Looking for info on Captain H. C. Price

You're making me blush!

The records are on Fold3 under Henry Clay Price and the rest I did on Ancestry. Once you have the basic facts about birthplace etc it's pretty easy to get the right data.
 
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That is for sure! @lupaglupa is the BEST 🏆 at flushing out details on all kinds of obscure research challenges. And she is always willing to help people find the answers. Many thanks @lupaglupa for your valuable contributions and your generosity in helping others.
 
Okay, I think I've got it. All evidence suggests our Captain is Henry Clay Price of Missouri (hat tip to @Bob Velke). Just look at the note below -

View attachment 392679

Henry Clay Price born about 1830 in Kentucky, was a farmer in Monroe County, Missouri. In the 1860 Census he's married to Ann (records show Henry married Ann Louisa Hickman in 1850) and has two children, Sterling age 7 and Lavena age 3. He's prosperous with real estate worth $2,000 and personal property worth $3,800. That likely includes the 9 slaves linked to him in the slave schedule. He puts together a cavalry unit in 1862 which he names Captain Henry C. Price's Company. It becomes Company M of the 1st Regiment of Northeast Missouri Cavalry. There's a long string of records for him as Captain.

In 1863 the CSA reorganizes the Missouri cavalry units (I didn't look into this in detail but I bet someone on CWT can give us the details). Price is elected Captain of the new Company G, 3rd Battalion Missouri Cavalry. Again we have records that he's doing this job. The battalion is sent west and - for whatever reason - Price goes off and turns rogue. He had been on a recruitment drive before that - maybe his family needed money? For whatever reason, we get the note above stating that he stopped at the Mississippi and turned to "freebooting" i.e. plundering.

So - what happens next. Well, in 1870 wife Ann and the two children are on the farm in Monroe County. And one Henry Price, age 39, born Kentucky, is in the penitentiary in Jefferson City, Missouri! After that I lose him.

The say the tour of the old penitentiary is lots of fun - you might really enjoy it @OldSarge79 if you can gloat about the guy who raided your family locked up there!
While know nothing of the Poindexter named, there was Poindexter's in the same area as Price. Col John A Poindexter is buried in neighboring Randolph County and had recruited in Monroe County.

There's also a Clay Price listed as Northeast Mo Cav, which formed by Col Porter recruiting behind lines in 62, Col Poindexter was recruiting same time, both recruited in Monroe County as well.

Also Henry Clay Prices first service was as a Captain of Co C, 4th Cavalry Battalion, 2 Division Missouri State Guard. And it has him as the Clay Price in 1st NE Mo Cav a year later.
 
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While know nothing of the Poindexter named, there was Poindexter's in the same area as Price. Col John A Poindexter is buried in neighboring Randolph County and had recruited in Monroe County.

There's also a Clay Price listed as Northeast Mo Cav, which formed by Col Porter recruiting behind lines in 62, Col Poindexter was recruiting same time, both recruited in Monroe County as well.

Also Henry Clay Prices first service was as a Captain of Co C, 4th Cavalry Battalion, 2 Division Missouri State Guard. And it has him as the Clay Price in 1st NE Mo Cav a year later.
Interesting pieces of information. I'll do some follow-up. Thanks
 
I just found this in a history of Monroe County, Missouri, on Genealogy Trails, regarding The Battle of Monroe City, July 8, 1861:

"Here in the thick timber and brush, and on the top of an eminence known as Hager's Hill, they encountered perhaps 50 secessionists under Capt. Clay Price, who had been sent out by Gen. Harris to reconnoiter. These at once, and without warning, opened fire from their ambush at close range, severely wounding Capt. McAllister and two privates (one named Prentiss) of the Sixteenth Illinois, slightly wounding a private of the Third Iowa, and killing the horse under Adjt. Woodall, of the Sixteenth."

Another piece to the puzzle.
 
I just found this in a history of Monroe County, Missouri, on Genealogy Trails, regarding The Battle of Monroe City, July 8, 1861:

"Here in the thick timber and brush, and on the top of an eminence known as Hager's Hill, they encountered perhaps 50 secessionists under Capt. Clay Price, who had been sent out by Gen. Harris to reconnoiter. These at once, and without warning, opened fire from their ambush at close range, severely wounding Capt. McAllister and two privates (one named Prentiss) of the Sixteenth Illinois, slightly wounding a private of the Third Iowa, and killing the horse under Adjt. Woodall, of the Sixteenth."

Another piece to the puzzle.
I came across records for more than one Henry Clay Price, though this one from Monroe County is probably him. Price is a fairly common last name and lots of people were naming kids after Henry Clay. I think the next place to look would be newspapers - if he went to the state prison he must have had a trial.
 
His orginal MSG company was raised along the border of Monroe and Marion county.

A year later the 1st Northeast Missouri Cavalry is recruited from the same and larger area.

The problem with tracing men in the 1st Northeast, is it's raised hundreds of miles behind enemy lines, not all make the trip to Confederate lines in Arkansas, and once there the remains of the regt are broken up and parceled elsewhere.
 
He is buried two counties away from where he lived pre-war

 
He is buried two counties away from where he lived pre-war

I think that's a different guy.
 
Here is the connection to Mississippi, some point between 62-63 he shows up as a Captain of Co G of the third Mo Cavalry (dismounted) the company is primarily exchangees. The unit is part of Vicksburg campaign, he fought at Champion Hill. But in June Price is detached to recruit....he ends up listed as a deserter

From guide to Missouri Confederate units.
 
I see a conundrum developing. It seems that there is some misinformation somewhere in one or more of the sources. Surely we don't have two Captain Henry Clay Prices in Missouri, both born in KY and within a year of each other.....
 
I see a conundrum developing. It seems that there is some misinformation somewhere in one or more of the sources. Surely we don't have two Captain Henry Clay Prices in Missouri, both born in KY and within a year of each other.....
I think its one Henry Clay Price, Lincoln county where married, Pike County where died, and Monroe county where was living pre-war are within about 80 mile radius, seems likely it was same guy to me.

And to been in MO State Pen postwar.....he had returned to Missouri.
But if there was two, the one buried in Pike county is the one who has the link to Mississippi.
 
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When I looked at the info yesterday it struck me as two different people. But I didn't do a line by line on them to see. Usually when I have a situation like this I pull all the info and see where I can find evidence one way or another. It takes a fair amount of time but it's worth it to get clarity.
 
Deserter may be harsh.....after he is detached for independent duty.....within a month Vicksburg falls and his parent unit paroled...I could see how an enterprising young officer might interpret that liberally as a indefinate independent command :bounce: :D
 
27 May 1868, Weekly People's Tribune, Jefferson City, MO

HCPrice.2.png
 
This is all great stuff. Are we satisfied that there were two guys of the same name or just one? If so, what can we say about OUR guy? Please pardon me, but I'm getting a little mixed up.

Having said that, I am certain that the article above is our H.C. Price. He stole a mule from my granddaddy and went to prison for the same thing four years later. You know what they say, "Once a mule thief, always a mule thief." Well, something like that anyway...
 
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