Biography of Clarence Cullens - Conway Co, AR *********************************************************** Submitted by: Cathy Barnes Date: 21 Jun 1998 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Western Arkansas. Goodspeed Publishers, 1891. page 60 Dr. Clarence Cullens, a prominent physician and surgeon and a well-known and courteous gentleman, of Plummerville, owes his nativity to Milledgeville, Georgia, where he was born in 1843. His parents were the Hon. Wiley W. and Mary (Tennille) Cullens, both of whom were also natives of Georgia, where Mrs Cullens spent her entire life; she died in 1844, when the subject of this sketch was but a few months old. She was a most estimable and cultured lady, having sprung from a very prominent and influential Southern family of French origin. After a thorough literary training, principally under the tutelage of the distinguished Doctor Beeman, of Georgia, one of the most popular and thorough educators of the South. Mr. Cullens studied law in the office of Felix Grundy and James K. Polk, at Nashville, Tennessee, where he was admitted to the bar, and practiced his well-chosen profession for some time, when he returned to his native State, where he owned an extensive plantation to which he devoted his attention thereafter, and became a very useful and influential citizen. He was for several terms a member of the Georgia Legislature and was a prominent member of the A. F. and A. M. Mr. Cullens lived a long life of usefulness, dying at about the age of seventy-six years. He was a son of Frederick Cullens, who was born near the Virginia and North Carolina State line, but in an early day removed to Georgia, and died in Washington County of that State, a very wealthy planter. Dr. Cullens was the youngest but one of a family of thirteen children, and soon after the death of his mother he was taken to Pontotoc County, Miss., where he was principally reared by a brother-in-law, Col. R. W. Flournoy, a well-known and distinguished lawyer and wealthy planter of that State. The doctor was educated principally at Oglethorpe University, in Georgia, but completed his studies at LaGrange Military Institute of that State, but early in 1861 he left college to take up arms for the cause of the Confederacy, enlisting in the Twenty-first Mississippi Infantry, as a private but was soon after made orderly sergeant, and served in the army of Virginia for a few months when he was taken sick, sent home, and upon recovery assisted in organizing company B, which was placed in the Forty-first Mississippi Infantry, in which he served as a private for a short time when he was made lieutenant, and afterward promoted to the captaincy, which position he continued to fill during the remainder of his service. He did active service in the battles of Farmington, Miss, Murfreesboro, Mission Ridge and Chickamauga (where he was twice severely wounded); was through the Georgia campaign, and in the engagement at Atlanta, July 22, 1864, received a wound which disabled him from further service, and was taken to the hospital at Macon, Georgia, and thence to his home in Mississippi. He was captured at one time while at home on a furlough, but was soon after paroled and ex changed. January 16, 1865, Dr. C. was married to Miss Martha S. Heard, a native of Pontotoc County, Miss., and a daughter of Alexander A. and Adicia M. (Pruitt) Heard. Mr. Heard was a wealthy planter of Pontotoc County, where he died before the war, and where Mrs. Heard still resides. Her father was Joseph Pruitt, a former wealthy slave owner of Pontotoc County. After the war Dr. Cullens turned his attention to the study of physic, and in 1870 graduated with honors from the Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, Ky., and at once began the practice of his profession in Union County, Miss., but after a successful practice of about two years he was elected to represent his district in the State Senate for a term of two years, at the expiration of which he was appointed and served as one of the State Chancellors for one year. He then engaged in journalism and for some years was one of the editors and publishers of the Albany (Miss.) Democrat, and in the meantime was practicing law, till 1880, when he removed to Plummerville, Ark., where he has since been engaged in the practice of physic with that same degree of success that marked his previous career. Since his residence at that place his estimable wife died September 30, 1884. She was a devout member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and was the mother of four children, three of whom survive. On December 21, 1885, the doctor was married in Connecticut to his present wife, Miss Emma Stanhope Beach, a lady of culture and refinement, and a daughter of Dr. Warren P. and Mariah H. Beach, who were natives of the Wooden Nutmeg State. Dr. Beach was a graduate from the medical department of Yale College, and practiced his profession with success till his death. Mrs. Beach is still living. Dr. Cullens was formerly a member of the I. O. O. F., and is at present Worshipful Master of Howard Lodge. No. 253, A. F. and A. M., at Plummerville. He is also a member of the Morning Star Lodge, K. of H., at Morrilton, and is a consistent member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mrs. Cullens is an Episcopalian.