Ananias Cullison (Biography)

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Taken from Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominents person, etc., Vol. III, Part 1, pgs. 534-536

Ananias Cullison, of Howard, Kan., judge of the probate court in Ek County, and one of the best known citizens of that community, is a pioneer of Kansas, who for many years has occupied a prominent place in the Methodist ministry of this state and has made his life count for good in all its relations.  On the paternal side he comes from an old Maryland family, while from his mother he is descended from sturdy Irish stock.  He was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, March 14, 1843, a son of Joseph W. and Elizabeth (Lynch) Cullsion.  Both parents were natives of Maryland, but removed to Ohio in an early day and from thence, in 1848, to Greene county, Indiana, where the father became a well known and prominent farmer citizen, and where he died. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Joseph W. Cullison had been a Democrat up to the time of Lincoln's nomination, but thenceforward gave his allegience to the Republican party.  He was a son of Elijah Cullison, who also was born in Maryland, from whence he removed to Ohio and later to Indiana, where he died. Barnard Lynch, the maternal grandfather of Judge Cullison, was a native of Ireland, and a weaver by trade, but after immigrating to this country he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and resided on his farm in Ohio until his death.

Judge Cullison received excellent educational advantages.  After completing the usual common school course he attended Asbury College, now DePauw University, at Greencastle, Ind., and later became a student at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.  He was prepared for the profession of medicine at the Indiana Medical College, Indianapolis, where he graduated, March 1, 1872.  His student days were not continuous, however, for in May, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fourteenth Indiana infantry, for service in defense of the Union.  It was originally a one-year regiment mustered in for that term.  It was mustered in, June 7, at Terre Haute, Ind., and left the state on July 5, proceeding to Clarksburg, W. Va., and marching from thence to Rich Mountain, where it was in reserve at the battle.  It was stationed at Cheat Mountain, Va., from July 16 to Oct. 8, and was engaged at that point on Sept 12, and at Green Brier River, Oct. 3.  On March 4, 1862, it joined Shields' division and proceeded to Winchester, where it engaged in battle. On May 15, 1862, it began its march to Fredericksburg, leaving on the 24th for Front Royal, where, June 1, it assisted in driving out the enemy.  It was in various movements until July 2, 1862, reaching Turkey Bend just as the Army of the Potomac was in retreat, the Fourteenth engaging in severe fighting with the pursuing enenmy and checking his advance.  As a part of the Second corps, the Fourteenth Indiana was put on outpost duty, being in constant action with the enemy for nearly three weeks, and then moved to Centerville, Va., where it assisted in covering the retreat of the Union forces.  At South Mountain, Md., a peliminary engagement to the greater battle of Antietam, this regiment was in reserve, but at the battle of Antietam proper its division was the only one that never gave way during the battle, its brigade winning the title of the "Gibraltar."  In that action the Fourteenth fought for hours within sixty yards of the enemy's line.  During May 1-2, 1863, it was in reserve at Chancellorsville; on May 3 its brigade charged and drove the enemy from the ground lost by the Eleventh corps the previous day, but was forced back by an overwhelming force.  It participated at the battle of Gettysburg, where it charged the enemy's advance, saved Ricketts' battery, drove the enemy down the hill, and captured all the field officers, the colors, and most of the men of the Twenty-first North Carolina infantry, on the evening of the second day's battle.   The third day its division borre the brunt of the desperate attack of the left of the cemetery.  The Fourteenth Indiana took part in the Mine Run campaign in the latter part of 1863, and early in 1864, moved with the army on the Wilderness campaign, as part of Hancock's corps, bearing the brunt of most of the fighting in the numerous engagements of that movement.  Having received his honorable discharge, young Cullison again entered the service as a member of Company C, One Hundred Forty-seventh Indiana infantry, and was mustered in March 13, 1864, the day before attaining his majority. This regiment left the state for Harper's Ferry, Va., where it was attached to one of the provisional divisions of the Army of the Shenandoah.  It was engaged principally in guard and garrison duty and was mustered out Aug. 4, 1865.  Young Cullison then returned to his home in Indiana, where he engaged in teaching for a time and also completed his education.  As previously stated, he had prepared for the profession of medicine and practiced seven years prior to entering another profession, that of the ministry.  He came to Kansas in 1873.  His first charge was at Greeley, Anderson county, and from that time to the present, a period of nearly forty years, he has continued to be identified with the Methodist ministry of Kansas.  He was presiding elder of the Independence district from 1882 to 1886.  In political views he is a Republican, and in 1910 was elected as his party's candidate to the office of probate judge of Elk County.  He was postmaster at Park, Ind., while practicing medicine there.''In December, 1869, Judge Cullison wedded Miss Achsah Leah, daughter of Milton Louder, a native Indiana farmer, whose father was a North Carolinian by birth and removed to Indiana in a very early day of that state's history.  John Storm, maternal grandfather of Mrs. Cullison, rendered patriotic service in the Revolution.  Judge and Mrs. Cullison have four children:  Ethelbert H. is a lawyer at Delaware, Okla; Cecil B. is an employe of the Chicago & Alton Railway Company, at Kansas City, Mo.; Winifred is a graduate of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan., and is engaged in teaching; and Lenore, a high school graduate, has taken two terms of music at the State Normal School at Emporia.  Judge Cullsion united fraternally with the Masonic order and the Grand Army of the Republic.