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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" background="044c8982esnpes.jpg"> <div> The life and times of </div> <bR> <div> <B>James Jackson Fulton</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>1780-1869</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#CCCC66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003300" FACE="Arial" ><B>James Jackson Fulton</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#006633" FACE="Arial" > </FONT> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#003300" FACE="Arial" ><B> |    </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#006600" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="James Jackson Fulton"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 2"><U>Page 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 3"><U>Page 3</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 4"><U>Page 4</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 5"><U>Page 5</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 6"><U>Page 6</U></A>   |   <B>Page 7</B>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 8"><U>Page 8</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="045f0030.gif" border=0 width="496" height="3" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Page 7</div> <div>      Much might be said here but we pass to another point in his history along in the early fifties.  The slavery question was a great source of annoyance and very much agitated and the passage of that and disgraceful law.  Known as the fugutive slave law only intensified the already hatred controversy and the subject of slavery now absorbed all others.  One of its provisions, every good citizen was commanded to aid in the arrest of fugitives.  This was especially to the north and disturbances invisible arose where ever attempts were made to restore runaways to their masters.  A great many of them escaped to Canada where they enjoyed that God given right, Freedom.  Fulton's house was always open to those fugitives and as he and his son J. J . were conductors on what was known ''as the under ground Rail Road" he had a goodly number of callers.<IMG SRC="06c90300.gif" border=0 width="400" height="304" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  The writer knows of eleven of these runaways coming to Fultons on a Saturday eve (those were from Virginia} and he kept them in his barn and fed them over Sabbath and in the early morning very soon after the sabbath was passed, he and his wife arose, prepared breakfast for them, then going to the barn, awakening the fugitives for an early start.  Breakfast and prayers over, Fulton mounted a horse and soon had them on their way to freedom.  One of these was a powerful man, large and bony, weighing over two hundred pounds.  He said many times when his master went to whip him he caught him and held him and by doing so save himself many a severe whipping.  Fulton conducted them across the Clarion River to another officer on the same road.  Always when bidding them good bye at the same time bidding them God's speed.  At other times he had from two to six.  At one time several come about midnight.  He and his wife arose, kindled a fire and got them their supper and J. J. went to the field, got a horse and conducted them to the next station.  When leaving their master they made it a point if possible to get a horse, a piece, and start as early in the night as possible.  They had to do all their traveling under cover of darkness.  This last was merely to give the reader an idea of his strong convictions of right and wrong.  He violated the law of the land by assisting these fugitives to escape from their masters but he felt there was a higher and more binding law which he must obey.</div> <div>   </div> <div>      Time with its onward yet impreceived thread,had left indelible traces on Fulton's family.  His family scattered and he from age, hardships and exposure was necessitated to sell his farm, having lived an active and laborous life it was but meet and proper, that now when old age had overtaken him, he should enjoy ease and rest and quietness.  He then purchased a lot of a few acres, near to where he had been living which gave him employment and made a quiet and pleasant home for the aged couple.  In the fall of 1860 on a quiet sabbath evening after their return from God's house of worship, dinner had been prepared, they had gathered around the table, suddenly the alarm of fire was given, but it was given to late, they got but little saved, all was consumed.  They rebuilt at once.  On the 11th of April 1864 death claimed his partner as his victim as she passed away in peace, leaving strong and bright evidences of her acceptance with God.  Some time after her death his son Robert and wife moved in with him and with whom he lived.  They taking care of the remaining part of his days.  He closed his eyes in death and passed peacefully away on the 10th of February 1869.  </div> <bR> <div> The life of this brief and connected history has ended.  Those hard and trying battles of life which he as a pioneer of his country had to contend were all fought and he willingly yielded up his life, when the summonds of death come for it was only a transition for him from night to day.  When the reward of his hands would be given to him "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from hence forth and forever yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their work do follow them".  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0675e600.gif" border=0 width="94" height="96" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Incidents in Fulton's life as one of the early pioneers of our country were of frequent occurences.  One here may suffice lest I worry the reader.  One pleasant sabbath evening as he and his wife were returning from God's house of worship having received the spiritual bread which was broken to them by the Rev. John Dickey passing along meditating and conversing on the subject to which their minds had been directed by God's servant, a she bear and her two cubs crossed the road first in front of them.  Fulton shouted at, and ran towards them.  A white oak tree was near by.  The cubs being frightened by their presence and their noise one of them ascended the tree.  The mother bear with the instinct of her nature takes her position at the root of the tree, seemingly determined at all hazards to defend her off springs.  He thought to drive her from her position by stoning her but soon did he discover his mistake.  For as he hurled the missiles at her thick and fast as she set on her haunches by the trunk of the tree, her huge jaws came together like a great steel trap, seeing he was disappointed, he was never less determined to secure the cub up the tree.  He proposed to his wife to stay and keep the cub up the tree and he would hasten home for his gun and dogs.  He started leaving that brave woman to keep watch over the bear till he would return.  All this consumed time and when he returned it was too dark to see to shoot.  The dogs soon took to foot and drove the mother bear from her strong position and ran her down past his house frightening the children, now having crossed to the tree, his only and last resort was to climb.  He did so but when up he had no weapon with which to knock the cub off the tree, he then twisted a limb off the tree and then twisted the limbs off this (for being so tuff it would not break) .  With this he clubbed the cub till it fell down.  He then descended the tree realizing that he was master of the situation, shouldered the cub and in the twilight of the sabbath returned home with his prize.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 6"><U>Page 6</U></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#003300" FACE="Arial Black" >     </FONT><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Page 8"><U>Page 8</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>