USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, vol. II > Part 8
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John Ransom Fuller, of Kent, the eldest son of Captain Revilo Fuller, was a man of sound judgment and was highly esteemed ; was several times elected justice of the peace and to other town
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offices, and was captain of a militia company. Robert Nelson Fuller, another son of Captain Fuller, was a highly esteemed resident of Salisbury, Conn. He held various town offices, among others justice of the peace and judge of probate. Thomas Fuller, another son of Captain Fuller, when young obtained a very thorough common school education, at the same time get- ting a practical knowledge of the manner in which the labor on a New England farm should be performed. But farming was not congenial to his tastes, and he had a strong desire to fit him- self for some profession, and his preference was that of the law. Therefore, in 1823, when nineteen years of age, he arranged to go to Bethany and put himself under the instruction of his brother Amzi, who was a thorough Latin scholar, where he pur- sued his studies until well fitted for practice, and in 1826 was admitted to the courts of Wayne county. He was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county January 7, 1834. He became a very prominent lawyer, and, although in politics was a whig and the majority in his legislative district was two thousand democratic, he was twice in succession elected to the state legislature. His business and popularity continued to increase as long as he lived, so that before his death he was recognized as standing at the head of his profession in Wayne county. He died at Honesdale December 16, 1843. Revilo Fuller, of Sherman, Conn., another son of Captain Fuller, was a man of stalwart frame, fine appear- ance, pleasing in his intercourse with others, and exerted great influence in the community where he resided. He was justice of the peace, town clerk, and treasurer many times, a member of the legislature in 1850, judge of probate in 1858, and post- master. Rebecca Fuller, a daughter of Captain Fuller, married John Torrey, of Honesdale, Pa. He is a son of Major Jason Torrey, who was one of the earliest settlers in northeastern Pennsylvania. Amzi Fuller married, February 10, 1818, Maria Mills, daughter of Philo Mills.
In the seventeenth century three families by the name of Mills resided in Connecticut. First, John Mills, coming from England with Governor Winthrop; second, Lincoln Mills, coming with Captain Newbury to Salem prior to 1635 ; third, Peter Mills, of Dutch origin, and from whom descended families in Windsor,
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Kent, and Torringford. Pieter Wouters Van de Meylyn of Am- sterdam, came from Holland and settled in Windsor. Mrs. Wynkoop, daughter of Isaac Mills, while on a tour around the world with her son, the Rev. Mr. Wynkoop, of Washington, D. C., thus writes from Washington, under date of November 27, 1881 : " Pieter Wouters Van de Meylyn was born in Holland in 1622, and the first record of his name in America was in 1666. His father was a Dutch nobleman, knighted in consequence of improvements which he made in the construction of dikes or canals. While a student in the University of Leydon he fell under his father's displeasure on account of his religious views, was disinherited and, for conscience sake, fled to America, landing in Boston. He was twice married. First, to Dorcas Messinger, born September 23, 1650, died Windsor May 18, 1688; second, to Jane Thamsin, of Hartford, to whom he was married Decem- ber 10, 1691. He had four children, Peter being the eldest. For reasons now unknown he petitioned the colonial legislature to have his name changed to Peter Mills, as appears from the records now preserved at Hartford, but the date is not men- tioned. The family settled in Windsor, where