James Curry Wallace was born 8 March 1822 in Union County, KY. He died 6 May 1864 during the Civil War in a skirmish at Morganfield, Kentucky. He is buried at Granny's Hill Cemetery near Wheatcroft, Kentucky. Stories from family members had long contended that he was killed by shots from a Federal gunboat on the Ohio River. However, recent discovery of a newspaper article from the Owensboro Monitor shed new light of his death. A transcription of the article (obviously written from the viewpoint of a Federal sympathizer) follows:

From the Owensboro Monitor,
Owensboro, Kentucky
Wednesday, May 18, 1864.
A Gallant Fight

From the Louisville Democrat

Morganfield, Kentucky May 9, 1864
Messrs. Editors:
Our little town came very near being the center of a battle a few days since. A Confederate force of thirty four men under Captains Wallace and Thomas, suddenly appeared in the streets. They had left Forrest's command back of Puducah, and had made their way thus far eastward in the pursuit of a gang of Starling's Yanks, as they said. The Confeds had scarcely time to reach the village limits with their rear guard when a Federal Force of Forty Four men, under Captain C. W. D. Prange, of Col. Starling's regiment made their appearance at the other end of the village. On learning that a rebel force was so near, Captain P. ordered a charge. His command swept through the village like a whirlwind, overtaking the enemy within half a mile of the village. In less than twenty minutes, in a running fight of four miles, the guerrillas were thoroughly routed. Captains Wallace and Thomas were both killed. The entire loss of the guerrillas was seven killed and the usual proportion of wounded. Most of the latter disappeared immediately after the fight. the Union Loss was one killed. Not more than one-third of Prange's men could get into the fight on account of the jaded condition of their horses.

Lieutenant Thomas Y. Hampton, Orderly Sergeant Albert Short, Corporal P. W. Richardson and a youngster of seventeen, named Lashbrook, were foremost in the fight. Having fresh horses they outstripped their companions and for a few minutes had to sustain a charge from the main body of the enemy. Lashbrook killed one of the enemy with the butt of his gun, after having discharged it ineffectually. Johnson, of Marshall county, Ky., and A. J. Gray, were the names of two wounded who have since died. Prange is a fighter, and deserves promotion. H.

James Curry Wallace and Amanda Price were married 7 August 1841 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. See a copy of a newly discovered tintype photo of James & Amanda. She was the daughter of James Price and Mary Lavinia Early, and was born 1 June 1827 in Kentucky and died 10 October 1888 in Union County. She is buried in Rock Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in Wheatcroft, Kentucky. Nine known children were born to this marriage.

The four eldest sons fought in the Civil War. The eldest son, William Richard Wallace, was mustered in with his father in Helms 1st Cavalry Unit at Hopkinsville, shortly after the unit was formed. The First Kentucky Cavalry never fully recovered from the Kentucky Invasion, and was reduced to a battalion and its regimental organization disbanded. Merged with the 3rd Kentucky Cavalry, they came under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Later the Wallaces served in several units. In Adam Johnson's book, The Partisan Rangers, James Curry is listed as a Captain in the Eleventh Kentucky Cavalry, and William Richard and his brothers James Thomas, Abraham C., and Ben F. are listed in Company A of the Thirteenth Kentucky Cavalry, under the command of Wm. C. Kuykendall.

James Curry and William Richard fought together at the Battles of Fort Donalson, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Paducah, Kentucky. They participated in sixty-one skirmishes in 1862. In a small Bible which William Richard carried throughout the war, it is noted that he had thirty-one horses shot from under him, but never received a scratch.

The five additional children of James and Amanda Wallace were: Robert Henry, Mary Helen, Sarah Jane, Nancy Amanda, and John Morgan Wallace. John Morgan was born less than a month after his father's death in battle.

Carolyn Wallace Chilton

For more information about James Curry Wallace contact Carolyn Chilton.

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This project was inspired by the terrific Sumner County TN Family Album.
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