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For the Sunny South.Col. Jos. Prewitt, Ban. Adams, Robert Campbell, John Hawkins, Archibald Bri3tow, John McKinney, Paul Arnspiger,tj't J-- -ASKSShaking Across me Biooav unasm.Michael Grindstatf, William Barnett, Byrd Prewitt,Wm. Dangerfield, Isaac Roman, Richard Martin, Francis Bourne, James Adams, Elias Ilite,James Crutchen, Kenyan Jenkins, Peter Pollock,PIONEERS DF KENTUCKY.Col. William Price and his Liberty-Loving Comrades.First Fourth of July Celebration West of the Alleghanies—Interesting Correspondence.Editor Sunny South: One of the most remarkable men that ever settled in the present boundary of our little county, was Colonel William Price, grand father of the late Kle-ben F. Price. He was born near the old town of Fredericksburg. Stafford county, Virginia, in 1755, and came with his family to Jessaminecounty In 1787. He was the father of Capt. James C. Price, who commanded a company of infantry from Jessamine county in tbe disastrous battle of Raisin, Jan 18.h, 1813; he was killed and afterwards scalped by the Indians. Col Price, like Gov. Shelby, was descended from Welsh Baptists, who settled in Virginia in 1720. He was a boy of fourteen, (1708) on the streets of Fredericksburg, when the Rev. John Waller and Lewis Craig were lodged in Fredlcksburg jail for preaching Baptist doctrines. The arbitrary arrests of his Baptist friends and neighbors by the officers of the Episcopal church in the colonial days of Virginia, bad the effect of making him a most inveterate enemy of all who were connected, or in sympathy, with the Church of England. The following letters which were given to me by the late Lewis Lampkins, hi3 son-in-law, aud John Lancaster, of Keene, more than thirty years ago, are very interesting. II.a letters inviting Gov. Shelby to celebrate the Fourth of July iu 1704, shows at once the high order of his love of country in being the first man in Kentucky to celebratethe glorious birth-day of American Independence.Fayette, County, Ky., July 5th, 1704.To his excellency, Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky:My Esteemed Friend: I was greatly disappointed by your not coming to my house on yesterday (July 4 ) We had a glorious time and a big dinner. Forty men sat down at my tables, who had served in the late struggle for our freedom and independence. It was a glorious sight to behold; and I wish King George III, and Lord North could have witnessed this scene in the wilds of America. On the return of this great and glorious birth-day of our freedom from British despotism, the heart of every patriot in the late stuggle may rightfully pour forth its highest tribute to God, and all the great sages and soldiers who resolved to stake their lives and sacred honor in maintaining the declaration of Independence. Throughout the limits of our country—from .Massachusetts to Georgia—the hearts of a free and happy people have been dedicated on yesterday to the contemplation of the great blessings achieved and bequeathed to us by such heroic leaders as George Washington, Israel Putnam, and Nathaniel Green. Such brave leaders took their lives in their hands, and “liberty or death’' were inscribed on their hearts. God, in the plentitude of His benifi-cence, has always chosen men qualified to resist Kings and tyrants in their attack on the rights of the people. The history of our Mother is full proof of this fact, and our own country in the late war for independence, is a more brilliant illustration of the great truth that God hates all tyrants and despotic rulers, and sooner or later overthrows all such rascals in causing the people to rise up and cut their heads off. Truly thy old friend,William Price.P. S.—I will be at Frankfort next Monday.Cov. Shelby’s Reply-Frankfort, Ky., July, 9th, 1794.Col. William Price:My Dear Old Friend: Your letter of July the 5th, was handed to me on yesterday by Capt. Dal’i Singletun. I am truly grieved that 1 did not receive your letter in due time. Nothing would have given me more pleasure than to have been present and talked over theGently now, comrades, “Take np the bier, ••Bear U back quickly, the battle Is near;“Belo down the charger, “MufiJs the tread, “Weep, L'gbt Artillery,” Pelham is dead.“Soft, let me look at the white, white face,Fair as of woman, a'l womanly grace;Closed are the eyes that flashed on the field, Broken the falchion that never would yield;Still Is the heart that beat for his land.Hushed Is the voiceaud cold Is the hand;Never to ride with the ringing brigade,Never to lead with glittering blade,Never to charge with the red cross again— “Weep, Light Artillery, Pelham Is slain.