Andrew Steele Fulton

Andrew Steele Fulton (September 29, 1800 – November 22, 1884) was a nineteenth-century congressman, lawyer, and judge from Virginia. A member of the Whig Party representing Virginia for one term in the United States House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. He was the brother of John H. Fulton, with whom he was closely associated both personally and professionally.

Fulton was born on September 29, 1800, near Waynesboro, Augusta County, Virginia. He attended local common schools in his youth and later pursued higher education at Hampden–Sydney College, a prominent institution in Virginia. After college, he studied law in Staunton, Virginia, reading law in the office of Briscoe Baldwin, a well-known lawyer and later a judge. Fulton was admitted to the bar in 1825, marking the beginning of a long legal career in the Commonwealth.

In 1826, Fulton commenced the practice of law in Abingdon, Virginia, where he formed a partnership with his brother, John H. Fulton. Two years later, in 1828, he moved to Wytheville, Virginia, which became the principal base of his professional and public life. That same year he married Sarah “Sallie” M. Kincannon, with whom he had nine children. Fulton steadily built his legal reputation and became prosecuting attorney of Wythe County, a role that underscored his standing in the local bar and his involvement in public affairs.

Fulton’s political career at the state level developed alongside his legal practice. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates as the representative for Wythe County, serving terms in 1840 and again in 1845. In these years he participated in state legislative deliberations at a time of growing sectional tension and economic change in Virginia. His service in the House of Delegates helped establish his credentials as a Whig and prepared him for national office.

As a member of the Whig Party representing Virginia, Fulton was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 and served one term in the Thirtieth Congress from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1849. During his time in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, which included debates over the Mexican–American War and the expansion of slavery into new territories. Fulton served as chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions from 1847 to 1849, overseeing matters related to pensions for disabled veterans and their families. He was not a candidate for reelection at the end of his term and returned to Virginia to resume his legal career.

After leaving Congress, Fulton continued to practice law and soon moved into the judiciary. He served as judge of the fifteenth judicial circuit of Virginia from 1852 to 1869, presiding over a wide range of civil and criminal cases through the tumultuous years leading up to, during, and following the American Civil War. His long tenure on the bench reflected both his legal expertise and the confidence placed in him by the legal community and the public.

In addition to his legal and judicial work, Fulton was engaged in agricultural and industrial pursuits. In 1852, he and his wife purchased land near Austinville, in Wythe County, where they built a farmhouse and established a family residence. He operated a leadworks facility that, by 1860, produced approximately US$9,000 worth of lead products, an important contribution to the regional economy and, during the Civil War era, a strategically significant commodity. He also ran a farm that produced corn and wheat, diversifying his interests beyond the law and judiciary. Fulton sold the farm in 1875, gradually withdrawing from active business life in his later years.

Andrew Steele Fulton died on November 22, 1884, near Austinville, Virginia. He was interred in the family cemetery by the New River near Austinville. His life encompassed service as a lawyer, legislator, congressman, and judge, and he remained closely tied to the communities of southwestern Virginia throughout his long career.