he died; date un- known. The Van de Meylyns in Holland are now, and ever have been, a highly respectable family. Several of its clergymen have been distinguished for piety and good judgment. They think much of their American relatives. The old father in Amster- dam was wealthy, and upon hearing of his death one grandson took out papers to prove his right to a portion of his estate, but the ship and all on board were lost, January 22, 1730. Peter Mills, son of Pieter Wouters Van de Meylyn, or Mills, appears to have been a man of uncommon force of character and emi- nent piety. He married, July 21, 1692, Joanna Porter, daughter of John Porter, a Wealthy landowner of Windsor. The ' Mills farm ' was in Bloomfield, the northerly part of Windsor, a beau- tiful spot commanding an extensive view of valley, hill and river. Until recently the dwelling remained, but a grove of trees still marks the place beside the old homestead once occupied by the pious old Dutchman, our forefather." Peter Mills had nine chil- dren, among whom were Peletiah A. Mills, born 1693, graduated from Yale College and became a lawyer; Rev. Jedediah Mills,
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born 1697, graduated from Yale 1722, became pastor of the church in Ripton, and with him studied the eminent missionary David Brainard; John Mills, born 1707, farmer, one of the first settlers in Kent, Conn., born in Windsor, married Jane Lewis, of Stratford, Conn. She was born in Stratford 1712. He was drowned in the Housatonic river June 7, 1760, aged fifty-three, was selectman at the time of his death, and was superintendent of a bridge. He had carried a woman over and was drowned coming back. Rev. Ebenezer Mills, born 1712, graduated at Yale 1738. Rev. Gideon Mills, born 1715, graduated at Yale 1737. Mr. Mills was once asked " How did you educate four sons at Yale College and give each a profession ?" He replied, "Almighty God did it with the help of my wife." Ruth Mills, granddaughter of Rev. Gideon Mills, married Owen Brown, father of John Brown, " Whose soul is marching on." A sister of Ruth married Mr. Humphrey, father of the president of Am- herst College. John Mills had eight children. His fifth child was Rev. Samuel Mills, who was born May 17, 1743. He was the noted " Uncle Sam " Mills, of Torringford, and father of the missionary, Samuel J. Mills. His sixth child, Jane Mills, mar- ried Rev. Joel Bordwell, minister in Kent, Conn., for over fifty years. His seventh child, Sarah Mills, married Rev. Jeremiah Day, of New Preston, father of President Day, of Yale College. His eighth child was Rev. Edmund Mills, of Sutton, Mass. Lewis Mills, his third child, was born October 18, 1738, in Kent. He was a lieutenant in the army of the revolution. Married Hannah Hall July 26, 1759. She came from the southern part of Connecticut. Her mother's name supposed to be Bradley. Lieutenant Mills died April 4, 1782, in the fourty-fourth year of his age. Mrs. Hannah Mills died April 4, 1804, aged sixty-four, the old Mills homestead, where she lived with her son Philo. Colonel Philo Mills, sixth child of Lieutenant Lewis Mills, was born September 5, 1774, married Rhoda Goodwin, of Torring- ford, Thanksgiving Day evening, November 17, 1797, by Rev. "Uncle Sam" Mills, of Torringford. Rhoda Goodwin was born in Torringford June 4, 1774. The Goodwins came from England. Philo Mills was captain, major, and colonel successively of the the Thirteenth Regiment in the Connecticut Militia. He died
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July 31, 1863, aged eighty-eight. His wife died September 26, 1861, aged eighty-seven. They were married sixty-three years and no death occurred in the family. Maria Mills, the wife of Amzi Fuller, was born April 7, 1799, and died August 24, 1885. She was the eldest child of Philo Mills. Colonel Mills was the great-grand-father of Henry Amzi Fuller, and also of John Slos- son Harding, of the Luzerne bar.