“Peace, Light Artillery, ’tls the hero we bear, Brush back the threads of his bright sunny hair, Call him the gallant, and tell him we weep, Mighty in battle, how calm Is bis sleep!All hall, ye his comrades; “Btlfls your grief; “Look, ’tis the face of your beautiful chief, Droop, Red Cross Banner, pitiless gun—“Peace, “ ’Tls the ashes of chivalry’s son.“Weep, Alabama, another of thine Hath pillowed his soul at the ultimate shrine;He passed from your midst to the Valley of Tears, And left you the footprints of glorlons years I “Droop. Rid Cross Bannar,” gallant and brave, Slumbers, bat now tn tbeeeMtant grave;H*ln dowa Mi4wee«s.[bt w. CARTER, OF VIRGINIA.]Up to the forefront spoke never a breath, i p to the battle, (he cannoi.s and death,Up by the fierce guns over the ford—JtJde young John Pelham, his hat on his sword.Out spoke brave Htuart our cavalry lord:•'Back to your guns, lad! Never a word— Uttered the gunner as onward he spurred;On with the cavalry In business there,Backward the winds blow bis bright yellow hair, Hack blew the battle srnoke from the red fire,Up rose the battle dust higher and higher,Out rang the silver notes clear as a bell,Heard above bursting of shrapnel and shell,Out rang the orders from Fitz Lee the brave: •'Charge the left battery! • God, ’tls his grave.”On by tbe crashing balls, hissing balls, then— Babrts and plstol9 and horses and men—Over the hill went over the dead,Fi z Lie and cavalry, Pelham ahead;Down by the sulphur smoke, to the red plain.By the left battery, Pelbam Is slain.PELHAM, OF ALABAMA.Rev. John Walters, George Talbott,John Carroll,George Allcorn, Alexander Mervain, Col. John Price, Andrew Bourne,Sam'l McDowell, Gabriel Madison,Benj. Bradshaw,Peter Powell,William Moseley, William Shreve.Col. Price was in the Revolutionary war from its commencement to the close. He was a Lieutenant in the battle of Stony Point, and was also a Captain at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth and Princeton, lie rose to the rank of Major, and was at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, October 19th, 1781. As before stated, his hostility to the Church of England increased as he grew older. In the following letters to Edward Payne, it will be seen he dislikes the aristocratic airs of the English clergy. Also in the letters to Col. Luke Allen, previous to his settling in Kentucky, he declares it natural for Baptists to dislike the Lordly pretentions of the English clergy.Price's Hall, Stafford Co.,, Va.,Dec. 20;h, 1787.Capt. Edward Payne,Overseer at Gunston Hall: My Dear Sir: This note is to apprise you that I invite you, and all your Baptist friends, to my house on Christmas day to partake of a big dinner of turkey and oysters, and to conclude with a dance at grand mother’s in tbe evening. No Episcopalian has been invited, such people are too aristocratic aud over-bearing. The people who are communicants of that church try to imitate their aristocratic brethren of England in almost every act they perform. I have no patience with such harpies as the clergy of this establishment. Their titles and dignities and livings are too much like our late oppressors in the great war just closed. They must now consider that the people of the country look chiefiy to the practical and useful, and not to mere empty titles, which serve no good purpose in a free country. What we want in the Church, as well as in State, is plain, practical men—devoted men—men who know and mingle with the people as one of themselves. We want no more English ai of demeanor among neighbogenerally. Tell Black T all means. WnxiAB Foxes.Prices Hall, Stafford Co., Va., Dec. 23d, 1787.Col. Luke Allen: I invite you and other friends to my house on Christmas day to eat turkey and oysters. I have a barrel of peach brandy five years old, and I hope you will invite your Baptist fnends to be sure and come, as I expect to leave for my new plantation in Kentucky about the 20th of January. Our Baptist friends and the Episcopalians (that is members of the English church) are not very friendly, and this hatred has been greatly aggravated since the close of the late war for independence. With a few exceptions—such as Bishop White, old Dr. Duch« and Gen. Henry Muhlenburg, most of the clergy of the British Church had no sympaty with the