The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 58, July 1954 - April, 1955 Page: 5
650 p. : ill., maps (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Ben McCulloch: A Big Captain
surprise was so complete that the Indians fled, leaving the loot
they had taken.'"
When McCulloch returned from the engagement, preparations
were under way for the Texan Santa Fe Expedition. President
Mirabeau Lamar invited him to join the forces, but he did not
accept." Although he was spared the hardships of the expedition,
McCulloch was not idle while it made its way toward Santa Fe.
James H. Callahan organized a company of minutemen from
Gonzales County to meet any emergency which might arise and
to scout out the activities of the Indians to the west. McCulloch
served almost continuously from July 11 until December 18,
1841, as a member of this company of minutemen.12
When the Mexicans invaded Texas in the early part of 1842,
McCulloch went to San Antonio to aid in repelling the invaders.
John C. Hays sent McCulloch, accompanied by his friend, Alsey
S. Miller, to scout out the approaching enemy. McCulloch hid in
chaparral and counted the Mexicans as they passed. He and his
companion returned toward San Antonio, but they found that
the town had been abandoned by Hays and his men; so they
circled San Antonio to join Hays at Flores' ranch on the Guada-
lupe.18
At the time of the second invasion McCulloch was not in Gon-
zales, but when the news came to him he was not long in joining
Caldwell. Although he did not arrive on the scene in time to
participate in the battle of Salado, McCulloch was in time to
pursue General Adrian Woll in the retreat to the Rio Grande. The
pursuit was soon abandoned, and the men returned to San An-
tonio, where a large force was gathering for an invasion of Mexico
under the command of General Alexander Somervell. McCulloch
accompanied the Somervell Expedition as a scout, but did not
officially attach himself to the unauthorized invaders who con-
tinued operations under William S. Fisher after Somervell or-
dered his forces to disband on December 19. While Fisher's bel-
ligerents were camped near the town of Mier inside Mexico,
McCulloch was sent into the town to reconnoiter. In a talk with
1oBrown, Indian Wars, 84; Dixon and Kemp, Heroes of San Jacinto, 82.
"1Rose, McCulloch, 66.
12Muster Rolls, Army of the Texas Republic (MSS., Archives, Texas State Library,
Austin).
'sSpeer, The Encyclopedia of the New West, Part I, 294.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 58, July 1954 - April, 1955, periodical, 1955; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101158/m1/23/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.