Henry Mills Fuller, son of Amzi Fuller, was born at Bethany June 3, 1820. At the age of fifteen he was sent to the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, to attain and perfect his education, which was pursued with a view of his entrance upon the more trying and intricate study of the law. An early fondness for argument and a peculiar forte as a declaimer induced his parents to train him for the bar. Mr. Fuller remained in Princeton until the year 1838, when he graduated with the highest honors. As a member of the Cliosophic Society of the college, he was se- lected to deliver the Fourth of July and commencement orations, and his brilliant future was then foreshadowed in these collegiate exhibitions. After graduation he commenced reading law under his father's instruction, but soon removed to Wilkes-Barre and pursued his studies in the office of the late George W. Wood- ward, ex-chief justice of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and was admitted to the practice of the law by the courts of Luzerne county January 3, 1842. Mr. Fuller assiduously improved him- self in the practice of the law after his admission and secured a large and remunerative clientage. He took an active part, though never a mere partisan, in support of Taylor and Fillmore in the Rough and Ready canvass of 1848, and at the October election of that year was supported by the whigs of Luzerne county for representative, more as a compliment to his unusual merit than with a hope of securing his election. Mr. Fuller stumped his legislative district and carried it triumphantly by one thousand five hundred majority, against a popular democratic nominee, though Morris Longstreth, the democratic candidate for gov- ernor, had at the same time about eight hundred majority in the county and General Cass near five hundred at the presidential election. It was during this session of the legislature that stren- uous efforts were made and required for appropriations towards
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the completion of the North Branch Canal, and Mr. Fuller, al- though a young member, was selected by those interested in this important project as the champion of their cause in the house of representatives. His speech on this subject was a powerful effort, a master-piece of oratorical rhetoric, replete with statistics and convincing arguments, and to its electrical effect may be at- tributed the successful issue of the effort and the " moving of the waters " which opened to trade and commerce those regions of mineral and agricultural wealth which, without this important improvement, would have long lain unproductive, and dormant. In 1849 the whig state convention conferred on Mr. Fuller the honor of a nomination for canal commissioner, well knowing that his personal popularity would add, strength to their ticket. In this they were not disappointed. In all the counties on the " North Branch " he ran ahead of the Taylor electoral ticket of the year before upwards of two thousand votes, and, not to be deterred in their efforts to overthrow the democracy in one of their strongholds, they again in 1850 presented the name of Mr. Fuller as the whig candidate for congress in the district com- posed of Luzerne, Wyoming, Columbia, and Montour counties, against Hendrick B. Wright, and in the face of three thousand majority in the district, he gallantly carried it and was elected to congress by fifty-nine majority. His election in this instance was contested before the United States house of representatives, where there was a democratic majority of fifty-four. The com- mittee to whom was referred the contested election case reported against him, and, according to custom the contestants were re- spectively heard in their own behalf before the bar of the house. On this occasion Mr. Fuller's oratorical powers overpowered his opponent's, and his brilliant effort sustained him in his seat, which was accorded to him by thirteen majority. This was, indeed, a triumph such as few have ever attained surrounded by so many adverse interests and influences. In 1852 he was nominated by the whigs for re-election, and again canvassed the district with Colonel Wright as the candidate of the democrats, but was de- feated by a meagre majority of about one hundred, though the dis- trict at the presidential election a month afterwards gave General Franklin Pearce three thousand, nine hundred and sixty-eight
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majority. Having thus each been once successful by a close vote in a district largely democratic, both were again marshaled for the contest by their respective parties in 1854, when Mr. Fuller cleared the course by some two or three thousand majority, although William F. Bigler, the democratic candidate for gov- ernor, carried the district at the same election by two thousand, two hundred majority. In 1855, notwithstanding his own wishes and repeated declinations, his ardent admirers and many friends in congress insisted on supporting him for speaker of the house of representatives, and it is to be regretted, with his well earned experience, business talents, and eloquence, that he was not sus- tained irrespective of party predilection and elected to that ele- vated position. The house of representatives at that time was constituted as no other has ever yet been. No party had a ma- jority of its members, while two separate organizations seemed to have. The "Americans" had chosen a majority; so had the " Republicans," or opponents of the policy embodied in the Ne- braska Bill; but the lines of these two organizations ran into and crossed each other. The republicans who were anti "Know Nothing" were perfectly willing to support an anti-Nebraska "American " for speaker; but nearly all the southern "Americans" would support no candidate who was in principle a republican. Thus, there was, in fact, no majority of any party, and a long, bitter, exciting struggle for the organization was inevitable. The contest for the speakership continued for nine weeks. For the first week Mr. Fuller was supported by the Pennsylvania dele- gation with unwavering fidelity with one exception -- that of Mr. Allison. Had the delegation continued for another week unitedly and inflexibly in his support, there remains little doubt that he would have become the rallying point of the moderate and national minded men from all sections. His conduct during the protracted and wearisome struggle commanded the admiration of all who witnessed it. He turned neither to the right nor left, but moved straightforward, boldly and fearlessly avowing his sentiments whenever called upon to do so, caring not a jot whether his so doing would benefit or injure his pros- pects of an election ; but saying every time that he wished not to be in the way of an election, and desiring those who voted for
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him to drop his name whenever they pleased. Honest, fearless, and independent as he was ever known to be by all who knew him, and so universally conceded by those who differed with him, he would not falsify his own convictions and proclaim views inconsistent with them, though by so doing he might have driven Mr. Banks, who was elected, out of the contest and attained the speakership for himself. During the contest, in answer to certain interrogatories, Mr. Fuller explained his position as follows :
Mr. Clerk, I voted for the resolution offered by the gentle- man from Tennessee [Mr. Zollicoffer] yesterday, because I cordi- ally approve of the principle embodied in that resolution. Early in the session I felt it a duty, in justice to myself and to those with whom I had been acting, to declare the opinions I enter- tained and the course of action I should pursue upon certain questions of public policy. I desire to say now, sir, what I be- lieve is known to the majority-if not to all-of those who have honored me with their confidence, that I have been ready at any and all times to withdraw my name from this protracted canvass. I have felt unwilling to stand, or to appear to stand, in the way of any fair organization of this body.
