Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/79

 FELLOWS

FELTON

and in 188G he accepted the presidency of St. John's college, Annapolis, Md. Dr. Fell received the degree of LL.D. from Hampden-Sidney col- lege, Va., and that of Ph.D. from St. John's col- lege in 1889.

FELLOWS, John, soldier, was born iu Pom- fret, Conu., in 1733. He was an officer in the colonial wars agiiinst the French and Indians and a delegate to the Massacliusetts provincial congress in 177.5. He joined the Continental army at Cambridge, Mass., in 1776, as colonel of a regi- ment of minute men, recruited in western Massa- chiisett's. He was made a brigadier-general June 2.'5, 1776, and led his brigade at the battles of Long Island, White Plains and Bemis Heights, Sara- toga, and was among the prominent conunanders of the American army at the surrender of Biu'- goyne. He was later made sheriff of Berkshire county. He dieil in Slieffield, Mass., Aug. 1, 1808.

FELLOWS, John R., representative, was born in Troy, N. Y., July 29, 1832. His father removed about 1837 to a farm in Saratoga county, where the son spent his summers in farm work and the short winters at the district school. He went to Camden, Ai'k., in 1850 to work for his uncle, a merchant there. Here he studied law in the office of Judge Stith and with the help of private tutors advanced himself in English and the clas- sics. He was ailmitted to the bar in 1855 and prac- tised in Camden with Walter L. Bragg as his law partner, and on the circuit. He joined the Na- tive American party, and in 1860 was elector for the state at large on the Bell and Everett ticket, canvassing the entire state and acquiring a repu- tation as an eloquent campaign orator. He joined the Confederate army in 1861 as a private in the 1st Arkansas regiment and was rapidly promoted, gaining for his action at Shiloh and in the battles around Corinth, the rank of colonel. He was a member of the besieged garrison at Port Hudson, La., and after holding out two months he helped to arrange the terms of capitulation and carried the flag of truce, preceding the sur- render. He was not exclianged and on being re- leased from the Federal prison, June 10, 1865, returned to Camden, Ark., and resumed the prac- tice of law. He was elected to the state senate, was a delegate to the Democratic national con- vention of 1868 in New York citj-, and at the personal request of the Democratic nominee for the presidency he remained in New York and took part in the ])olitical canvass, which he ex- tended to several of the neigliboring northern states. He then engaged in the practice of law in New York city and became a prominent figure in local politics. He was assistant district attor- ney of New York city, 1869-72. 1882-87, and dis- trict attorney, 1888-91. He represented the sixth district of New York in the 52d congress, 1891-

93. He was a leader in the councils of Tammany Hall, was again elected district attorney in 1893, and continued in that office imtil his death, wliich occurred in New York citj', Dec. 7, 1896.

FELLOWS, Samuel McGaffey, educator, was born in North Sandwicli, N.U., Nov. 13, 1818; son of Steplien and Peggy (McGaffey) Fellows; grandson of Stephen and Hannah (Sargent) Fel- lows, and a descendant of William Fellows, who came from England to America about 1635 and settled in Ipswich, Ma.ss. He was a teacher in Rock River seminar}', Mt. Morris, 111., 1843-.53; principal of Iowa conference seminar}', afterward Cornell college, 1833-75; professor of Latin lan- guage and literature there, 1857-59; president of Cornell college aod a trustee of that in.stitution, 1860-63, and professor of mental and moral science, 1859-63. He received the degree of A.M. from Wesleyan and Indiana Asbury, 1853. He died in Moimt 'Vernon, Iowa, Jime 26, 1863.

FELT, Joseph Barlow, historian, was born in Salem. Mass., Dec. 22. 1789. He was graduated from Dartmouth iu 1S13, was Ucensed to preach by the Congregational society in 1815 and held pastorates at Sharon and Hamilton Mass. , 1831- 34. In April, 1836, he was commissioned by Gov- ernor Everett to classify and bind the archives of the state of Massachusetts, finishing the task in 1846, meanwhile securing from the English archives duplicates of records that had been lost. He was librarian of the Massachusetts historical society, 1842-58, was corresponding, resident and honorary member of the New England historic, genealogical society, 1845-69, and its president. 1850-53, and a member of other historical organ- izations. The degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Dartmouth in 1856. His publica- tions include: Annals of Salem (1827; 2d ed., 2 vols., 1845-49): History uf Ipswich, Essex and Jlam- iltOH (1833); Historical Account of JUassachusetts Currency (1839); memoirs of Hoger Conant (1848) Hiigli Peters (1851) and William S. iSJiaw (1852) Genealogical Items for Gloucester and Lynn (1850- 51); Ecclesiastical History of New England (2 vols, 185.5-63). He died at Salem, Sept. 8, 1869.

FELTON, Charles N., senator, was boi-n in Erie comity. New York, in 1832. He attended the public schools and in 1849 went to the California gold fields. He was jiaid §500 for watching a hay- stack for a month, shotgim in hand, to repel ma- rauders, and with this sum he established a mining-camp store in San Francisco. In a few months lie made S3000 from the sale of pickles to the miners as a palliative for scurvy. At one time he owned a part of the famous Comstock lode and sold his share and that of Iiis partners for 8190,000. He was under sheriff of Yuba county 1857, first assistant U.S. treasurer, and then treasurer of the mint at San Francisco six