people in the recent struggle for freedom. Most of them, with an obstinacy characteristic of hypocrites, would not pray for our beloved leaders, and wculd insist on reading the prayer for the British King whenever they performed divine services. It is natural for all Baptists to dislike such lordly pretentions, and to despise a people who aim to copy the aristocratic airs of a church stained with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Such a church is not suited to a liberty-loving people. Any church polity or doctrine that contiicts with the free spirit of our country, cannot escape general condemnation. No form of church government that does not fail in with the prevailing principles and tastes of a freedom-loving people, can ever prosper in our country. We iove liberty too well for such creatures to ever succeed in establishing again, by law, the religion of British..Thy old Comrade,William Price.Fort Stony Point, July 17th, 1779.To Major James Cluke,Dear Major: I wi6h that God would heal your wound, and I could once more see you among your brave comrades. On yesterday evening, July 10th, after marching over the roughest country I ever saw, through deep swamps and narrow roads, we got within a mile of this fort—which is on the west bank of the Hudson River. It was of vast importance to our enemies, and had been strengthened by every means of art that lay in their power. At night our heroic commander, Brigadier Wayne, came among us and told us that everything depended on secrecy; aud, says he, 4II want you men who belong to the regiments of Col. Butler and Col. Fleury to march with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets. I will lead you myself.” The river had flooded the swamps waist deep; but when we saw our brave General go forward, we sprang forward, and our advance of twenty men at once attacked the double palisade, when the red coats shouted in great alarm, “Here comes the d—d rebels! Shoot them!’' He was instantly knocked on the head, bat a terrible fire was opened on us as we advanced through tbe swamps. The gun8 from the fort spattered mud on us as well as dirty water Their grape and round shot did no damage more than to spatter mud and water on our clothing. About this time our brave General was knocked on the head in the right temple by a spent ball. I ran to him and instantly raised him np. “March on, Lieutenant Price, carry me to the fort; I will die at the head oi my men.” We bore him forward near the center of the fort; and both commands met when the shouts of victory rent the air. Our victory was complete, and was a surprise to our enemies. We lost sixty men. Joseph Campbell, of Fredericksburg, was killed, also private Clow and Richard Clymer, of Philadelphia. ne was a bravo Dutchman. I hope heis safe in heaven, William Pkicb.Col. Price died at his residence, six miles east of Nicholasville, Ky., Oct. 10th, 1808. He left many descendants who are now scattered over the South and West. In the late civil war his descendants in Missouri were on the Southern side. In Illinois and Indiana they were on the side of the Union. Such is civil war. Samuel if. Duncan.P. S. I see in the Sunny South of April 28th, that Col. W. P. Price, of Dahlonega, Ga., has written a very interesting notica of the duel between Crawford and Burnside in 1828. Gen. Burnside, through his cousin J. O. P. Burnside furnished me the facts as I gave them to you; but as he never saw his uncle^I am certain Col. Price has given the real facts of his uncle’s d ?ath. S. M. D.Isaac Shelby. The following are the names of the Revolutionary veterans who were citizens then of what is now Jessamine county, and were present at the first Fourth of July celebration in Kentucky, and the first west of the Alleghany Jfountains. Their names were recorded in an old blank book presented to me by the late John Lancaster, thirty five years ago. Such a list of patriots should be preserved and handed down to future generations.Col. Percival ButJer, (father of the late Gen.W. 0. Butler, of Carrollton, Ky.)Col. George Walker, (son-in-law of Gen. Coffee, of Tenn.)Maj. Ben. Netherland, Daniel Bryan,James Irvin,John Todd,Peter Simpaon, Abraham Cassell, Rev. Naihan’l Harris, Manoah Singleton, Jeremiah King,Alexander Willoughby, Jacob Griudstaff,
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Atlanta Sunny South
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Sat, May 26, 1888
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