell flat. The enemy
returned the fire and overshot them,
and in reloading their guns they fail
ed to remove their ramrods and shot
them when they fired the second
time, and then they ordered a charge.
The Confederates gave the Rebel yell
and the Federals turned and began a
disorderly retreat, dropping their
long range rifles in order to pick up
their wounded and carry them off of
the battle field. The Confederates
captured enough long range rifles to
supply the entire company. All of
this happened in plain view of Lees
burg, and al the citizens, women and
children witnessed the battle, and
cheered with enthusiasm. Ball's
company of Virginia Cavalry and the
Eighth Virginia Infantry were the
first to come to the aid of the Con-
federates, closely followed by the
Eighteenth Mississippi, and then the
other nine companies of the Seven
teenth Mississippi Regiment.
After this battle the Eighth Vir-
ginia Regiment was replaced by the
Twenty-First Mississippi Regiment,
and from then on they were known as
lN-A..I - n. mL.o.