The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-26
FELLOWS Ar FORT DELAWARE.
The Circumstances Under which He
Made His speech There.

Maue His speech There. =
Editor Morning News: 1 see in a recent
issue of your paper a statement that Col
Fellows, while a prisoner at Fort Della
ware, prevented the confederate then
there from taking the oath of allegiance
to the federal government by mounting a
barrel and using his persuasive eloquence
upon them. This statement leads one to
reflect upon the fact that a monstrous
misstatement is often made with a very,
very small grain of truth for a founda-
ton. The confederate officers imprisoned
at Fort Delaware were not made of such
sorry stun as to be anxious to forswear
their allegiance to their government, nor
10 DE moved in such momentous matter
py the eloquence of any one man, how
ever gifted in that way he might be. The
truth OF history requires that a correct
statement of the facts be given.
After the surrender of Gen. Lee, Secre-
tary Stanton issued an order to the COM
manding officer at Fort Delaware, to call
the roll of the officers then imprisoned at
the fort and thereby to ascertain how
many of them were willing to take the
oath of allegiance to the United States
government, with a view to their release
Ihis order provoked very animated dis
cussion among the prisoners. part of them
contending that with the surrender of
Lee the cause for which they had fought
was lost, and that they should follow the
example OF their great leader and become
others contended that Kirby Smith was
stu In the field, and there was yet hope
OF establishing Trans-Mississippi con-
rederacy. Naturally enough, those taking
the latter view WERE for the most part
from those states furthest west, while
me majority of those from Virginia, the
GtIarohnas. Georgia and Florida felt that
there was no hope of their states, at any
rate, adhering to the Lost Cause" as
they then considered it, and indeed that
the surrender of Gen. Kirby Smith would
take place as soon as the news of Lees
surrender should reach him. AS a matter
OF course these took the correct and only
practical view of the situation; but for the
ulne II was not the popular view. The
question was put to each man of the 1000
or more prisoners, and as his name was
called Gale each answered aye or mo-" and
the noes We're in decided majority
and after the roll call was over. they held
q sort of jollification meeting, at which
Cox Fellows and others made speeches
senntthusiastieally applauded at the time
very soon tRereaf teens Col 0 FeIowss
peroatlon was in these words: Take the
oath! No, neverl Suppose they tell me
that must remain here till do; then
here wiz remain till die! Suppose they
Dld :. me mount the scaffold? Then the
SSNAACA0 wall AAAOunt, anu make next
the cross, the emblem of mans redemp-
toni The writer was one of those that
favored the recognizing of the inevitable,
and as he is now also national demo-
crat," he was forcibly reminded of Col
Fellows effort on reading Bryan's
crown Of thorns' climax, both very thrill
ing but lacking solid foundation for with
in ten days after the crowd was electri-
ned by his defiant speech, Col. Fellows
and many others expressing these views
well released on special application, while
the majority of those, who differed with
him, quietly remained in prison till a gem
eral release was ordered some six weeks
later We, at least, escaped the NORTH
cation of asking the privilege of taking
the oath. We knew that. it had to come,
but we did not break our necks in mad
haste to make a special application. Not
that am blaming Col. Fellows or Others
who acted in the same way. Recognizing
that the end had come it made very little
dlmerence about a little sooner, or little
later, but never was there better illus.
tration OF how men may sometimes take
extreme views under the influence of a
mistaken public opinion, than in the incl
dent that, occurred within those prison
walls, which have never, believe, been
before narrated in print.
,u F. A.. Boyle,