Tully was born in
Henderson County, Tennessee, on March 21, 1829. When he was nine years old, Tully moved to
Arkansas with his father, who settled in
Phillips County in 1838. Tully attended public and private schools, graduating from Reell's Academy in 1849. At the age of 21, Tully briefly moved to
Texas, though returned to Arkansas, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. He returned to Texas in 1853 before moving to
California that same year, where he engaged in mining. Tilly settled in
Gilroy, California, on May 2, 1858. He studied law. ==Career==