Jessamine County KyArchives Biographies.....Price, Samuel Woodson 1828 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 6, 2007, 8:10 pm

Author: Bennett H. Young

Samuel Woodson Price.

   Samuel Woodson Price, son of Maj. D. B. Price and Eliza Crockett, was born on
the 5th of August, 1828, in Nicholasville, Ky. He early exhibited a marvelous
talent for drawing, and he could draw the capital letters before he knew his
alphabet. All his holidays and Saturdays were spent in sketching on paper and
modeling in clay. When quite a boy he was sitting in the court house at a famous
trial. Thomas F. Marshall was addressing the jury for the prisoner. During this
speech the attention of the young artist was drawn to an old and prominent
farmer who was listening, with eager attention to the eloquent words which were
being uttered. His head was resting on his hands, his fingers along the side of
his face, while his mouth was wide open. In a little while the sketch was
completed. He handed it to the sheriff, who laughed aloud and in turn handed it
to the judge, who also was not able to suppress his mirth. It was passed from
neighbor to neighbor, and everybody laughed, and the speaker was compelled to
pause for a few minutes.

   After attending the Nicholasville Academy he was sent to the Kentucky
Institute to complete his education. This was in the fall of 1846. He was at
once made Professor of Drawing, with the rank of First Lieutenant. In 1847 the
University suspended and he went at once to Lexington to pursue his studies with
the renowned painter, Oliver Frazier. There he attained splendid success. His
painting, "Old King Solomon," is one of the most noted ever produced in
Kentucky. His portrait of Chief Justice George Robertson, and the painting of
Dr. J. J. Bullock and his family, rank among the masterpieces of the state. The
Government purchased from him a portrait of Major-General Thomas, which is now
in the National Gallery, at Washington.

   At the beginning of the war he commanded an independent company at Lexington,
known as the Old Infantry. Most of this company entered the Federal service. He
was afterwards appointed Colonel of the Twenty-first Kentucky Infantry. He
brought this regiment to a high state of efficiency, and the service it
afterward performed in the Civil war, from '61 to '65, was in considerable
measure induced by his splendid training. At the battle of Stone River he made a
heroic stand and was opposed to the Kentucky Confederate troops under Breckinridge.

   General Price was badly wounded at Kenesaw Mountain and taken from the field.
This incapacitated him for further active service. He was appointed commandant
of the post at Lexington, and was such at the close of the war. He was breveted
Brigadier-General for his gallant conduct at Kennesaw, and afterwards was
Postmaster at Lexington, which place he held for two terms. He moved to
Louisville after his retirement from the position of Postmaster, to pursue his
profession, portrait painting, but the loss of his eyesight prevented him from
further work, and he is now totally blind. He is a writer of vigor and a member
of the Filson Club, for which he frequently prepares sketches, which are greatly
appreciated, and highly valued. Several of his paintings take high rank, and
one, "Caught Napping," is a masterpiece of its kind. The closing of his
professional life by the destruction of his sight, was a great loss, not only to
Kentucky but to all lovers of art.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF JESSAMINE COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO 1898.
By BENNETT H. YOUNG,
PRESIDENT POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY; MEMBER FILSON CLUB; MEMBER CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION, 1890; AUTHOR HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF KENTUCKY, OF "BATTLE OF
BLUE LICKS, ETC, ETC.

S. M. DUNCAN, ASSOCIATE AUTHOR.

Every brave and good life out of the past is a treasure which cannot  be
measured in money, and should be preserved with faithfullest care.

LOUISVILLE, KY.: COURIER-JOURNAL JOB PRINTING CO., 1898.


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