East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-10-01
NUMBER Q.
GEN. REN m,CULLOCII.

General McCulloch was born in Ruth
erford county, Tennessee, IN 1914. His
father, Alexander McCulloch, was abide
camp to General Coffee, and fought under
General jackson at the battles of Talla-
dega, Tallahassee, and Horseshoe, during
the Greek war. His father emigrated to
Georgia while Ben was very young, and
Bon was kept at school, in Tennessee,
until no was fourteen years old. After
this, Ben was kept hunting until he was
near twenty-one. At that time the bears
wero so bad in Tennessee that the settlers
could not raise their hogs. Hunting
bears ia the cane required much caution,
and if a mans gun snapped he lost his
breakfast. Young McCulloch frequently
killed rs many as eighty bears during
season, and never less than twenty in
course of the winter This life gave him
taste for wild adventure, and when no
became of age, he determined to 60 Oh
an expedition to the Rocky Mountains,
and left home for ST. Louis to join COM
pany of trappers. He arrived too late,
however, and likewise failed in joining
company of Sante Fe traders.
lie returned home, and soon after called
on Col David Crockett, who was making
up an expedition to go to Texas to tako
part in the revolution. The Southwest at
that time was alive with feelings of sym
pathy for tho Texans, and men were
daily aocking to their standard. Nacog
doches was appointed the place of rem
dezyous from which the expedition was
to start and Christmas of the year 1885
was named for the day of meeting, when,
as "Old Davyn expressed it, they were to
make their Christmas dinner oil the hump
of a buffalo. McCulloch again arrived
too late, and finding the party gone he
proceeded on by himself to the river
Brazos, where he was taken sick, and ho
did not recover until after the fall OF
tho Alamo. McCulloch's disappointment
was very great at not being able to Join
the gallant band of patriots, but it after
wards proved very fortunate for him, for
Col. Travis after having sustained siege
of thirteen days with only one hundred
and eighty Texans against Saata Anna's
army, fell with his brave little band, af
ter having killed nine hundred of the
enemy.
McCulIoch, on joining the Texan army
under Gen. Sam. Houston, was assigned
to the artillery and made captain of a
gun. He served gallantly at the battle
of San Jacinto, where Santa Anna was
taken prisoner, and his army of 1000
men killed or taken prisoners. McCul-
loch afterwards settled in Gonzales Co.,
Texas, and was employed on tho frontier
surveying and locating lands. He fire.
quently led the wild border scouts against
the Indians and MeXicans, whi ch service
he entered before tho celebrated Jack
Hays. He also distinguished himself at
tho battle of Plumb Creek, in a fight
with the Indians, who at the time burned
and sacked the town of Linville. Ho
joined the expedition against Mier, but
not agreeing with the plans Of the lead
ers, he returned home before the fight,
and escaped tha cruel hardships and i'm
prisonment of that command, which had
surrendered 20 the perlidlous Ampudla.
When the war broke out with Mexico
he rallied band Of Texan warriors on
the banks of the Guadalupe, and set out
for the seat OF war on the Rio Grande.
The company arrived four days after the
battles of Palo Alto and the Reseca.-
His company was accepted by Gen. Tay-
or and no was afterwards employed in
The daring scouting expedition towards
in which battle, as well as that
1f Buena Vista, he won imperishablo re-
nown. lie afterwards joined Gen. Scott's
army, aud continued with it to the con
luest of tho city Of Mexico. For his
gallant services he was honored with
national reputation, and the Office of u.
;. Marshal of Texas was given him by
President Pierce.
When Mr.. Buchanan decided to send
an army to put down rebellion in Utah,
Ben McCulloch was, to the astonishment
Df all seriously thinking men in tho
country, appointed one of the peace com
nissioners to Salt Lake, and in that ca
oaeity made, at the expense of the Fed
,ral Government, passage across tho
plains and back. Well meaning folks
got tho idea that the Major was to DO
made Governor of Utah, and it was tho't
HAT his antccedonts fitted him for the
presumed rough work ho would have in
the MormOns TO sense of pro-
priety, and therefore, his appointment as
his patriotism at the time
being undoubted, was everywhere hailod
with delight, 1t is now presumable that
IS conspirator against the country be
vas sent out by Messrs. Toombs, Floyd,
md others, to examine our southern To-
,ated public lands, and prepare the way
or their proposed seizure by the Cotton
Statcs--for McCulloch did nothing as a
peace commissioner, but did much in OBJ
serving things in New Mexico and else
where in his divergent travels"
General McCulloch was married three
DR. four years since, and a characteristic
story is told of him when his first child,
a boy, was born, that he insisted, to the
great horror of his young wife, in having
the youngster christened Buffalo Hump
IN honor Of particular friend, an old
Indian chief Of that unique name.
The General is thin, spare man, of
great muscle and activity, and is now
about forty-seven years of age. lie has