Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-03
MAJ. BEN. McCULLOCH.

An earnest effort has been made By the Admins
tration to induce this distinguished Texan to ac-
cept the appointment of Governor of Utah, with
view to the serious difficulties which are brewing
there. Maj McColloch declined the position some
weeks since but the Administrator is still urging
it upon him, and we understand there is strong
probability of his accepting. Maj MoCulloch is
Tennessean by birth, but ehigrated many years
since to Texas. The Washington correspondent of
the New York Tribune gives the following biographi
cal sketch:
Mai. McCulloch was born in Rutherford county,
Tennessee, in 1914. His father, Alex. McCulloch,
was Abide Camp to Gen1 Coffee, and fought under
GenI Jackson at the battles of Talladega Talahas-
see and Horseshoe, during the Creek war. His
father emgrated to Georgia while Ben. was very
Young and Ben. was kept at school in Tennessee
until he fourteen years old. After this Ben was
kept hunting until he was near twenty-one. At that
time the bears were so bad in Tennessee that the
settlers could not raise their hogs. Hunting bears
in the cane required much caution, and if a mans
gun snapped he lost his breakfast. Young McCul-
loch frequently killed as many as eighty bears du
ring the season, and never less than twenty during
the winter This life gave him taste for wild ad-
venture and when he became of age he determined
to 20 on an expedition to the rocky mountains and
left his home for st. Louis, to join a company of
tTappers. He arrived too late, however and like
wise failed to join company Of Santa Fe traders.
He returned home and soon after called on Col.
David Crockett, who was making up an expedition
to 20 to Texas to take part in the revolution The
whole Southwest at that time alive with feelings
of sympathy for the Texans and men were daily
hocking to their standard. NacOgdOches was ap-
pointed the place of rendezvous, from which the ex-
petition was to start, and Christmas, Of the year
1885, was named for the day Of meeting, when, as
cold Davy" expressed 1t, they were to make their
rofrt bo hmm ,F1 hue,
Cuoch again arrived too late, and finding the party
gone he proceeded on by himself to the river Bra
eos where he taken sick, and he did not recover
until after the fall Of the Alamo. McCullOchs dis
appointment very great at not being able join
the gallant band patriots but II afterwards proved
very fortunate for him. for Col Travis, after having
sustained a seige of IL days, with only 100 Texans
against Santa Annals army fell with his brave little
| band, after having killed 900 Of the enemy.
Maj. McCulloch on joining the Texan army under
Gen'l Sam. Houston, assigned to the artillery,
! and made Captain of gun. He served calamity
at the battle of San Jacinto, where Santa Anna was
taken prisoner, and his army of 1900 men killed OF
| taken prisoners. McCulloch afterwards settled in
| Gonzales county, Texas, and employed on the
frontier surveying and locating lands He frequent
ly led the wild border scouts against the Indians and
MeXicans, which service he entered before the eel
ebrated Jack HAYS. He also distinguished himself
at the battle of Plumb Creek in fight with the In
dians who at the time sacked and burned the town
of LinnvIe. Hejoined the expedition against Mir,
but not agreeing with the plans of the leaders he
returned home before the fight, and escaped the
cruel hardships and Imprisonment Of that command,
| which had surrendered to the perfdious Ampudia.
When the war broke out with Mexico, he rallied a
bandof Texan warriors on the banks of the Guada-
loupe, and set out for the seat of on the Rio
Grande. The company arrived four days after the
battles Of Palo Alto and Resaca de La Palma: His
company was accepted by Gen, Taylor, and he was
afterward employed in the daring scouting expedi-
tion toward Monterey, in which battle well that
of BueDa VISTA he won imperishable renown. He
sfterward Joined Gen SCOTS army, and continued
with it to the conquest Of the City of Mexico For
his gallant services Gen. Pierce created him Marshal
of Texas, which Office he now holds
Maj. McCulOCh is a thin, spare man, Of great
muscle and activity, and is now about 43 years Of
age. He has pleasant face, and is mild and cour-
teous in his manners, with air of difidence. He
is very COOL and of determined bravery, is yet
bachor and is the very man for Governor of Utah.
which it is hoped he will become.