Driftwood in Hays County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Camp Ben McCulloch No. 946 United Confederate Veterans

Texas Historical Reclamation Project, November 7, 2025

1. Camp Ben McCulloch No. 946 United Confederate Veterans Marker

This marker was cleaned and repainted by Texas Historical Reclamation Project on 11/7/2025.

Inscription. Hays County Confederate veterans and their families gathered for a reunion in the summer of 1896 and formally organized the Camp Ben McCulloch Chapter of the United Confederate Veterans. The gathering took place near this site at the Martin Spring and campsite on Onion Creek. The reunion grounds were purchased by the organization in 1904 and have continued as the site of the annual reunion with the exception of one year during World War I.

The first commander of Camp Ben McCulloch was Capt. Martin Luther Reed. Other officers elected at the first meeting were Jacob C. Quick, W.M. Weaver, W.W. Davis, W.T. Chapman, Dr. J.M. Pound, and Santa Anna Cruze. The camp was named for Confederate General Ben McCulloch, also a veteran of the Texas Revolution, who died in the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 1862.

The reunion grounds and other responsibilities were transferred to the care of the Confederate Sons after Burl Nash, the last veteran in the county, died in 1947 at age 108. The Sons in turn deeded the camp to the grandsons and other descendants of the Confederate veterans. Reunions continue to be held, illustrating the ongoing impact of the Civil War on Texas history. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986

Erected 1986 by Texas Historical Commission

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. (Marker Number 10248.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 30° 7.868′ N, 98° 0.838′ W. Marker is in Driftwood, Texas, in Hays County. It is on Farm to Market Road 1826 0.2 miles west of Farm to Market Road 967, on the left when traveling west. Marker is on pullout near entrance to park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18301 FM Road 1826, Driftwood TX 78619, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Hill Country

and in the Austin Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Driftwood Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); Driftwood Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.2 miles away); Driftwood Cemetery (approx. 1.2 miles away); William B. Travis Heritage Trail (approx. 1.2 miles away); Elsner (approx. 5.1 miles away); Phillips Cemetery (approx. 5.1 miles away); First Baptist Church of Dripping Springs (approx. 6.1 miles away); Dr. Joseph M. Pound (approx. 6.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Driftwood.

Photographed by Richard Denney, March 13, 2016

2. Camp Ben McCulloch No. 946 United Confederate Veterans Marker

Photographed by Richard Denney, March 13, 2016

3. Onion Creek

The camp is located on the banks of Onion Creek

Campsite among ancient oaks along Onion Creek image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Richard Denney, March 13, 2016

4. Campsite among ancient oaks along Onion Creek

Photographed by Richard Denney, March 13, 2016

5. Camp Ben McCulloch No. 946 United Confederate Veterans Marker

Small plaque at bottom reads:
Camp Ben McCulloch
18301 FM 1826
Built in 1904
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior

Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2016, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,552 times since then and 108 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 11, 2025, by Texas Historical Reclamation Project of Austin, Texas. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 15, 2016, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.