Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-09-06
SKETCH. OF THE LIE OF BEN, 'MeCUL.

Ihe foilowlng sketch OF the life OF Gen.
Ben. McCuiloch, who participated in the
battle of Davis Creek, in Missouri; will
be read with,interest :; =. ''E
Gen. McCulloch was bo Ruthcr>
ford County, Tenn, in 1914 His father
Alexander McCulloch, was aid de.camp to
Gen. Coffee, land fought under Gen. Jack
son at the battles of Talladega, Tallahassee
4 and Horseshoe, during the Creek war.
His father emigrated to Georgia while
Ben. was very young, and Ben. was kept
at school, in Tennessee until he was four
teen years oi,!. After this, Ben. was kept
hunting until he was near twenty, one.
At that time, the bears were SO bad in
Tennessee that tho settlers could not raise
their hogs. Hunting bears in the cane
required much canton, and if mans gun
snapped, he lost his breakfast Young
McCulloch frequently killed as many as
eighty bears during season, and never
less than. twenty in the course of winter
This ii;:fe gave him taste for wild adven-
ture, and wien 1e became of age, he de-
termined to go oil an expedition to the
Rocky Mountains. and left his home for
St. Louis, to join company Of tsappers.
He arrived too late, however, and like
wise failed in joining company of Santa
i'Fc traders *,
I He returned homo, and soon after called
on Col. David rockett,' who was making
u, an expedition to go to Texas to take
part i'll the revolution. The whole South.
west at that time was alive with feelings
Of sympathy for the Texans, and men
we're daily hocking TO their standard.
: Nacogdoches was appointed the place Of
rendezvous from which the expedition was
to start, and Christmas Of the year 1885
was named for the day Of meeting, when,
as odd Davy' expressel,it, they, wero to
make their Christmas dinner of the hump
"a buffalo. McCulloch again arrived
too late, and finding the party gono,. he
} proceeded on by himself to the liver
Brazos, where he was taken. sick, and he
did not recover until alter the fail of"the
Alamo. McCulloch's appointmenJ,w was
very great at not being able, to. join the
gallant band of patriots; but It after&ards
, proved very fortunate for hin,pe for C5l.
Travis; aftsr having sustained siege of
, thirteen days, with only lsg Texans,
against SantasAnna 's:army, fell with his
, brave little band, after havipg killed 400
: Of the enemy.
,McCulloch, on joining the Texan army
under Gen. Sam. Houston, was assigned
to the artillery, and smade captaih', Of a
gun. He served gallantly at the battle OF
: San Jacinto, where Santa Anna was taken
. prisoner, and his army OF $500 men killed
or taken prisoners. McCulloch afterwards
} settled IN Gonzales county, Texas, and
? was employed on the frontier surveying
: and. locating lands. He frequently led
4 the wild border scouts againstth Indians
4 sand Mexicans,; which service he entered
+ before the celebrated Jack Hays. He
: also distinguished himself at, the battle Of
: Plumb Creek IN fight with the Indians,
who at the time burned and sacked the
] tQwneof Liuuville. Heyieiasd the expe-
) dition against Mier, But, not agreeing with
. the plans ofthe leader, he returned home
before the eight, and escaped Gle cruel
: hardships and imprisonlasnt of that com
mand, which had surrendered to- thespera
2dious Ampudia.
q When the war broke out with Mexico
: he ralhed band of Texan warHota on
: the banks of the Guadaloupe, .ahf set out
o. for the::seat of war on the Rio Gfands
The. company arrived four days afterstlie
: battles Of FaloAlso and thSResaca. dfis
# company was accepted, By Gen. Taylor
= Land he was afterwards employed in'the
: daring Scouting expedition towards Man.
J. terey, in which battle, as we'll as that o
d Buena Vista, be won irnrerishable renown
,e He afterwards joined Gen. scott's army
and conquest, 81 the cisy"of Mexico. Fo
10 his gallant services, he was honofea will
d a national reputation, and the Office Of y
id sMershal Of Texas was given hiaases
"a President Pierce 80
nj Gen. McCulloch was, married sthrss o
four yesrs'sshesy and a Characteristic stor.
ID 3 told of him when his Rrst child "a boy
re- was born, that. he insisted. to the gsss
al horror of his, younsgife, ia having -
youngest christened Bdgslo Hump ii
tbepor Ot. a partica!ss sa'isSa, an Old India'
'e, chief, Of. that unique name.. !
Ill TR General is atBin, spare msf1.2
~ great nusales and activity, and is ano1
~ about AZ years Of ages He AiasFa plea
Do. yS p n.