History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Samuel A. Rice
SAMUEL A. RICE was born in Cattaraugus County, New York, on the 27th of January, 1828. His boyhood was spent in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He graduated at the seminary at Wheeling, Virginia, and the State University of Ohio. He took two years' instruction in a law school and in 1850 located at Fairfield, Iowa, where he opened a law office. In 1852 he removed to Oskaloosa and entered into partnership with E. W. Eastman, where a large practice was built up. In 1856 Mr. Rice was a delegate to the famous convention at Iowa City which organized the Republican party of Iowa and was the Republican candidate for Attorney-General. He was elected and reëlected for a second term in 1858, serving four years. In August, 1862, Mr. Rice was appointed colonel of the Thirty-third Iowa Infantry and soon after entered upon active military duties in the War of the Rebellion. He commanded a brigade in the Battle of Helena and was promoted to Brigadier-General. His command was in General Steele's expedition through Arkansas and Louisiana in 1864 and during the retreat did excellent service at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry, where General Rice was mortally wounded. He was taken home where he died on the 6th of July, 1864, greatly lamented by the people of Iowa.