The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-01-14

by his fellow cadets, was brother Of MAJ W. W.
Bell OF Chicago and an uncle Of Lillian Bell the
writer. When Lillian Bell wrote her story "rhe
Under Side of Things with its pathetic ending she
wove the tale about the career of her uncle Lieut.
Bell, and gave to the story the denth of na+bo.
that truth compelled.
One of James E. Bells classmates at West Point
once said that when fighting with an.
other man he had something to grapple with, but
that when man fighting disease the disease
did all the graphing You can't wound a disease
adversary. Against him parry and thrust are MOTH
ing. Ad]utant-Gen. E. D. Townsend once said that
in all his army he had never known sroh
honors to be paid to subaltern as were Offered ia
the memory Of First Lieut.. James E. Bell. Two
general oroers were issued from headquarters Of
the army, each paying tribute to the devotion ~ ~
young officer Of artillery who had died IN tho ~
Tortugas Of yellow fever.
Fort Jefferson on the Tortugas in August q, tho
year 1873 was garrisoned by Battery M Firs+ 11n,t
ed States artillery Outside of the snrooona +I
was only one officer. Lieut. Bell at the post cant
Langdop had been granted leave of absence - ~
norm TO the bedside of his dying father August 20
yeo" 1eVer appeared at the post Within two DAYS
of the garrison had died Upon the first anno,noaot
OF the OF the scourge Lieut. Bell sent all
women and children and some of the married NJ, ~.
an island three miles away Within q dav ~ +1n :.
sent to the same place nearly all the we'll men ~ tho
garrison retaining only enough to nurse the siclr
mere could nave been no criticism of Bells course had
ne gone Win the garrison leaving sick to tho
OF the surgeons and nurses He stayed and devoted him.
se1 TO the care of the sick in hospital assisted nv
the men who had volunteered.
The heat fearful. There was mt o Mound -. 49,
on the island and Of deaths that followed
a1ter another were due to the lack of this necessity
Ihere were 20 cases of the fever whole DAYS
ana nights continuously the devoted lieutenant the sr
geons and the nurses knew rest With their own
hands they dug the for the dead and with their
own lips repeated over them the burial service
capt Langdon IN the far north heard of the ve1low
FEVER at Fort Jefferson. He instantly relinushed hs
leaVe OF absence and fastened to to his station
some months before the outbreak fever Lieut. Bell
mad put in application detailed as instructor
mlary science at the University Vermont The an
plcaton had been granted and Capt Langdon hurrvnp
south to Join his command carried his pocket the or
der relieving Lieut. Bell from duty Fort Jefferson and
post He called in his first lieutenant and sad II have
here orders transferring Immediately to Vermont
You have done a noble work here There is no reason
why you should stay longer. You have been through
enough of the awful thing. Co."
Bell said: "Captain don't the order IF read
1t suppose shall have to obey simply because II ia
an order You keep it in your pocket until the fever ia
over and then I'll read it and co."
Langdon shook hands with him.
Bell went on with his work In a few davs no fo1+
the hot hand OF the scourge his brow He went tn
his tent pulled his little camp table and wrote an oA
clal letter to the assistant adjutan at
tiers of the Department of the Gulf Holly Springs Miss
1t was long letter. covering many pages There was in
Bells heart that day the he might die and
leave undone anact of duty to Others He cherished the
thought of the loyalty of the surgeons and the enlisted
men who had noby performed their duties to the sic