Submitted by:
Roy Juch
THOMAS MARION & AMY (CAPLE) TULL
THOMAS MARION TULL - HEADSTONE
POWELL-TULL CEMETERY
CHILTON, FALLS COUNTY, TEXAS
THOMAS MARION & AMY CAPEL TULL
STANDING IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME
ca 1910 CHILTON, FALLS COUNTY, TEXAS
THOMAS MARION & AMY CAPEL TULL'S STILL STANDING
ca 2000 CHILTON, FALLS COUNTY, TEXAS
THOMAS
MARION TULL
Born: 11 Nov 1836 in TN or Saline Co., AR?
Married: 30 Aug 1853 in
Saline Co., AR to Amy Caple, by Amy’s uncle Ezekiel Hogue, a Methodist Minister
& brother to her mother Elizabeth Hogue Caple, wife of William Caple, father of
Amy.
Died: 4 Mar 1921 in Chilton, Falls Co., TX
Buried: Powell-Tull Cemetery, Falls Co., TX
Thomas Marion Tull served his country
& his community well.
He served as an officer in the Army of the CSA in the Civil War, was an elected
member of the Arkansas Legislature, a Justice of the Peace, a Church Music
Director, a farmer, and a man of good Christian character.
Thomas Tull served in the Army of the CSA, Company H, First (Monroe’s), Arkansas
Calvary. He enlisted on
19 June 1862 at Benton, Saline Co., Arkansas, for a period of three years, as a
Private and at the time he was wounded on 6 July 1862 was a Second Lieutenant. Note: Serving in the same
company was Thomas’ uncle Archibald Tull, a Private who was wounded near Pilot
Knob, MO, 27 September 1864 and left in the hands of the enemy at the Battle
Military Prison, then paroled from Alton,
(IL) Military Prison 15 June 1865.
This regiment was organized in 1862 and was also known as the First Trans
Mississippi Cavalry. Company H was
a company made up of Saline County men who had not enlisted in the first wave in
1861. This regiment was one of the
units known as the First Arkansas Cavalry but the only one to be officially
designated as such. The
men of Company H would spend the entire war in Arkansas, Missouri and Indian
Territory under their officers Captain George Brown, First Lieutenant Leonard
Tillery and
Second Lieutenant Thomas Tull.
During late 1862 the Saline County soldiers fought in the battles of Northwest
Arkansas. Some of these were Cane
Hill, Prairie Grove and Fayetteville.
After leaving winter camp they then ventured into Indian Territory and took part
in the battles of Perryville and Scullyville in August of 1863. In September they again fought in
Arkansas at the battle of Devil's Backbone near Fort Smith, and at the battle of
Jenny Lind. Not until
1864 would this unit see any larger action other than brief encounters with
enemy patrols. In March of 1864 this regiment would
play a major role in the Confederate victory at Mark's Mills. Monroe's regiment could have also saved
the day along with General Fagan's entire command at Jenkins Ferry had they
stayed astride the Camden trail at that ferry.
While their fellow Saline Countians embarked with General Price on his
Missouri Raid, Company H and the whole regiment stayed behind to protect the
area around Benton. They would roam
as far as the Mississippi River dealing what destruction they could to the Union
forces they might encounter.
On October 23, 1864 this regiment laid the perfect trap that would later be
known as the Battle of Hurricane Creek.
In reality only a skirmish, the Confederates lay in ambush just across the creek
on the Camden Trail. Their line
formed a large half circle with the furthest horsemen being right at the road. The flanks curved around until they
almost touched Hurricane Creek. As
the Union cavalry approached the ford known as Hunter's Crossing they moved
warily since they had heard there was a Confederate force in the area. Yet they rode ahead until they were in
the jaws of the trap. The
confederates could see they were outnumbered and made a quick but savage attack
killing two and seriously wounding ten others.
