Biography of Colonel William H. Fulkerson

The Fulkerson Mansion & Farm Museum
Jerseyville, Illinois

Colonel William H. Fulkerson
1834 - 1919

This photo of Colonel Fulkerson with his grandson William
is located in the front entrance hallway of the mansion

William H. Fulkerson (photo left) was born September 9, 1834 in Clairborne County, Tennessee. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and one of his instructors was Robert E. Lee. In 1857, after two years at West Point, Fulkerson resigned from the Academy to become a regular soldier and go west with the army to the Utah Territory to quell an alleged Mormon rebellion, which consisted of incidents of Mormon defiance to federal authority. The “Mormon Rebellion” was short lived and after that affair Fulkerson found a job with Russell, Majors, and Waddell, the famous freight company where he drove a six-mule wagon team between St. Joseph, Missouri and California. When the company got the government contract in April of 1860 to carry the mail between St. Joseph and California, he signed up as one of their Pony Express riders. The Pony Express lasted only a year and a half but Fulkerson stayed out West to help survey the Nebraska Territory, which at the time also included Montana and Wyoming.

When the Civil War started Fulkerson returned to Tennessee and after helping form a militia unit in Clairborne County, he was elected Captain of his unit. In July of 1862 this unit was designated Company A, 63rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment and Fulkerson was promoted to Major. He was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga at Snodgrass Hill on September 5, 1803 and his brother-in-law's horse, Great Britain, is credited with saving his life by returning him safely to nearby Rogersville. Fulkerson and the 63rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment also saw action as part of the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee in 1864. It was during this period that Fulkerson was promoted to Lt. Colonel, the highest rank that he would achieve. The 63rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment was one of the units of the Army of Northern Virginia that surrendered with Lee at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

After the Civil War, the Colonel and his wife, Cornelia, to the Jerseyville area and began the farm known as Hazel Dell. Fulkerson prospered as a farmer and as a breeder of Short-Horn cattle. In addition to his farming activities Fulkerson was President of the Illinois State Board of agriculture for several years, a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, General Manager of the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad, Vice President of the First National Bank of Jerseyville, a Judge of the County Court of Jersey Count, and held many other offices, both state and local. One of the honors that Colonel Fulkerson received was a Grand Army of the Republic Testimonial given at a special meeting held May, 10, 1989, when local Union veterans endorsed Fulkerson as “a proper person” to raise a regiment of Illinois volunteers for service in the Spanish American War. Fulkerson died December 3, 1919 at Hazel Dell at the age of 85 and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Jerseyville.

(If possible a short biography of Cornelia Russell Fulkerson here.)

Great Britain
The Horse That Saved the Colonel's Life

(photo of the oil painting of Great Britain to be placed here) The story that has been handed down through generations of the Fulkerson family is that Joseph Russell, Fulkerson’s brother-in-law, was riding Great Britain in the Battle of Chickamauga when he was shot and killed. At the same time, Fulkerson had been shot off his horse and wounded in the leg. As Fulkerson lay there, he recognized Great Britain and called to him. Great Britain responded by coming to Fulkerson's side, whereupon Fulkerson mounted Great Britain and took off so fast that the Union troops could not shoot Fulkerson off the horse or chase him down. Great Britain returned Fulkerson safely to nearby Rogersville, Tennessee where he recovered from his wounds.

Great Britain accompanied Fulkerson and his family to Hazel Dell near Jerseyville. A frequent visitor to Hazel Dell was Cornelia’s nephew Charles Russell who later gained fame as the “Cowboy Artist.” Russell learned to ride on Great Britain and always paid his respects to “Old Brit” on subsequent visits. Great Britain was held in such high regard that when he died in 1888 he was buried under the buckeye trees in the front pasture.