In answer to the specific interrogatories here presented, I say that I do not regard the Kansas and Nebraska bill as promotive of the formation of free states; and I will further say, sir, that I do not believe that it is promotive of the formation of slave states. The second interrogatory relates to the constitutionality of the Wilmot proviso. I was not a member of the congress of 1850, and have never been called upon to affirm or deny the constitu- tionality of the Wilmot proviso.
I have never assumed the position, that "if territorial bills (silent upon the subject of slavery, and leaving the Mexican laws to operate) were defeated, he [I] would vote for a bill with the Wilmot proviso in it." That question relates to the legislative action of the distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Richard- son.] My political existence commenced since that flood. I was not a member of that congress, and having never taken any public position upon that subject heretofore, I am willing, in all frankness and candor, to do so now ; and I do so with great de- ference and respect for those distinguished men who, in times past, have entertained and expressed different opinions. Public history informs us that slavery existed before the constitution, and, in my judgment, now exists independent of the constitution. When the people of the confederated states met by their repre- sentatives in convention, to form that constitution, slavery existed
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in all but one of the states of the confederacy. The people, through their representatives, having an existing and acknowl- edged right to hold slaves, conceded this-the right to prohibit importation-after the year 1808. They made no cession, so far as regarded the existence of domestic slavery. They claimed- and it was granted-the right of reclamation in case of escape. They claimed-and it was granted-the right of representation as an element of political power. And I hold, in the absence of express authority, that congress has no constitutional right to legislate upon the subject of slavery. I hold that the territories are the common property of all the states, and that the people of all the states have a common right to 'enter upon and occupy those territories, and they are protected in that occupation by the flag of our common country ; that congress has no constitutional power either to legislate slavery into, or exclude it from, a terri- tory. Neither has the territorial legislature, in my judgment, any right to legislate upon that subject, except so far as it may be necessary to protect the citizens of the territory in the enjoyment of their property, and that in pursuance of its organic law, as es- tablished by congressional legislation. When the citizens of the territory shall apply for admission into the Union, they may de- termine for themselves the character of their institutions (by their state constitution) ; and it is their right then to declare whether they will tolerate slavery or not, and thus, fairly deciding for themselves, should be admitted into the Union as states without reference to the subject of slavery. The constitution was formed by the people of the states for purposes of mutual advantage and protection. The states are sovereignties, limited only so far as they have surrendered their powers to the general government. The general government, thus created and limited, acts with cer- tain positive, defined, and clearly ascertained powers. Its legis- lation and administration should be controlled by the constitution ; and it cannot justly employ its powers thus delegated to impair or destroy any existing or vested rights belonging to the people of any of the states.
In addition the above he made the following answer to Mr. Barksdale's interrogatories :
Mr. Clerk, I shall answer the questions specifically and directly, reserving to myself the privilege of more full explanation hereafter.
"Are you in favor of restoring the Missouri restriction, or do you go for the entire prohibition of slavery in all the territories of the United States ?"
I am opposed to any legislation upon those subjects, for rea- sons already given.
