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November 4th, 2009, 11:29 PM

FORT FULTON,
A SEMINOLE INDIAN WAR FORT,
FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY William M Jones Jacksonville, Florida October 28, 1983

A Map Showing the Site of Fort Fulton, an Indian War Fort.

FORT FULTON, A SEMINOLE INDIAN WAR FORT,FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA
According to Charles H. Coe,
( Charles H. Coe, Red Patriots: The Story of the Seminoles, A Facsimile Reproduction of the~~IS98 Edition with an (http://books.google.com/books?id=IGfXAAAAMAAJ&ots=fQbCBjuizh&dq=Charles%20H.%20Coe%2C%20Red%20Patriots%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20the%20Seminoles%2C&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
Introduction by Charlton W. Tebeau (Gainesville, Florida, (http://books.google.com/books?id=IGfXAAAAMAAJ&ots=fQbCBjuizh&dq=Charles%20H.%20Coe%2C%20Red%20Patriots%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20the%20Seminoles%2C&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
1974), p. 266.) (http://books.google.com/books?id=IGfXAAAAMAAJ&ots=fQbCBjuizh&dq=Charles%20H.%20Coe%2C%20Red%20Patriots%3A%20The%20Story%20of%20the%20Seminoles%2C&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
Fort Fulton, was established as a military post on February 21, 1840, on the "right bank of Pellicer Creek." By today's landmarks, the site falls between Pellicer Creek and the Old Kings Road, and West of U. S. Highway One (Figure 1).

At the present time there are no visible signs on the site that would denote early activity, although several excavations may be found, probably the work of relic collectors.
Other evidence relative to a post at Pellicer Creek, may be found in a letter from the Secretary of War to GeneralWalker K. Armistead, dated May 13, 1840:
(2. Clarence Fdwin Carter, The Territorial Papers of the United States, V. XXVI, (Washington, 1962), p. 150.) (http://books.google.com/books?id=2gqIAAAAMAAJ&q=it+will+be+better+to+establish+three+posts&dq=it+will+be+better+to+establish+three+posts&ei=QkbySvn8CI-azQS02vzjAw)

...it will be better to establish three posts

from Dunn's Lake to Peliciers Creek (sic)--one
at Rcwls Town (sic)--one at the creek--and one
between them which will allow Fort Hanson and
Fort Payton to be abandoned. ..
(Figure 2).

It is doubtful the above plan was implemented fully, since, while a Florida map of 1846

( Goldsborough Bruff, The State of Florida, Compiled in the Bureau of Topographical Engineers, (Washington, 1846 (http://www.co.broward.fl.us/library/bienes/lii14011.htm))
Special List No. 29 (http://www.archives.gov/publications/finding-aids/maps/index.html) 176)
Shows Fort Fulton near Pellicer Creek, no other posts appear between that point and Dunn's Lake.
In any case, assuming Coe's date is correct, Fulton would have already been in operation for some
two months before the above letter was received by General Armistead.

In addition to the above evidence of a post near Pellicer Creek, there is also information relative to the presence of Volunteer Troops in the Pellicer Creek area as early as January 1840,or about a month before the time Pulton was said to have been established. He quote from the "Florida Herald/' St.Augustine, Florida, January 17, 1840:

"Can anyone inform us why the mounted Volunteer

Company, ra i sod in this city, and now stationed
at Hewlett's Mill, is weakened by a detail of
ten men subject to the order of the City Council,
and kept in town idle."

The "Hewlett's Mill" mentioned in the above news item was the site of the 18th century sawmill built by "John Hewitt,"a citizen of St. Augustine during the British Period.

(4.William M. Jones, A British Period Sawmill, Published in El Escribano, The St. Augustine Historial Society, V. 18, (http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/DLData/NF/NF00000118/file11.pdf)
(St. Augustine, 1981), p. 84.) (http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/DLData/NF/NF00000118/file11.pdf) A British Period Water Sawmill (http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=fhp;idno=NF00000118;sid=91aa7f25e06938ef7fed755dd30d3a37;rgn=full%20text;cc=fhp;node=NF00000118%3A11;a=45;view=section;pdf=%2FDLData%2FNF%2FNF00000118%2Ffile11.pdf)

This site is located some 1500 feet Southwest of the place where Fort Fulton was established later (Figure 1).

At this point, there appears to be some confusi on regarding the similarity of the names "Hewitt" and "Hewlett." Quite likely, the name Hewlett became attached to the mill site and surroundi ng area, because a "John Hewlett" did, in fact, own the mill site during the 1830's.
Hewitt and Hewlett were not related and belonged to different periods of time.

As stated earlier in this report, several excavations appear on the site of Fort Fulton, pointing to the activities of relic collectors. These people have been credited with the removal of military artifacts including

a cache of ISO musket shot;

a brass butt plate from a firearm;

and a number of military and pewter buttons.

These materials, along with others not reported, are now scattered about the State, and it would be next to impossible to compile an accurate list of these recovered iterm. In any case, these artifacts point to the former existence of a military post of the early 19th century at this location. Apparently,Fort Fulton was not a very active military post since a number of publications related to the Seminole Indian War failed to mention the place. Quite likely, it was established near Pellicer Creek in order to "protect" the Kings Road, located about 800 feet to the South, and was probably manned by Volunteer troops rather than regulars.

Whatever its purpose at this point, a Florida map shows Fulton near Pellicer Creek as late as 1846. Also the military objects discovered on the site should indicate it was occupied for some time.
How the fort acquired its name is not clear, but there is the possibility it would have been named in honor of either Captain William M, Fulton, or William S. Fulton, a public official,both of whom were on the miliary scene during that period of time.