My Genealogy Hound

LE ROY W. PRAY, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Le Roy; born in Franklin Co., Ohio, Feb 21, 1840; he emigrated to Illinois with his father, Daniel Pray, and located upon Sec. 25, Empire Township, McLean Co., in the fall of 1852, where he assisted his father in farming until 1861, when, after vain efforts to join a regiment from Illinois, the regiments having been made up, he went to St. Louis and enlisted as private in the 8th Mo. V. I., being mustered into service June 16, 1861; after being engaged in the interior of the State for a few months, they were stationed at Cape Girardeau two months, and from there to Paducah, Ky., where they remained until February, 1862, when they went up the Tennessee River to Ft. Henry, and from there to Ft. Donelson, on the Cumberland River, where, after severe fighting for two days, in which the 8th Missouri lost heavily, the fort was captured, with 15,000 prisoners, upon the 16th of February, 1862; he was next engaged in the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, from which place, while on the march to Corinth, he was wounded at the skirmish of the Russell House, May 17, 1862, and was sent to the hospital at St. Louis, where he remained a short time and returned home on a furlough; after returning again to the hospital he was refused a permit to join his regiment, but, watching his opportunity, he prepared himself, and, when the first detail was ready to march, he stole in their ranks and with them marched away; by inquiry, he found his regiment lay at Memphis, where he succeeded in joining them, remaining here until December, 1862, when he was forwarded to Vicksburg, where, with his regiment, he was engaged upon the unsuccessful assault upon the above place on the 28th and 29th of December, 1862; he was then in the battle of Arkansas Post on Jan. 10 and 11, 1863, and, during a part of the winter, was engaged upon the canal opposite, which was within shelling distance of Vicksburg, and which rendered the labor dangerous and tedious; about the 17th of April, steps were taken for the reduction of Vicksburg, and from that date until the capture of the same, July 4, 1863, he was either on the march or in active service, being engaged in the battles of Jackson, Miss., on May 14; Champion Hills, May 16; seige and capture of Vicksburg; second battle of Jackson, July 14 to 18; he then returned to the rear of Vicksburg, remaining until fall, when they went to Chattanooga, Tenn., and engaged in the battle of Mission Ridge, which engagement was brought on by two companies of the 8th Missouri crossing the river, making their way in rear of the rebel pickets, when, capturing the same without alarming the rebel camp, they were sent to reinforce the 9th Army Corps, but, before reaching Knoxville, the rebel army had withdrawn; during the winter following, he was stationed at Larkin’s Ferry, guarding the pontoon bridges, and, in April, they started on the march to Atlanta, and were engaged in the battles of Rome Cross Roads, Lay’s Ferry, Buzzard’s Roost, Resaca and Kenesaw Mountain; arriving within a few miles of Atlanta, he was sent back to St. Louis; mustered out of service, receiving his discharge July 7, 1864, having served in the Union army upward of three years; he then returned to Empire Township, where he has since followed farming, with the exception of two years, when he went to Nebraska and laid a soldier’s claim. He married Sept. 14, 1864, to Mary, daughter of Hamilton Gilbert; she was born in this township July 15, 1844; she died June 14, 1876, leaving one child now living — John H., born Jan. 23, 1866. His marriage with Emily, daughter of James Bishop, was celebrated Aug. 7, 1877; she was born in Empire Township Aug. 30, 1843.