St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-29

by his fellow cadets, was brother Of Mai. w W.
Bell of Chicago and uncle of Lillian Bell, the
writer When Lillian Bell wrote her story "The
Under Side of Things" with it's pathetic ending she
Wove the tale about the of her uncle, Lieut.
Bell and gave to the story the depth of pathos
that truth compelled
One of James E. Bells classmates at West Point
once said that when a man was fighting with an.
other man he had something to grappIe with but
that when man was fighting disease the disease
did all the graphing You can't wound a disease
adversary. Against him parry and thrust are moth
Ing Adtutant-Gen. E. D. Townsend once said that
In ali his army career he had never known such
honors to be paid to subaltern were offered to
the memory of First Lieut.. James E. Bell Two
general orders were issued from headquarters Of
the army each paying tribute to the devotion of the
young officer Of artillery who had died on the Drv
Tortugas Of yellow fever.
Fort Jefferson on the Tortugas in August of the
year 1888 was garrsoned by Battery M. First Unit
ed states artillery Outside of the surgeons there
was only one officer Lieut. Bell at the post Cant T. r
Langdon had been granted leave of absence tn On
north to the bedside Of his dying father On August %
yellow fever appeared at the post Within two DAYS four
OF the garrison had died. Upon the first announcement
OF the Of the scourge Lieut. Bell sent all tba
women and children and of the married men to
an island three miles away. Within day or two he
sent to the place nearly all the well men of the
garrison. retaining only enough to nurse the sick
There could have been criticism Of Bells course had
he gone with the garrison leaving the to the care
OF the surgeons and He stayed and devoted him
self to the Of the sick in the hospital assisted BY
the men who had volunteered
The heat fearful. There was not a pound Of ice
on the island and Of the deaths followed one
after another were due to the lack this necessity
There 20 Of the fever and for whole DAYS
and nights continuously the devoted lieutenant the sur
geons and the nurses knew rest. With their own
hands they dug the for the dead with their
own lips repeated over them the burial service
Capt Langdon in the far north heard of the yellow
fever at Fort Jefferson He instantly relinqushed his
leave Of absence fastened return to his station
Some months before the outbreak fever Lieut. Bell
had put in application to be detailed instructor of
military science at the University Of The ap-
plcaton had been granted and Capt Langdon hurryng
southto join his command carried in his pocket the
der relieving Lieut. Bell from duty Fort jefferson and
detailing him for work in Vermont Langdon reached his
post He called in his first lieutenant said: have
here orders transferring you Immediately to Vermont
You have done 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 want the order. If read
It suppose shall have to obey simply because it is
order. You keep 1t in your pocket until the fever Is
over and then I'll read it and CO."
Langdon shook hands with him
Bell went on with his work In few days he felt
the hot hand of the scourge his brow. He went to
his tent pulled his little camp table wrote an off,
cal letter to the assistant acknowledgement at headquar
tiers Of the Department Of the Gulf Holly Springs Miss
It long letter. covering many pages There was in
leave undone act Of duty to others cherished the
thought Of the loyalty Of the and the enlisted
who had nobly performed their duties the sick