Biographical Sketch of William H. Bulla - Andrew County, Missouri >From "History of Missouri, Andrew & DeKalb County" Published 1888 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ Transcribed by: Penny Harrell (Incog3678@aol.com) ********************************************************************** William H. Bulla, a farmer and stock raiser of Platte Township, Andrew County, MO., was born in Richmond, Wayne Co., IN., October 29, 1837. He is the son of David H. and Sarah (Cox) Bulla. The father was born in North Carolina in 1814, and was the son of William Bulla, of French-German lineage. He was a wholesale dealer in tobacco on the corner of Seventh and Main Streets, Louisville, KY. He followed farm- ing in early life, and amassed considerable wealth in speculating in tobacco, but he failed in 1857, and died the next year. The mother was born in Richmond, IN., in 1816. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Julian) Cox, who were of French descent. She died when William H. was but two years old. William, the second child of a family of two sons and one daughter, was reared on his grandfather's farm, and given a common-school education at Richmond, IN. When eighteen years old, he with an uncle, immigrated to Iowa, where he remained one year engaged in agricultural pursuits. In the spring of 1857 he removed to Kansas, and entered 160 acres of land on the Neosho River, near Emporia, where he followed farming for a very short time, after which he was in the employ of the Santa Fe Mail about one year. In the spring of 1859 he, with a great train of emigrants, went to Pike's Peak, where he followed mining and prospecting with various results till July, 1861 when he left for Omaha, Neb., to enter the United States army. On November 9, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, of the Second Iowa Cavalry, as a private, and was mustered out of service May 15, 1865, as second lieutenant. Among many other engagements he participated in the following: Shiloh; Corinth, where he was wounded on May 9, 1862; Iuka; the second battle of Corinth; siege of Vicksburg; battles of Raymond, Champion's Hill, Jackson, Stone River, Tupelo and Franklin, at the last of which he was wounded and captured November 30, 1864. He was sent to Andersonville prison, where he remained until April 14, 1865. He was then sent to St. Louis by the way of Vicksburg, and was mustered out of service. After the war he returned to his native home, but in 1866 went to Omaha, Neb., and fitted out a wagon-train with general merchandise, and made a trip to Virginia City. He, with a number of others, constructed a fleet of seventeen flatboats at the foot of Yellowstone Falls, which they freighted with passengers and took to Sioux City. In the spring of 1867 he came to Missouri and purchased the land on which he now lives. On January 11, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Irene Thompson, daughter of Michael Thompson, a native of Pennsylvania, who immigrated to Missouri in 1856. Irene was born in PA., on December 30, 1847. Two sons have blessed their marriage, viz.: Julian, born December 11, 1870, and William H., born May 6, 1872.