Auburn Lorenzo Pridemore (June 27, 1837 – May 17, 1900) was a nineteenth-century Virginia lawyer who served in the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

and in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

representing

Virginia's 9th congressional district Virginia's ninth congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, covering much of the southwestern part of the state. The 9th is Virginia's second-largest district in area, covering 9,113.87 sq ...

Early and family life

Born in

Scott County, Virginia Scott County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. Its county seat is Gate City. Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, ...

on June 27, 1837 to mountain farmer Daniel Pridemore and his wife Mary Ann Ingram, Pridemore had an older brother Hiram Demothensese Pridemore (1833-1892) and a sister Sarah Eleanor Pridemore (1842-1859). Despite his brother's classical name, he assisted on the family farm and received a limited education as a child. He married Caladonia Justine Hill (daughter of a land agent in Jonesville) on February 24, 1869, but she died giving birth to their daughter Mary Ingram Pridemore Sewell (1869-1931). He lived with his in-laws, then married Lucy E. Crockett on June 27, 1875, who gave birth to Hiram Hagan Pridemore (1876-1926).

Confederate military service

During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Pridemore raised a company of volunteer infantry for the Pound Gap battalion of the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

and was commissioned as its

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on October 17, 1861. In June, 1862 he received a promotion to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. Following a reorganization after the Battle of the Cumberland Gap, his unit was reconstituted as Company S of the

64th Virginia Mounted Infantry The 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry Regiment was formed from troops raised in Lee, Scott, Wise and Buchanan counties in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It served as an infantry regiment, a cav ...

under Colonel

Campbell Slemp Campbell Slemp (December 2, 1839 – October 13, 1907) was a farmer and Confederate officer in southwest Virginia who became a Readjuster Democrat after Congressional Reconstruction and served in the Virginia House of Delegates. He eventually j ...

and Pridemore became a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on December 14, 1862. He was promoted to full

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

on February 5, 1864 and commanded the 64th Virginia Cavalry until the end of the war.

Political career

Elected to the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

in 1865, his Confederate record under

Congressional Reconstruction The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the blood ...

prevented him from taking a seat. Pridemore studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He began his legal practice in Jonesville, the Lee County seat. Voters elected Pridemore to the

in 1871, and he served until 1875. He succeeded George H. Kendrick and was succeeded by his former subordinate CSA Captain Henry C. Slemp, who ran as a Readjuster. The district boundaries were changed from the 1871 session, with Pridemore's native Scott County removed and added to Russell County, where John H.A. Smith was elected. Lee County voters again elected Pridemore, as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

in 1876, where he replaced William Terry and he was re-elected once, serving from 1877 to 1879. He was defeated for re-election in 1878 and replaced by fellow ex-Confederate

James Buchanan Richmond James Buchanan Richmond (February 27, 1842 – April 30, 1910) was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer, judge and banker from Virginia. Early and family life Born in Turkey Cove, Lee County, Virginia on February 27, 1842 to Jonathan Ri ...

, his former subordinate. Afterwards, Pridemore continued his legal practice in Jonesville until his death there.

Death and legacy

Pridemore was interred in Hill Cemetery in Jonesville. Pridemore named the unincorporated community of

Ben Hur, Virginia Ben Hur is an unincorporated community in Lee County, Virginia, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 58 Alternate southwest of Pennington Gap and northeast of Jonesville. It is the location of Lee High School and Lee County's Walmar ...

after the novel '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'' by

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...

Referenced

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pridemore, Auburn 1837 births 1900 deaths Democratic Party Virginia state senators Virginia lawyers Confederate States Army officers People of Virginia in the American Civil War People from Scott County, Virginia People from Jonesville, Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers