Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 4.djvu/738

700 been thus honored. Removing to Salisbury in 1878, he devoted himself wholly to the legal profession, having held no office since then except that of trustee of the State university for sixteen years, and that of United States district attorney, by appointment of President Harrison. In 1881 he became attorney for the Richmond & Danville railroad, and continued in that capacity until in 1894, as special master, he sold the Richmond & Danville, Western North Carolina, the Northwestern, the Durham & Northern, and the Oxford & Clarksville railroads to the Southern railroad company. Since then he has acted as division counsel for the latter system. In 1871 he was married to Annie Hobson, daughter of Gov. John M. Morehead. She died in 1876, leaving one son, Augustus Hobson Price. In 1878 he married Mary Roberts, of Mobile. She was one of the lady managers for North Carolina at the Columbian exposition of 1893.

Thomas R. Purnell, of Raleigh, N. C., judge of the United States district court, is a native of Wilmington, and received his education at Hillsboro military academy and at Trinity college. In April, 1864, being sixteen years of age, he enlisted in the Confederate service as a private in a cavalry company, organized and commanded by Captain Howard, but was at once detailed as a courier to General Whiting. After a brief service in this capacity he was assigned by General Whiting to duty as a member of Blackford s corps of topographical engineers, and in that line of duty he continued until his corps was disbanded at the time of the surrender at Appomattox. Private Purnell then joined the army under General Johnston, and was the third man paroled at Greensboro. During his service he was under fire at the Dutch Gap canal and in an engagement with gunboats at Aquia creek, and very frequently while acting as courier. When peace was restored he entered Trinity college, Randolph county, N. C., and was graduated there in 1869. Then taking up the study of law, he was admitted to the bar at Raleigh, in 1870, and at Baltimore, Md., in 1871, after which he practiced for several months at the latter city. Returning to his native State he followed his profession at Salem until, on March 4, 1873, he received the appointment of State librarian. This office he resigned in 1876, and accepted a seat in the legislature,