Moved to Danville Virgina while still a child where he was raised to manhood by a family known as Mathis.
He fought in the Civil War For the confederate army and was taken prisioner at the battle of Shiloh on the Tennessee River.
He was held Prisioner in a fedral camp for three years on Johnson Island.
When he came home he was not recognized by his family at first as he had such long hair and beard.
He had not had a hair cut or shave in over a year.
He was referred to in Davey crockett's book as Captian David Price Thomas.
After the civil war he became a preacher and was known as a "Primitave baptist".