"Are you in favor of abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia and the United States forts, dock-yards, etc. ?
I am not, sir.
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"Do you believe in the equality of the white and black races in the United States, and do you wish to promote that equality by legislation ?"
I do not, sir. I acknowledge a decided preference for white people.
"Are you in favor of the entire exclusion of adopted citizens and Roman Catholics from office ?"
Mr. Clerk, I think with General Washington-and he is a very high authority-that it does not comport with the policy of this country to appoint foreigners to office to the exclusion of native- born citizens. But I wish to say that I proscribe no man because of his religion; I denounce no man because of his politics. I accord to all the largest liberty of opinion and of expression, of conscience and of worship. I care not, sir, what creed a man may profess ; I care not to what denomination he may belong ; be he Mohammedan, Jew, or Gentile, I concede to him the right to worship according to the dictates of his own judgment. I invade no man's altar, and would not disturb any man's vested rights. Whatever we have been, whatever we are, and whatever we may be, rests between us and heaven. I allow no mortal to be my mediator ; and, judging no man, will by no man be judged. With regard to those of foreign birth, I do not desire to exclude them. I say to them : "Come, enter upon the public lands; occupy the public territory ; build up for yourselves homes, acquire pro- perty, and teach your children to love the constitution and laws which protect them ; " but I do say that in all matters of legisla- tion, and in all matters of administration, Americans should govern America.
"Do you favor the same modification of the tariff now that you did at the last session of congress ?"
I was not a member of the last congress; and all that I would now ask upon the subject of the tariff is, " to be let alone."
In 1856, for the convenience of giving more attention to some matters of business with which he was entrusted, he removed to Philadelphia, and continued to reside there until his death. He was one of the foremost in developing the coal and iron interests of this region. Probably no person had done more for that in- terest in the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys than he, and he also had large investments in the great Montour Iron Works, at Danville, which continued until the time of his death. In 1860 it was generally conceded that Mr. Fuller would be the nominee for vice president of the constitutional union party, but he would not permit his name to be used for that position, as he conceded that Edward Everett, who had done so much for the ladies of the
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Union towards purchasing the home of Washington, had greater claims than he, and Mr. Everett was accordingly nominated. Mr. Fuller was a member of the union national central execu- tive committee, in the same year chairman of the constitutional union state executive committee of Pennsylvania and candidate for congress in the Second district of Pennsylvania. He was, of course, defeated with the rest of his ticket. He died December 26, 1860. The Luserne Union, of Wilkes-Barre, a newspaper always politically opposed to him, in speaking editorially of his death, said :
"Probably no one could have been removed from us whose loss would have been more deeply felt. His kindness of heart, his noble nature-generous to a fault, and never known to do a mean act-his fine talents, his large business relations, all con- spired to endear him to our people, and a large circle of friends from one end of the Union to the other. We can hardly be rec- onciled that one so loved, so full of hope and promise and use- fulness, in the noontide of life and of success, should be stricken down when so many are left to whom death would be a relief from the troubles and sufferings of old age and decrepitude. But we must bow to 'the will of Him who doeth all things well.'"
He left seven children to survive him. His eldest daughter married Charles E. Rice, president judge of Luzerne county, and the next oldest, George Reynolds Bedford, of the Luzerne bar. John Torrey Fuller, his youngest son, who was educated at La Fayette College, Easton, Pa., had a remarkable talent for drawing. His topographical map of the college grounds was sent by the col- lege for exhibition at the centennial exhibition in 1876. He grad- uated the same year with the highest honors of his class. Taking a post graduate course he received the degree of civil and mining engineer, and was connected with the state geological survey of Pennsylvania, with a residence and office in Philadelphia, where he died January 22, 1880, of pneumonia. He was also for a time principal of the Dallas Academy, in this county.
The wife of Henry Mills Fuller and mother of Henry A. Ful- ler is Harriet Irwin Fuller (nce Tharp). Her father was Michael Rose Tharp, of Philadelphia, who came with his father's family from Ireland prior to 1800. In the early years of this century he was an agent for the Pennsylvania land-holders in Bradford
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