The Van Buren press., 1872-07-16
Cullen Baker.
Brief History q the Notorious Easts~ n
Terds Desperate, the Terror Of
Three States.
(Republished by Request

MANY persons in North Mississippi
and West Tennessee are familiar with the
names and deeds of William Cullen Ba-
ker, the notorious desperate and unscru
pulous murderer Of Eastern Texas, who
was killed on the 10th of January, in La
favette county, Arkansas, by his father.in
law and brother in-law Baker was GER
tainly one OF the worst characters ofthis
age, and brief sketch of his career 10
worthy Of record as a part of the histo.
ry Of the great Southwest. His life, tax
en- No a whole. demonstrates with pccu.
liar force the weakness OF "frail human
ity, and the tcnacity with which events
shape mans destiny.
Whe,i that branch OF the Confederate
army to which he was attached, ground
ed arms and surrendered to the power OF
the Federal Government, Cullen Baker
declined to ACCEPT the terms or abide the
conditions. ana mounting hi, fiery Norse
one Of tho swiftsst since the days OF
Claude Duval,s bonnie Black Bess--he
rode away to the wilds of East Texas.
proclaiming himself the last survivor OF
the Lost Cause, who would never surren'
der until the Confcderacy was fully cs-
tablished and its authority recognized by
all the powers Of the earth.
True to his rash vow, he soon achiev-
cd considerable notoriety in Harrison,
Marion and Davis counties, in Texas, for
his intense animosity against everything
savoring Of" Yankeeism. During the
year he committed several murders, his
victims invariably being either negroes.
Federal soldiers, or noisy union men. p"
In the fall Of 1865 a reward OF one
thousand dollars was offered by the Fed
eral military authorities Of Texas. for his
head. Scouting parties were sent out in
all directions Of the country to try to
catch him. He warned the citizens that
il any of them dared to intimate to those
who sought to capture him anything in
reference to his movements, he would
visit upon them the most terrible punish
mcnt. SO we'll they knew tho man that
no citizen could be found with sufficient
knowledge Of the stopping places OF Cul
len Baker to enable them to tell, with
any degree Of accuracy, where he could
be found.
So terrific did he become. that the mil.
itsrv authorities raised the reward offer
ed for his head from one thousand to ten
thousand dollars. While riding along
the road on one occasion, he observed
the proclamation offering ten thousand
dollars for his head sticking to tree.
He read 1t, and diamounting from his
horse, and coolly seating himself by the
tree upon which he found II, be issued q
counter proclamation under his own
hand, and offered ten thousand dollars
for the head of any one of the military
satraps who were manifesting so much
anxiety about his own. Hell put his proc
lama,ion on the tree below the other aud
rode away.
A few days subsequently, to this time,
the desire for adventure and danger in
duced him to pay q personal visit, incog.,
to the commander Of the post at Jefier-
son, Texas. Riding up to hitching
post near the post.commandnnts Office.
he dism ounted, and leaving his horse very
lcisurely, walked in, saluted the major.
took a seat and +" opened conversation
with that important parsonage.
~ suppose your military authorities
have offered big reward for the head OF
this man Cullen Baker, said our hero:
YES" responded the major; land
il he 10 not remarkably sharp We will
soon get him. | have been specially Sc
lected by the General to work up this
little job. and | think ! will be apt to
bring him in.
"They say he 10 a bad ono, said Cul-
len.
"Oh. well, that is more talk than any
thing else. guess he is not so terrible
as you rebels make him ont. He cant
scare anybody that belongs to our army
I am sure we haven't a man who could
not take him without cooking a gun, II
he could just get up with him. y
"Have you ever seen him." careless
", but seemingly, asked Baker.
"No," said the hero OF the epaulets,
"but I don't care for that. I'll be apt
to make his acquaintance il can just
get near enough to him p"
Baker, rising from bis chair in the
most complaisant manner immaginable,
said: well. major, you want Bakers
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