Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-01-16
War History.
A Memoir Of Col. John S. Fulton.
FOf the Faystterills Observe.

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trust almost entirely to memory
1t has been nearly seventeen
years since John Fulton came
to our camp near Bowling
Greene, Kentucky. You viii
pardon me for using the familiar
expression John Fulton, when
tell you about the man and how
we loved him. Our regiment
had been organized some six
weeks before at Camp Trous-
dale.
Many of US had Known him
in private life and were some
what surprised at his coming
to our regiment, knowing his
worth and ability to fill positions
of rank and influence, but he
came to US and joined as a
private soldier and served as
such until after the Shiloh fight.
Our surprise was not at the
act of John Fulton, but at the
State authorities in permitting
him to take such an humble pc
sition. Our regiment was UNI
pretentious, but of solid charac-
ter, and at that time was un-
known only in number. Tie
question has been often asked,
why has there been nothing said
or written of John Fulton? The
only reason | Know is that his
friends have never felt able to
present as they felt and knew he
descrseds. | have often taken my
pen to do this. but when / came
to think of him as lie was my
pen would fall.
At the battle Of Shiloh tie
4 It'll and 55th Tennessee reoi-
ments were SO decimated that
the chief officer in reorganizing
the army after the engagement,
ordered the consolidation of reg
iments; the result of this order
was the consolidation Of these
regiments.
But before | give the history
of reorganization | will give an
incident that occurred on Sun
day during the battle. W. F..
Mcdaniel came to me in tie af-
ternoon and presented an En-
field rifle, asked me if | knew it;
| told him | thought it was john
Fulton's; he said yes, it is; dress
my wound, | am going back ard
kill as many Yankees as | can
with his gun for their killing him.
Mcdaniel returned to the battle.
but to all our JOY, We found
next day that Fulton was not
dead; in TIE struggle lhroug
the brush he had been scpa q
led from his companions. Nc
Daniel had found an Enfield
hat some Fcdcrals had lost and
as Fulton had the only ono iii
our regiment and it Icing the
only one many Of rs had eve:
seen at that time, and this be-
ing found on the ground that
our regiment had fought over,
he conclusions Of Mcdaniel
and myself were quite natural.
The feelings manifested by Nc
Daniel on this occasion were
4liarcd by every man in the reg
ncnt that kEcw Fulton.
Allie consolidation our Brig
ldirr-Gcncral A. A. Wood, ar
rogatcd TO himself the right to
field officers 10 COM
mand The regiment; and APP
pointed an Arkansas man Col
onel named Kelly; John L.
Melvin, Lieutenant Colonel;
Henry Ewing, Major; John
Fulton was elected Captainof a,
Il Lincoln county company. Col.
Kelly was we'll qualified 10
command and was q good Off
Ger, but VIC were Tennesseeans
and we soon made Gen. Wood
and Col. Kelly know that We
we've going to be led by Ten
ncssecans or not at all. C,l.
Kelly was removed and John
:. Fulton elected Colonel; that
restored harmony TO the Iegi-
ment. He led his regiment in
TO the thickest of Tie fight at
Perryville where many, perished
N The meadow i'll front of the
burning barn.
At Murfreesboro he led his
men over batteries supported by
infantry; his regiment was the