by Michael D. Wynne
One noted local historian said in 2016 that the surviving information on Fulton was scant, and even worst, no longer even available for several reasons, including the multiple burnings of the city of Alexandria in the 19th century. Happily, he was thoroughly wrong- there is a “ton” of information out there on Fulton, if you know how to look for it and if you are willing to make the effort to find it. In fact, this writer just published what I feel is my magnum opus of books, 300 pages on the strange and unsettling life of Alexander Fulton entitled, “For The Admiration of Men and Angels …” The Life And Crimes of Alexander Fulton.” Obviously, I can only touch on his incredible story in this column, but I encourage you to learn the TRUTH about him and who the citizens of Alexandria and Pineville have honored with 11 historical markers, 2 streets, 2 hotels, a city park, a bridge and innumerable glorifying historical writings, many false, about him.
Fulton has been portrayed for over 150 years with a biography that he never had. When you read his whole story or hear one of my public talks about him, you will learn that he was a man who was actually on the run from the law, facing execution, when he came to Cenla.
Fulton’s origins have always been clouded and sometimes made up. A native of Coldingham, Scotland in 1762, he was an only child. Likely, his parents died young and he was forced to become an Indentured Servant in coming to America. He soon escaped his Master in his youth in America and moved to far western Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Fulton appears to have served under Washington as a servant towards the end of the Revolutionary War, but he also aided and abetted the Tories (American colonists who supported the British in the War). Court-marshaled, found guilty and sentenced to death, Washington pardoned him with a warning due to his age of 15 in 1777 and he was released.
Fulton eventually became a major whiskey distiller and involved in the Whiskey Rebellion fighting against the liquor excise tax. In a letter from Alexander Hamilton to Washington in October 1794, Hamilton advises that Fulton is on the run trying to avoid capture and being executed. Fulton wrote an impassioned lengthy letter to Washington begging mercy, but refused to say where he was hiding and was turned down. (Fulton eventually received general amnesty after living in Cenla for a year.) While on the run with other rebels like William Miller and David Bradford, they all ended up in Spanish Louisiana territory, with Fulton and Miller combining forces from 1798 to 1801 running a trading post here (near where the AMOA is now located). (Note also that Washington County, Pa. has annual re-enactments and festivals on the Whiskey rebellion highlighting what Fulton and others did back then.)
Obtaining an exclusive contract from Spain to sell merchandise to the local Indians, Fulton deceived the Indians repeatedly in deals supplying unlimited credit, over-priced merchandise as well as getting the Indians drunk on homemade Taffia (rum) to have them sign away their lands. Fulton literally forced the Indians to give up all of their lands and move away towards Texas. Though repeatedly brought up on charges of deceiving the Indians, Fulton was able to keep most of his lands using sophisticated political maneuvering.
Fulton, in rapid succession in the early 1800s, became Alexandria’s first Coroner, first Postmaster, and first Territorial Representative. But most importantly, he developed the land that now makes up what is downtown Alexandria. Fulton had the land surveyed and platted in 1805 into 81 city blocks, two of which would be public squares. This would cause a shift in population from Pineville to Alexandria and soon made Alexandria the parish seat of government. The two public squares were the old courthouse site along the river, no longer public property, and the square where the city court, fire station, water tower and genealogical library are located.
Fulton married Mary Henrietta Wells and had at least 7 children including Alexander Fulton Jr. (1800- 1802/3). Alexander Jr. was Fulton’s beloved first son whom he even bought hundreds of acres of land for when Jr. was only 8 months old. Fulton even named the City of Alexandria after his deceased son- a definitive fact!
Fulton had a magnificent 2 story home along Bayou Boeuf where Governor Claiborne once held an important meeting in 1806 to help thwart the Aaron Burr conspiracy. Fulton died in the fall of 1816 leaving behind much wealth, but also almost 20 enslaved human beings to be auctioned off.
Fulton is buried with his son, Alexander Jr., in sadly no longer marked graves next to Henrietta on the gentle hill in Old Rapides Cemetery in Pineville.
What kind of person do you think Fulton is?
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