The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-19
sketch of the Life of Ben McCoIlGuga.


The following sketch Of The lie OF Gen. Ben
Mccullough, who participated in the battle OF
Davis Creek, in Mis- souri,. will be read witt.
interest:
Gen. Mccullough was born III Rutherford
county, Tenn in l314 His father, Alexander
AeCullough, was ala de camp - iieR. Coffee,
aud fought under Gen. Jackson a. the battles
OF Vallageda, Tallahassee and Horseshoe, du-
ring the Oreek war. His Tat her enisrated 10
Georgia while Ben was very young and Ben
WAS kept at school il Tennessee until he WAS
IA years old. After this Ben was kept hunting
until he was near twenty one. AT that Time
the bears were SO bad in Tennes see that the
settlers could not raise their hogs. Hunting
bears in the cane req aired much caution, and
If Il mans gun snapped he lost his breakfast
Young Mccullough frequently killed as many
as eighty bears during Il season, and never
less than twenty In the course of a winter
This life gave him a taste tor wild adven ture,
and When he De dme OF age he determined 10
60 on an expedition to the Rocky Moanta tains,
and lett ms nome tor St. Louis, to iOin com
pany OF trappers. He arrived too late, how
ever, and likewise failed IN joining com paIy
Of Santa Fe traders.
He returned home, and soon after called on
Colonel DAVID Crockett, who was making up
an expedi tion 10 go TO Texas 10 take part In the
revolution The whole sou uthwest at that time
was alive with feelings of sympathy for the
Texans. and men Were daily hocking to their
STANDARD. NacogdOches was appoin ted the
place of rendezvous from which the ex pedi-
tion was to start, and Christmas of the year
1855 was named for the day of meeting, when
as "OId Dayy" ex pressed II, they were TO make
their Christmas dinner off the hump OF q buf
falo. Mccullough again arrived too late, and
finding the party gone, he proceeded on by
himself TO the liver Brazos, where he was
taken sick, and he did not recover until after
the fall OF the Alamo. McCullough's disa D
pOintment was very great at Rot being able to
Join the gallant band of patriots; but ii after
wards proved very fortunate for him. Tor Col
Tn raAo n,
teen days, with only $50 Texans against Santa
Annals army, fell with MS bra We little band,
after having killed 900 of the enemy.
Mccullough, on joining the Texan army un-
der Gen. Sam Houston, was assigned 10 the
artillery, and made captain of q gun. tie
served gaflantly at the battle of San JaciE 20,
where Santa Anna was taken prisoner, and
his army OF 900 men killed or taken pri-
soners. Mccullough afterwards settled in
Gonzales county. Texas, and was mployed
on the frontier surveying and locating lands.
He freq uently led the wild border scouts
against the Indians and NJ sxicans. which se--
vice he entered before the celebrated Jack
Hays He also distinguished himself at the
battle OF Plumb Greek in light with the In
dans, wao at the time burned and sacked the
town OF Linnyille. He joined the expedi tion
against Mler, 1ut, not agreeing with the plans
OF the leader, he returned home before the
fight, and escaped the cruel hardsh 'ps aud
imprisonment OF that command, which had
surrendered 10 the perfidious Ampuda.
w 06u the war DFOAe OUt WIN Mexico A6
rallied a nand OF Texan warriors on the banks
of the GuadalouQe, and set out for the seat oi
war on the Rio Grande. The company arriv-
Cd four days after the battles of Pola Alto
and the Resaca. His company was accepted
by General Taylor, and he was afterwards
employed in The daring scouting expe iitiOn
10 wards Monterey, in which battle, as well as
that OF Baena Vista, he won imperisha re
nova. He afterwards joiEed Gen. Scott 5
army, and continued with ii 10 the cong uest
CT the city of Mexico. For his gallant ser
vices, he was honored with national reputa-
o., ard the Office OF u S. Marshal OF Texas
was given him by President Pierce.
Gen. Mccullough was married three or four
years since, and CHARACTERISTIC story Is told
OF him when his first child, a ooy, was born
that he insisted, 10 the great horror or his
young wife, in having the youngsser ehristen-
ed "Buffalo Hump" In honor OF partic al ar
friend, an old Indian chief, OF that uniq ue
name.
The General is thin, spare man, of great
muscle and activity. and is now about II
years Of age He has pleasant face, and is
mild and courteous in his manners, with an
air of diffidence. He is very cool and OF de-
termiped bravery.