John Fulton McCULLOUGH (1841 - 1864)

Born 12 May 1841 in Pennsylvania

Died 31 May 1864 at age 23 in Hanover, Virginia, United States

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Biography

John Fulton McCullough was the only son of Evan and Nancy Fuller McCullough. They also had five daughters. John joined the army when he was 18 as a private in Company F, First P. V. C.

In 1861, when his father died, he was discharged and returned home to Pennsylvania.

In 1862 he organized Company A, One Hundred and Fortieth Pennsylvania Reserves. He returned to active service during the Civil War and was promoted to major of the regiment in 1864. He was wounded at Gettsburg July 1863 and a prisoner from then until September 1863.

He was commissioned colonel of the One Hundred and Eighty-third P. V. I. During the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia he was mortally wounded, and died on the field May 31, 1864, age 23. He was buried in Pennsylvania. [1]

There was a writer with the fortieth division who was there when Colonel John McCullough was mortally wounded. Much can be found about his short life in a book, History of the One hundred and fortieth regiment Pennsylvania volunteers, by Professor Robert Laird Stewart .

Published 1912

JOHN F. McCULLOUGH Captain Company A.

Captain John Fulton McCullough, the son of Evan and Nancy Fulton McCullough, was born near Jefferson, Greene County, Penna., May 12, 1841. He attended common school until he was eighteen years of age, when he entered Waynes- burg College. He later attended Jefferson College at Can- onsburg, Pa.

During the Civil War he served as a private from August 16, 1861, to January 16, 1862. Later, together with

PERSONAL SKETCHES 3«9

J. J. Purman and David Taylor, he recruited a company known as the "Greene County Rifles." This Company was organized August 18, 1862, with McCullough as captain.

It was designated as Company A at the date of the organization of the Regiment, and participated with it on all the marches and engagements of the Army of the Poto- mac from Chancellorsville to Appomattox.

Captain McCullough was regarded by his superiors in command as one of the bravest, most resourceful and trust- worthy line officers in the famous division to which he belonged.

When Colonel Fraser was disabled by a wound on the 12th of May, at Spottsylvania Court House, the command of the Regiment devolved upon Captain McCullough; and he proved himself to be a wise and capable leader throughout the prolonged conflict of that terrible day.

In the flanking movement southward to the North Anna during the latter part of the month, the One Hundred and Fortieth, under his skilful leadership, did good service, as was usual, on the skirmish line.

A few days later, May 31st, he met his death at the head of his Regiment, while leading a charge against an in- trenched line of the enemy at Totopotomy Creek, Va.

A full account of this disastrous engagement, in which the One Hundred and Fortieth alone met the enemy, and of the part taken in it by Captain McCullough, is given on page 205 and need not be repeated here.

A short time before his untimely death, this "very gal- lant and promising young officer," as General Miles desig- nated him, had received a notice of his appointment as Colo- nel of the One Hundred and Eighty-third Regiment, Penn- sylvania Volunteers. This regiment was also in the First Brigade, and had been enlisted under the auspices of the Philadelphia Union League.

Colonel McCullough's commission did not reach the headquarters of the Regiment until some days after his death. To him was given this distinguished honor as a fitting reward of merit; but in the discharge of his duty on that fateful day, he fell at his post before he could be mus tered in.

His honored remains were recovered by his men and were shipped to Jefferson, Greene County, Pa., where they now rest. "This spot of ground," says the late Chaplain Millegan, "is made sacred by the remains of as brave and true a soldier as ever drew a sword or shouldered a gun." (See page 206.)

Sources

•  ::Residence, Name::

1850 Census [2] Citation "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M4HN-CX9 : accessed 13 March 2016), John Cullah in household of Evan M Cullah, Morgan, Greene, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 88, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records

Administration, n.d.).

1860 Census [3] Citation "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M4HN-CX9 : accessed 13 March 2016), John Cullah in household of Evan M Cullah, Morgan, Greene, Pennsylvania, United States; citing family 88, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

::Military::

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/fulton/3023/

History of the One hundred and fortieth regiment Pennsylvania volunteers, by Professor Robert Laird Stewart ... Pub. by authority of the Regimental association by Stewart, Robert Laird, 1840-1916 Published 1912

Death::

John Fulton McCullough, "Find A Grave Index" [4] Citation "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVL3-B2SC : accessed 13 March 2016), John Fulton McCullough, 1864; Burial, Jefferson, Greene, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Jefferson Presbyterian Church Cemetery; citing record ID 84622938, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

Also in the book, History of the One hundred and fortieth regiment Pennsylvania volunteers [5]