84
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
Pearce commanding troops from Texas and
Arkansas, defeated the Federals at Wilkins
Creek, where Gen. Lyon was killed. At
Lexington, on September 21, 1861, he de-
feated Col. -Mulligan and captured immense
stores. The I'^ederals under Gen. S. R.
Custis advanced with large forces, and
I rice retired into Arkansas, Februar}' 12,
1862. On M&rch 6, 1862, he was commis-
sioned major-general in the regular Confed-
erate service, and under Gen. Earl Van
Dorn fought the battle of Pea Ridge (Elk-
horn), where he was wounded and nar-
rowly escaped death. Shortly after the battle
of Shiloh, Gen. Price with his Missourians,
accompanied \'an Dorn to the east of the
Mississippi and after Bragg had departed
lor Kentucky, Price was left to face the
greatly superior numbers of Grant and
Rosecrans. At luka and Corinth he and his
men fought with great bravery. The year
1863 found Price again in the trans-Miss-
issippi region. At Helena, on July 4, 1863,
Price's men were the only part of the army
that carried the enemy's works. He co-
operated with Kirby Smith in the campaign
against Banks and Steele in 1864. He made
his last desperate effort to recover Missouri
in the latter part of 1864. His campaign
was marked by brilliant achievements, but
he was confronted by overwhelming num-
bers and forced to retreat. At the close of
the war he was included in Gen. Kirby
Smith's surrender, but he preferred to leave
the country and went to Mexico. He en-
gaged in a scheme of colonization under the
imperial government, but it was not suc-
cessful. He returned to the United States
and died at St. Louis, September 29, 1867.
Reynolds, Alexander Welch, born in Clarke county, \'irginia, in August, 1817;
graduated from United States Military
Academy in 1S38; served in the Florida war
as adjutant; subsequently was on frontier
duty, then on recruiting service until 1847,
v.'hen he was promoted to captain, and as-
signed to quartermaster duty at Philadel-
phia in the Mexican war and in New Mexico
and Texas. He left the service to enter the
Confederate army, and in July, 1861, was
commissioned colonel of the Fiftieth \ir-
ginia Infantry, and served in West Virginia.
Later he commanded a brigade in Tennes-
see and Mississippi, and was captured at
the surrender of Vicksburg. After being
exchanged, he resumed command of his
brigade with the rank of brigadier-general.
He commanded a brigade at Chickamauga
and Missionary Ridge, and subsequently
served under Hardee in the Atlanta cam-
paign, where he was painfully wounded.
After the war he was appointed brigadier-
general in the Egyptian army, and died at
Alexandria, Egypt, May 26, 1876.
Robertson, Beverly Holcombe, a native of V'irginia, graduated from United States AJilitary Academy, 1849. After a year at the cavalry school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as second lieutenant of Second Dragoons, he
- erved in the west against the Indians ; pro-
moted to first lieutenant, and made acting assistant adiutant-general. department of Utah: promoted to captain March 3. 1861. In August, having left the service, he was commissioned colonel of Fourth \irginia Cavalry Regiment. In June he was pro- moted to brigadier-general, and with his brigade joined Stuart on the Rapidan. In Septembe'-. he was sent to North Carolina to recruit and instruct cavalry troops, and saw 'service in that state. He commanded a cav-
- !ry division in the Gettysburg campaign,