The Confederates then made a hasty retreat taking all their wounded with them. The Union officer reported that they
drove the Confederates in wild confusion and claimed to have killed twenty-
three. However, a wildly retreating
army would not stop to remove the dead bodies so it is not true as to the number
of Confederate deaths. A local story
provides a more truthful account and states that "four dead Confederates were
found and some of the local people, not recognizing the dead soldiers, buried
them in unmarked graves in the Bryant cemetery. Later Crosses of Honor were placed over
all four." At the present only one of these markers is still in place and one
other is being repaired. The marker
on Highway 183 was taken from the official report of the Union officer and
should not be taken for correct.
At
the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi troops on June 2, 1865 at Galveston,
Texas the Saline Countians in Monroe's Regiment were operating between Clear
Lake and Dudley's Lake in southeast Arkansas.
They never surrendered and joined Crawford's Cavalry and the Missourians who
were headed for Mexico. At the
Trinity River they also came to Saline County along with the Saline
Countians in Crawford's Regiment.
On
June 30, 1914 The Benton Courier ran an article with the Headline: "AN OLD TIME
RECORD" which gave the minutes of Organization of Lorance Singing Auxiliary on
May 17, 1873 which met at the Fairview Church, Grant Co., AR.
According to the minutes that were printed Thomas Tull was elected to a
committee that was responsible for arranging music for the session.
He was also elected as a delegate to the convention. After the Auxiliary
adjourned business, Thomas Tull led a singing session.
In
the year 1876, T. M. Tull served as the Justice of the Peace for Banner
Township, Saline Co., AR. On page 181 of the Saline Co., AR Marriage Book D,
dated 16 Sep 1877, Thomas M. Tull, (JP) performed the marriage for
Gilbert L. Barrett & Miss Nancy Riddle.
Following are the personal recollections of Edna Fae Martin Jackson,
dated 5 July 1994:
I
was in my 14th year when Amy (Amy Caple Tull) died and my 16th year when Tommy
(Thomas Marion Tull) died. Uncle
Tommy went fishing on Deer Creek most every day and brought a catch of
small perch. Uncle
Tommy always carried a grubbing hoe along so as to dig bait an in the time of
year to dig and plant trees that came from the bank of the creek.
In his yard he had many beautiful trees. He always carried a short pole stick over his
left shoulder with a red bandana handkerchief with something in the kerchief. I often wondered what he carried but
that I never knew.
During the last years of Tommy Tulls life he had a on a plot of land where
Ethel Isabel Tull Welch and her daughter Cynthia Garlene Welch now live 2 miles
east of Chilton. Tommy tilled this plot
with one mule and a walking plow then planted his corn by hand.
He made rows north and south and east and west and diagonal rows. He tilled this with his faithful mule
and made above average yield and unbelievably large ears of corn.
OBITUARY - CHILTON LOSES A PIONEER
One last Saturday evening Mr. T.M. Tull, one of the pioneers of Chilton
and Falls County passed to his reward.
He was in his 85th year at the time of his death. He came to Chilton from Arkansas about thirty
years ago, he having been a Confederate soldier and was at one time a member of
the Legislature of his native state.
He was regarded as one of the substantial citizens of the county and a highly
respected gentleman.
His wife died some time last year, and he has a number of children and
great-grand children surviving. His
sons, Henry, W.A., George, and Marvin, and his daughter, Mrs. Hicks, live at
Chilton, while two sons, John and James, live in Arkansas, and a daughter, Mrs.
A.V. Brink, lives in Waco.
Mr. Tull was a member of the Methodist church and was buried under the auspices
of that order in the Powell-Tull Cemetery east of Chilton, Falls County, Texas.
Many thanks to the many Tull Family researchers that contributed to this
biographical sketch of Thomas Marion Tull, with special recognition and
thanks to our recently departed kin Beatrice Richardson Johnson.
Compiled by Roy Juch
June, 2004
Husband of Judene Duncan Juch, a great-great granddaughter of Thomas Marion Tull
