Sterling Price

Sterling Price is a famous Missourian. He was born on September 20, 1809. He was born near Farmville, Virginia. He studied law at Hampton-Sydney College. He worked at the courthouse near his home.

Sterling moved to Missouri with his parents and brother. It was the autumn of 1831. He was twenty-one years old. He was a businessman and a farmer in Bowling Green Prairie.

In 1840, Sterling Price became a State Representative. He was also the Speaker of the House. Then he was a U.S. Congressman from 1845 to 1846. He left so he could fight in the Mexican War. President Polk made Price a colonel in the army. By the end of the war he became a general.

In 1853, Price became the Governor of Missouri. He was governor until 1857. He helped to bring the railroad through Chariton County, Missouri.

The American Civil War began in 1861. This was a war between the northern states and the southern states. Some people wanted Missouri to join with the North. Sterling Price and other people wanted Missouri to join with the South. Missouri did not join with the South. Price decided to fight for the southern states. He fought in the battle at Wilson’s Creek, near Springfield, Missouri. Price was the oldest of the leaders there. His soldiers thought of him as a grandfather. They nicknamed him “Old Pap”.

General Price won the battle at Wilson’s Creek. The Northern soldiers left Springfield. Price's Southern soldiers entered the town. Later, he and his soldiers went up to the Missouri River. He was then pushed back to Arkansas.

In the South, General Sterling Price was famous and people called him a great hero.

After the war, General Price went to Mexico. Poor and unhappy, he came back to Missouri. He died on September 29, 1867. He is buried in St. Louis at the Bellefontaine Cemetery. He had one of the largest funerals in St. Louis history.

Author: Kim Whalen
Sources:
http://www.multied.com/Bio/CWcGENS/CSAPrice.html
http://www.nps.gov/wicr/price.html
http://on-the-square.com/benscivilwar/generals/s_price.htm
http://schoolweb.missouri.edu/keytesville.k12.mo.us/price.htm
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000531
http://www.mid-mo.net/dpara/civilwar/jw/price.htm
http://www.digitalhistory.com/schools/BattleofLexingtonStateHistoricSite/pricmul.htm