Roger Atkinson Pryor was a Virginian newspaper editor and politician who became known for his fiery oratory in favor of secession; he was elected both to national and Confederate office, and served as a general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. In 1865 he moved to New York City to remake his life, and in 1868 brought his family north. He was among a number of influential southerners in the North who became known as "Confederate carpetbaggers."

Sara Agnes Rice Pryor, born Sara Agnes Rice, was an American writer and community activist in New York City. Born and reared in Virginia, she moved North after the American Civil War with her husband and family to rebuild their life. He was a former politician and Confederate general; together they became influential in New York society, which included numerous "Confederate carpetbaggers" after the war. After settling in New York, she and her husband both later renounced the Confederacy.