Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/436

 PRICE

PRICE

by fire in 1841 at Gibraltar: was transferred to the Cyaiie, ami joined the s(iuadron of Commodore Sloat at Monterey, Cal., where lie advised and aided in takinpj formal possession of that country, July 7, 18U). He was appointed prefect and al- calde, and was tiie first citi- zen of the United States to exercise judical functions in California. He carried secret dispatches to General Scott in Mexico, and a report of the military and naval oper- ations to President Polk in Wasliington. On his return to California he was a member of the convention that framed the state constitution, and was appointed naval agent of the Pacific coast. He resigned from the U.S. navy, Dec. 16, 18.j0, and in returning to New Jersey on the steamer Orleans, which was burned at St. John, he lost large sums of money, valuable papers, vouchers and accounts. He was a Demo- cratic representative from New Jersey in the 32d congress, 1851-53; was defeated for re-election; and wa-s governor of New Jersey, 1854-57. During his term the normal school of the state was estab- lished; the militia system improved; the first life-saving apparatus and stations on the New Jersey coast organized, and the exclusive rights and privileges, granted to the Camden and Am- boy railroad in 1830, were settled by fixing a date to terminate the monopoly. He was involved in a litigation with the U.S. government, which ex- tended from 1850 to 1890, in which he sought to recover $75,000 advanced to his successor, the naval agent at California, pending the arrival of the government funds. In 1856 the government be- gan an unsuccessful counter-suit against him for money alleged to have been withheld by him as naval agent. He renewed his suit against the government for $75,000, and in 1890 congress ordered the payment of the claim, from which the sura of $60,000 was deducted by the Treasury officials. In 1892, however, the U.S. court of claims awarded him $45,704. He was arrested and imprisoned on a charge bro\ight by the heirs of Samuel Forrest, U.S.N., of niisapprojiriating the funds of that officer, and he died at Oakland, N.J., June 7, 1H94, before the court reached a de- cision on liis case.

PRICE, Samuel, senator, was V)orn in Faucpiier county, Va., Aug. 18, 1.S05. His parents removed to Preston county in 1817. and he was fitted for the law. He practised first in Nicholas county, then in Braxton county, and sulwequently in Lewisbiirg, Greenbrier county. He was clerk of the Nicliolas county court. 1831; state's attor- ney, 1833; represented Nicholas and Fayette counties in the Virginia legislature, 1834-36; was commonwealth's attorney for Braxton county,

1836-50, and represented Greenbrier county in the legislature four terms, 1847-52. He was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1850-51, and of the secession convention of 1861, where he opposed the measure but supported the Confederate States government. He was elected lieutenant-governor of Virginia and president of the state senate, 1863-65, and was appointed a U.S. circuit judge in 1865, but declined to take the prescribed oath. He was a delegate to the constitutional convention of West Virginia in 1872, and president of that body; an unsuccess- ful candidate for the U.S. senate in 1876, and was appointed U.S. senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Allen T. Caperton, serving from Dec. 4, 1876, to March 3, 1877. He died in Leesburg, W. Va., Feb. 25, 1884.

PRICE, Sterling, soldier, was born in Prince Edward county, Va., Sept. 11, 1809; .son of Pugh W. Price. He attended Hampden-Sidney college, Va.; studied law under Chancellor Creed Taylor in the clerk's office at Prince Edward courthouse, and with his father's family settled in Keytesville, Chariton county, Mo., in 1831. He was married, May 14, 1833, to Martha, daughter of Capt. John Head of Ran- dolph county, Mo. He was a representa- tive in the Mis- souri legislature, and speaker of the house, 1840-44, and a Demo- cratic representative from Missouri in the 29th congress, 1845-46, resigning in 1846 to raise the 2d Missouri cavalry for service in the Mexican war. He was com- missioned colonel, Aug. 12, 1846, and with others his regiment made the march from Fort Leaven- worth, Kan., 1000 miles and upward to Santa Fe, where he was left with 2000 men, being assigned to the command of New Mexico by Gen. S. W. Kearny, who commanded the expedition and was en route to the Pacific. An insurrection was planned by the Mexicans in possession of the province, which was partially successful, but Colonel Price succeeded in routing the enemy at Puebla de Taos, convicted the leader of treason and gained possession of the whole province. For his action he was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, July 20, 1847; was made military governor of Chihuahua, and defeated the Mex- icans at Santa Cruz de Rosales, March 16, 1848. He returned to Missouri in 1848, and engaged in farming at Bowling Green Prairie. He was gov-

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