▁he ▁married ▁Margaret ▁Ann ▁S od ow sky ; ▁they ▁had ▁seven ▁children ▁before ▁she ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁he ▁married ▁Mary ▁Wor thing ton ▁Whit ney , ▁who ▁bore ▁him ▁five ▁more ▁children . ▁ ▁Civil ▁War ▁Pr ent iss ▁ran ▁un success fully ▁for ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁he ▁def ended ▁rail road ▁lines ▁in ▁Missouri ▁until ▁ordered ▁to ▁command ▁a ▁division ▁under ▁U ly ss es ▁S . ▁Grant . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁morning , ▁an ▁officer ▁under ▁his ▁command , ▁Colonel ▁Ever ett ▁Pe ab ody , ▁sent ▁out ▁a ▁ 2 5 0 - man ▁pat rol ▁which ▁made ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁Confeder ate ▁army , ▁prov ing ▁the ▁Union ▁with ▁critical ▁early ▁warning ▁of ▁the ▁imp ending ▁attack . ▁Pr ent iss ▁was ▁initially ▁out rag ed ▁with ▁Pe ab ody ▁for ▁sending ▁out ▁a ▁pat rol ▁without ▁his ▁authorization , ▁but ▁soon ▁realized ▁he ▁was ▁facing ▁an ▁on ▁on coming ▁attack ▁by ▁an ▁entire ▁Confeder ate ▁army ▁and ▁r ushed ▁to ▁prepare ▁his ▁men ▁for ▁defense . ▁His ▁division ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁one ▁attacked ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sh il oh ▁and ▁suffered ▁greatly ▁during ▁the ▁opening ▁hours ▁of ▁that ▁battle . ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Pr ent iss ▁reform ed ▁his ▁command ▁with ▁rein for c ements ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁General ▁W . ▁H . ▁L . ▁Wal