Culpa
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
ANDREW CULP was born in June,
1849, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, being one of a family of seven
children. His parents were Jacob and Barbara (Berlinger) Culp.
The school days of our subject were very limited, as at the early age of
ten he left his parents and began to earn his own living. He was
tossed about to various places until sixteen years of age. At Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, he enlisted in the regular army, being enrolled in the Seventh
Cavalry. His first service in this regiment began at what is now
called Hays City, Kansas, and for thirty years he continued to wear Uncle
Sam's blue. During this long period, Mr. Culp participated in many
events that have been recorded in the history of his country. Among
those may be mentioned the battle of Washita under General Custer against
Chief Black Kettle. At this time his command secured from the Indians
Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Foster who had been held in captivity by the savages
for two years. Mr. Culp was at Santiago under General Shafter, and
at El Caney when in the night charge, the one gatling gun served so well
to gain the victory. In the fall of 1898, Mr. Culp received his honorable
discharge after this long service for his country which is seldom equaled.
Retiring from the army, he came west where he had been the guardian of
the pioneers in the days gone by and selected a place where the Spokane
river joins the Columbia. He owns three hundred and twenty acres
of land half of which is excellent for fruit, the balance being adapted
to pasture. He has a good house, barn and so forth which are beautifully
situated on a rising table overlooking the river. Although Mr. Culp
has been in almost every portion of the United States, he is quite content
to dwell in Lincoln county, feeling sure that he has one of the best places
that it is possible for him to possess. He is making extensive improvements
on the estate and the county is to be congratulated in securing Mr. Culp
as a permanent citizen.
In 1902, it was the happy lot of our subject
to take as his life partner, Mrs. Mary Franz, the widow of Corporal Joseph
Franz, Company B, Sixteenth United States Army, who died and was buried
at sea, September 3, 1898, after participating in the war with Spain.
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