DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker for Guadalupe County, C.S.A. — here's how I tell that story. Now, most wars have a first shot. This one almost had one in San Antonio, on February 16th, 1861 — and the fact that it didn't is one of the quietly remarkable things in Texas history.
Two local companies of volunteers from Guadalupe County were there that day, standing alongside Ben McCulloch when Texans surrounded the U.S. Arsenal and demanded its surrender. Think about what was crackling in that air — armed men, a federal installation, a nation already fracturing at the seams.
The atmosphere was charged, the marker says, in a way that could have made that the first armed conflict of the Civil War. But it ended without a single shot being fired. U.S. troops left the state.
The moment passed. Back home in Guadalupe County, the vote for secession came in at 314 to 22. Lopsided, but not unanimous — and the newspapers made sure you knew where they stood.
The Mercury didn't stay the Mercury. It became The Southern Confederacy. The Journal?
It remade itself as The Union Democrat. Both sides, the marker notes, given in the newspapers, renamed to reflect their views. Words have always been weapons, and in 1861, even a masthead was a declaration.
The county threw itself into the war effort. Camp Clark, seventeen miles to the northeast, served as a training site for many of the 350 men who went to serve in the south. Among them, Company D of the 4th Texas Infantry — a unit that fought through the war in Hood's famed brigade.
Back home, plants turned out wagons, flour, tinware, and ox yokes for the army. A tannery worked leather using an exclusive process — mesquite as the tannin source. You don't forget a detail like that.
While men fought with rifles, somebody in Guadalupe County figured out how to make leather from mesquite, and that leather kept things moving. Now, the marker's back side is devoted to two brothers, and they deserve the telling. Tennessee gave Texas Ben McCulloch and Henry E.
McCulloch — and Texas made considerable use of both of them. Ben, born in 1811, had a resume that reads like a chapter from a different century entirely. He fought in the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.
He worked as a surveyor, a lawman, an Indian fighter. He scouted for General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War. He was the man at San Antonio in February of 1861, leading state forces when the arsenal was surrounded.
When the Civil War came in full, he was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army, commanding troops in Arkansas and Indian Territory. He was part of the victory at Wilson's Creek, Missouri, in 1861. And then, at the Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas, Ben McCulloch was killed.
He is buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. His brother Henry, born in 1816, outlived him by decades — dying in 1895. Henry was a Texas lawman too, and an Indian fighter, and a legislator.
His Civil War service was performed right here in Texas, as both Colonel and Brigadier General of state and Confederate forces, protecting the frontier against Indians, renegades, and the threat of Federal invasion from 1861 to 1865. He did see action outside the state once — in the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863. He is buried in San Geronimo Cemetery in Seguin.
Two brothers from Tennessee. One buried in Austin, one in Seguin. Between them, they touched nearly every chapter of Texas's hardest years — from San Jacinto to the last days of the Confederacy.
And it all came close — very close — to starting with a shot that was never fired, on a February morning in San Antonio, with Guadalupe County men standing right there in the middle of it.
What the marker says
Star and Wreath Two local companies of volunteers were with Ben McCulloch in San Antonio, Feb. 16, 1861 when U.S. Arsenal was surrounded by Texans and surrender demanded. An encounter in a charged atmosphere which could have become the first armed conflict of Civil War but ended without a shot being fired and U.S. troops leaving state. County voted 314-22 for secession but "both sides" given in newspapers renamed to reflect views; "Mercury" became "The Southern Confederacy"; "Journal", "The Union Democrat". Camp Clark, 17 mi. NE, site of training for many of 350 men serving south. Co. D, 4th Tex. Inf. fought thru war in Hood's famed brigade. Plants made wagons, flour, tinware, ox yokes for army. Tannery made leather by exclusive process of Mesquite as tannin source. BACK: Gen. Ben McCulloch (1811-62) Gen. Henry E. McCulloch (1816-95) Tennessee gave Texas these illustrious brothers. Ben: fought in 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, was noted surveyor, lawman, Indian fighter; served General Zachary Taylor as scout in Mexican War; led state forces at San Antonio, Feb. 1861; as Brig. Gen., C.S.A. commanded troops in Arkansas, Indian Territory; in Wilson's Creek, Mo. victory 1861; killed at Battle Pea Ridge, Ark. Buried in State Cemetery in Austin. Henry: Texas lawman, Indian fighter, and legislator; Civil War service performed in Texas as Col., Brig. Gen. of state and Confederate forces protecting frontier against Indians, renegades, threat of Federal invasion from 1861-65. Out of state action in Vicksburg Campaign 1863. Buried in San Geronimo Cemetery in Seguin. Erected by the State of Texas 1963