Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-31
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Brief Hisasry Of the NeassIeas I1asa
Z 4 era Texas Desperate, lhe Terror
Of Three States. iiiAEI
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fieus DemeanOr When a Boy
TRANSFORMATION as 4 soldier
Ene ASHAMED lceguannaer Of fhe,
e1 Lost Cause-rerribIe Record
OF Barring Crime and "ai
.iBi AGiTragic Fate. uh ad. sir.
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Many persons in North Missis
sippi and West Tennessee are
familiar with the name and deeds
of William Cullen Baker. the no.
i torious desperate and unserupalous
murderer of Eastern Texas, who
was killed on the 10th of January
| IN Lafayette county, Arkansas, by
bis father-inllaw and brether1ifi-
law, as detailed a few days ago, in
the frAvalanehe. Baker was GER
tainly one, of the worst eharae.
tiers Of this age, and a brief
sketch Of his career is worthy of re-
cord as a part Of the history of the
great Southwest His life, taken as
a whole, demonstrates with peculiar
force the weakness of afrail
humanity, and the tenacity with
which events shape mans destiny.
Cullen Baker, the almost beard
less lad who, by his daring de-
meanor and ,insatiate thirst for
human blood has been for months
a terror to the citizens as well as to
the military authorities, was the son
otlan eminent divine of Texas, and
his character from boyhood to the
fatal hour when grim yisaged war
stalked into our land had been I'm
exceptional d ''' as'' - -is''
Few young men ever started IN
life with brighter prospects, and
certainly not one ever enjoyed in
more eminent degree the confidence
and esteem of his friends and neigh
bors. When the shrilf trumpet
sounded to arms the braves of the
South, Cullen Baker, ofred by a !
true, patriotic devotion TO the land
of his birth, forsook the pursuits Of
civil life and promptly shouldered
his musket in the ranks, side by
side with the young men who had
grown up to- manhood with him.
The volcano that had been smoth-
cred an his breast soon sent forth
its lava, and before the role of his
company Had been 2 called forr, a
twelve month, Cullen Baker had
been marked as the e terrible rife,
man" The unmistakable- attri- |
bqtes OF desperate soon devel- |
oped themselves in his character,
and many "bI1e- jacket devils, as |
he was wont to denominate the SOL
diers of the Federal army, were |
forced to kiss the dust before his
unerring aim.
When that branch of the Confed- |
crate army to which he was attach
ed had grounded arms and surren-
dered to the power of the Federal
government, Cullen Baker declined
the terms or abide the |
conditions, and mounting His horse |
one of the swiftest since the DAYS
of sClaude Duvals bonnie Black
Bess-he rode away to the wilds of
East Texas, proclaiming himself the |
last survivor of the Lost Cause, /
Who would never surrender until |
The Confederacy was fully estab-
Iiahed and its authority recognized l
by all the powers of the earth.
True TO his rash wow, he soon
achieved considerable notoriety
IN Harrison and Davis counties, in |
Texas, for his intense luminosity |
against every thing savoring Of
'Ymkeeism" During the year he
several murders, his
victims invariably. being either
negroes, Federal soldiers or noisy
q Union men. '' JOE
In the fall Of 1865 a reward of
one thousand dollars was offered
BY the Federal military authorities
Of Texas for his head, Scouting
parties were sent out in all direc- |
lions of the country to try to catch |
him. He warned the citizens that
f any of them dared to intimate
% those who sought to capture him
in reference to his move
nents he would visit upon them the
most terrible punishment. So well
hey knew the man that no citizen
could be found with sufficient
knowledge of the stopping places
)f Cullen Baker to enable them to
ell, with any degree of accuracy,
where Cullen Baker couldbe found. |
So terrible did he become that
The military authorities raised the
reward offered for his head from one
thousand to ten thousand dollars. |
While riding along the road on one
occasion, he observed the procla-
nation offering ten thousand dol
airs for his head sticking on a tree.
He read it, and, dismounting from
lis horse, and coolly seating him
'elf BY the tree upon which he
ound it, he issued counter pro
under his own hand, and
,ffered ten thousand dollars for the
read of any one of the military sa-
raps who weremanifesting so much
anxiety about his own. He put his |
PROCLAMATION on the tree below the
he other and rode away. '' ea Ii
A few days subsequent to this time !
be desire for adventure and danger I
induced him to pay personal visit, c
ncOg, to the commander of the I
,ost at Jefferson, Texas. Riding
Ip to a hitching- post near the post !
ommandant' office, he dismount- !
d, and leaving his horse very /,
walked in, saluted the i
1ajor, took a seat and "opened a /
with that important | 0
ersonage. ESQ d -r' $500 On
81 suppose your military author t
lies have offered a big reward for g
ne head of this man Cullen Baker"
aid our hero. H.
eyes, responded the Major, "and :
he is not remarkably sharp we n
ill soon get him. L have been Y
peeially selected by the General 4
} work up this little lob. and I Ic