Curiosity got the better of me. I ordered the Civil War Pension file for Emsley Pryor (despite the NARA having him indexed as Einsley). There are still several Pryor families in AR and MO whose lineage has not been uncovered. I had hoped to figure out if Emsley, James and Samuel Pryor (father of John Phillip Souza trombonist Arthur Pryor) were related. No such luck!Emsley Pryor applied for and received an invalid’s pension. He served in the Union Army as a bugler. Perhaps this bugling career means he was from the line of other musical Pryors! His physical description was aged 55, 6 feet, dark complexion, dark hair, dark eyes. He signed the pension application. Since he wasn’t on the 1850 nor the 1860 Census I’ve wondered if perhaps he was African-American.The pension file has the names and dates of births of his minor children at the time of his death on 8 Jul 1889.
Frank Stewart Pryor 7/23/1875
Frederick Rogers Pryor 5/23/1877
Pearl Self Pryor 9/7/1880
Ruby Hammond Pryor 12/23/1882
