PRICE, Sterling G., American soldier : b. Prince Edward County, Va., 11 Sept. 1809; d. Saint Louis, Mo., 29 Sept. 1869. He was edu cated at Hampden-Sidney College, studied law, removed to Chariton County, Mo., in 1831, and in 1840 was elected to the Missouri house of representatives, of which he was speaker until 1844 when he was elected to Congress. He re signed on the outbreak of the Mexican War and organized a cavalry regiment of which he was commissioned colonel. Under General Kearney he marched with his men from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe where he was left in charge. Attacked by the Mexicans he repulsed them severely and completed the conquest of California. In 1847 he was promoted briga dier-general of volunteers, became military governor of Chihuahua, and in 1848 won a de cisive victory over the Mexicans at Santa Cruz de Rosales. In 1853-57 he was governor of Missouri, and in 1861 presided over the con vention called to decide the secession question. He was a ((Conditional Union° man but later joined the Confederacy, and in 1861 was ap pointed major-general of State forces, partici pating under Gen. Ben McCulloch, in the de
feat of the Union forces at Wilson's Creek in August of that year. He then captured Lexing ton on the Missouri, but was forced to retreat before Fremont. He served under Van Dorn at Pea Ridge in 1862 and was promoted major general in the Confederate army. He com manded one wing of Van Dorn's army at Cor inth. He was defeated by Rosecrans at Iuka, Miss.; accompanied Beauregard in his retreat to Tupelo, and afterward serving in the Trans Mississippi department, was there engaged in the unsuccessful attempt to capture Helena in 1863. In 1864 he succeeded in preventing General Steele's advance toward Red River, and later made a raid into Missouri. He was driven into southwestern Arkansas toward the close of the war and alter the surrender he became interested in a colonization scheme in Mexico. Consult Snead, T. L., 'The Fight for Missouri' (New York 1886).