My Genealogy Hound

James C. Culp, Sr., is a member of the successful mercantile firm of Culp & Agee, of Lilley, Ark., and he is postmaster of that place. He was born in Huntsville, Ala., July 20, 1837, and is a son of John M. and Maria (Cromer) Culp, who were born, reared, married and spent their lives in Alabama, the former dying in 1848, and the latter in 1840. The former was a detective by profession, and for some time deputy sheriff of Madison County, Ala., being elected by the Democratic party, of which he had long been a member. He was about fifty-two years of age at the time of his death, and was a son of John Frederick Culp, a native of Germany, who came to the United States at an early day, and located in Madison County, Ala., where he spent the rest of his days. James C. Culp came with his father to Ouachita County, Ark., and here spent his school days, and after starting out in life for himself, hired out to a clothier for three years, at $35 per year. He then turned his attention to steamboating on the Mississippi and White Rivers, and acted as mate of a number of different boats, and in time became commander of the old “Col. Drennon,” and later of “Young America.” In 1856 he began farming in Ouachita County, continuing until 1858, when he spent one year in school, and during 1859-60 acted as overseer in Hempstead County, at $500 per year. Upon the opening of the war he cast his lot with the Confederacy, and became a member of the Thirty-third Arkansas Infantry, going out as third lieutenant and coming back as first lieutenant of Company K. He was in the battles of Prairie Grove, Pleasant Hill and Mansfield, Camden and Jenkins’ Ferry, besides many skirmishes, and during his time of service was neither wounded nor taken prisoner. After the war he turned his attention to farming, and his first purchase of land was forty acres, but he is now the owner of 1,800 acres, all valuable land, a goodly portion of which is under cultivation. Since 1887 he has been associated in the mercantile business with Philip Agee, and in this enterprise is succeeding far beyond his expectations. He has also been postmaster of Lilley since that date. On February 7, 1861, he was married to Miss Rebecca, a daughter of John G. and Celia J. Chambliss. She was born in Tennessee, in 1839, and she and Mr. Culp are the parents of one daughter: Susan C., now the wife of J. E. Fultze, who is a successful farmer of this county. Mr. Culp is a Mason, and in his political views is a Democrat.