John R. Fellows facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John R. Fellows
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| New York County District Attorney | |
| In office 1888–1890 |
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| Preceded by | Randolph B. Martine |
| Succeeded by | De Lancey Nicoll |
| In office 1894–1896 |
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| Preceded by | De Lancey Nicoll |
| Succeeded by | Vernon M. Davis (acting) |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office March 4, 1891 – December 31, 1893 |
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| Preceded by | Charles H. Turner |
| Succeeded by | Lemuel E. Quigg |
| Constituency | 6th district (1891–93) 14th district (1893) |
| Member of the Arkansas Senate | |
| In office 1866-1867 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1832 Troy, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 7, 1896 (aged 64) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Trinity Church Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
John R. Fellows (born July 29, 1832 – died December 7, 1896) was an American lawyer and politician. He was born in New York and later lived in Arkansas. Fellows held important jobs in government. He served as the top prosecutor for New York County (the New York County District Attorney) twice, from 1888 to 1890 and again from 1894 to 1896. He was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New York from 1891 to 1893.
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Early Life and Education
John R. Fellows was born in Troy, New York. His parents were Tisdale Eddy Fellows and Eliza (Harris) Fellows. His father was a farmer. Later, his father became the Superintendent of the Halfmoon Cemetery.
His family moved to a farm in Stillwater, which is in Saratoga County, New York. A part of Stillwater is now the city of Mechanicville. John went to local country schools there.
Starting a Law Career
In 1850, when he was about 18, Fellows moved to Camden, Ouachita County, Arkansas. He went to live with his uncle. While in Camden, he studied law. He passed his law exams and became a lawyer in 1855. For a time, he worked with another lawyer named Walter L. Bragg.
Political Beginnings in Arkansas
John R. Fellows became active in politics. In 1860, he ran to be a presidential elector. He supported the Constitutional Union Party candidates, John Bell and Edward Everett. However, Arkansas voted for a different candidate, John C. Breckinridge.
In 1861, he was a delegate to the state's secession convention. This convention decided if Arkansas would leave the United States.
Service in the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Fellows joined the Confederate States Army. He was part of the 1st Arkansas Infantry. After a major battle called the Battle of Shiloh, he was promoted to colonel. He then worked as an assistant to General William Beall.
Later, he became an inspector general at Port Hudson, Louisiana. He was captured there on July 9, 1863. He remained a prisoner of war until the war ended. He was released on June 10, 1865. After the war, he went back to practicing law in Camden.
Arkansas State Senator
From 1866 to 1867, John R. Fellows served as a member of the Arkansas Senate. This is part of the state's government. On July 4, 1867, he married Lizzie Reynolds. They had six children together.
Moving to New York Politics
In 1868, Fellows was a delegate at the 1868 Democratic National Convention. This big meeting was held in New York City. At the convention, he was noticed by William M. Tweed, a powerful political leader from Tammany Hall. Tweed was impressed by Fellows's speaking skills.
Tweed encouraged Fellows to move to New York City. Fellows did so, continuing his law practice there. He also began working for the Tammany political organization.
Working for Tammany Hall
In 1868, Tweed helped Fellows get a job as an Assistant Corporation Counsel. Then, in 1869, the District Attorney, Samuel B. Garvin, appointed Fellows as an Assistant New York County District Attorney. He held this job until the end of 1872.
After William M. Tweed's political power declined, Fellows left Tammany Hall. He joined other Democrats in New York City who were against Tammany. These groups were sometimes called the "Young Democracy" or "County Democracy."
Return to District Attorney's Office
Fellows was appointed Assistant District Attorney again in 1882. He worked under several District Attorneys. In November 1887, he was elected as the New York County District Attorney. He ran on both the Tammany and County Democracy tickets. He won against De Lancey Nicoll, who was also a Democrat but ran with Republican support.
During the election, some old letters Fellows had written to Boss Tweed were published. These letters caused some controversy. Fellows served as District Attorney from 1888 to 1890. He chose not to run for re-election in 1890. Instead, he rejoined Tammany Hall and decided to run for Congress. De Lancey Nicoll then became the District Attorney.
Serving in Congress
John R. Fellows was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served in the 52nd and 53rd United States Congresses. His term began on March 4, 1891. He resigned from Congress on December 31, 1893.
Later Political Career
After leaving Congress, Fellows was again elected as the New York County District Attorney. He started his new term on January 1, 1894. He had been a delegate to every Democratic National Convention since 1868.
In 1896, he was a delegate to the 1896 Democratic National Convention. However, he disagreed with the party's choice for president, William Jennings Bryan, and his "Free Silver" ideas. Fellows then joined a group called the "Gold Democrats." In September 1896, he attended another convention in Indianapolis. This convention nominated John M. Palmer and Simon Bolivar Buckner for president and vice president.
Death and Legacy
John R. Fellows passed away on December 7, 1896. He died at his home in New York City from stomach cancer. He was buried at the Trinity Church Cemetery.
Sources
- Civil War info
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System at the National Park Service
- FAC SIMILES OF JOHN R. FELLOWS'S LETTERS TO TWEED in NYT on November 5, 1887
- KEEP THEM BEFORE THE PEOPLE.; THE LETTERS JOHN R. FELLOWS WROTE TO WILLIAM M. TWEED in NYT on November 6, 1887
- COL. JOHN R. FELLOWS DEAD in NYT on December 8, 1896
- FUNERAL OF COL. FELLOWS in NYT on December 9, 1896
- BURIAL OF COL. FELLOWS in NYT on December 10, 1896
- Fellows genealogy
