J. Franklin Bell

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James Franklin Bell
AwardsMedal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Signature

James Franklin Bell (January 9, 1856 – January 8, 1919) was an officer in the United States Army who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1906 to 1910.

Bell was a major general in the Regular United States Army, commanding the Department of the East, with headquarters at Governors Island, New York at the time of his death in 1919. He entered West Point in 1874, and graduated 38th in a class of 43 in 1878, with a commission as second lieutenant of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, a black unit.

Bell became notorious for his actions in the

concentration camps, resulting in the deaths of over 11,000 people.[1]

Early life and education

Bell was born to John Wilson and Sarah Margaret Venable (Allen) Bell in Shelbyville, Kentucky. His mother died when he was young.[2] During the American Civil War, Bell's family, living in a border state, stood strongly in favor of the Confederacy.

In 1874, after two years of working in a general store,

7th Cavalry. He joined the unit at Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, on October 1, 1878.[4]

Indian Wars

Bell became an instructor of military science and tactics and taught mathematics at

Fort Riley, Kansas, and Bell joined the staff of the Cavalry and Light Artillery School. He soon became adjutant, then secretary of the school. In November 1894, Bell became aide-de-camp to General James W. Forsyth and posted to the Department of California. He was transferred to Fort Apache, Arizona Territory, in July 1897 and then to Vancouver Barracks, Washington
, in February 1898.

Philippines

At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Bell was a first lieutenant acting as adjutant to General Forsyth, then commanding the Department of the West, with headquarters at San Francisco. He was commissioned as a major of volunteers in May 1898 and sent to the Philippines, where he participated in the attack on the Spanish forces in Manila from August 1 to 13.[5] In 1925, Bell was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for having conducted detailed reconnaissance of Fort San Antonio Abad on August 10, 1898.[6] This delayed award had originally been proposed as a Medal of Honor by General Wesley Merritt.[7]

After the end of hostilities with Spain, Bell was authorized to organize a regiment of volunteers. He was promoted to captain in the Regular Army in March 1899 and colonel of volunteers in July 1899. The 36th U.S. Volunteer Infantry was ordered to the Philippines and, under his command, saw service in the Philippine–American War.[5]

Bell was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions of September 9, 1899 near

Porac on Luzon Island in the Philippines. According to the official citation, "while in advance of his regiment [Bell] charged 7 insurgents with his pistol and compelled the surrender of the captain and 2 privates under a close fire from the remaining insurgents concealed in a bamboo thicket."[8]

After a few months in the Philippines, Bell was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in December 1899, outranking many officers previously his senior.[5] After commanding the 4th Brigade, 2nd Division from January to July 1900 and serving as Provost Marshal-General of Manila from July 1900 to February 1901, he received a direct promotion from captain to brigadier general in the Regular Army.[9]

Concentration camp policy

beriberi as a result of General Bell's internment
policy, circa 1902

In late 1901, Bell was assigned by

beriberi, smallpox, and bubonic plague.[14] Bell responded to the outbreaks by ordering a public vaccination campaign in Batangas.[15] Civilians also became subject to a curfew, after which all persons found outside of camps without identification could be shot on sight. Many men were rounded up for questioning, tortured, and summarily executed. Methods of torture such as the water cure
were frequently employed during interrogation, and entire villages were burned or otherwise destroyed.

Between January and April 1902, 8,350 people died in the camps out of a population of 298,000. Some camps experienced mortality rates as high as 20 percent. According to American historian

Bell's use of concentration camps was met with scorn by the American public, and was one of the influencing factors which prompted an investigation by the

The New York Review, his researchers found no reference to Bell in The New York Times on that date.[18] Luzon's population rose from 3,666,822 in 1901 to 3,798,507 in the 1903 census.[19]

Service in America and World War I

In July 1903, Bell was transferred to

Command and General Staff School until April 14, 1906; Bell was promoted major general, and was appointed Chief of the Army General Staff. He served for four years, under Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft
. Bell was the first chief officer of the United States Army in 45 years who had not served in the American Civil War.

Major General Bell, circa 1915)

When the United States military forces of the Western Pacific concentrated in the Philippines, he returned to

Texas City as reserve and, although at several times he seemed about to cross the Rio Grande
, he was never a part of the Mexican expeditionary force.

After the Mexican situation quieted, Bell was relieved of the 4th Division, and placed in command of the Department of the West in December 1915. He remained in command at San Francisco, where he had once been acting adjutant, until the United States entered World War I.

In the early spring of 1917, Bell was transferred to the Department of the East at

National Army
and, to a large extent, to officer the new divisions of the east and northeast.

In the same month, Bell was offered and promptly accepted the command of the 77th Division of the National Army, to be organized at Camp Upton, New York. The division was intended to primarily manned by draftees from New York state and featured the Statue of Liberty on its unit patch. Bell commanded the division when the first newly appointed officers climbed the hill and reported to their first assignment, through that formative stage when barracks were thrown together at a miraculous speed, and being filled at the same rate. Then, in December, he sailed for France to make a tour of the front, and observe, first hand, actual fighting conditions. He did not return until the latter part of March 1918.

On his return, Bell failed the physical examination required for active service overseas. When the doctors decreed that he would not take the 77th Division to France, Bell was again given command of the Department of the East, and returned to his old headquarters, Governors Island, which command he held until his death in January 1919. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal[20] and interred at Arlington National Cemetery.[21]

Awards and decorations

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Colonel, 36th Infantry, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: Near Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands, September 9, 1899. Entered service at: Shelbyville, Ky. Born: January 9, 1856, Shelbyville, Ky. Date of issue: December 11, 1899.

Citation

While in advance of his regiment charged 7 insurgents with his pistol and compelled the surrender of the captain and 2 privates under a close fire from the remaining insurgents concealed in a bamboo thicket.

Dates of rank

United States Military Academy Cadet – class of 1878

Rank Component Date
Second Lieutenant
Regular Army 28 June 1878
First Lieutenant
Regular Army 29 December 1890
Major Volunteers 17 May 1898
Captain Regular Army 2 March 1899
Colonel Volunteers 5 July 1899
Brigadier General
Volunteers 5 December 1899
Brigadier General
Regular Army 19 February 1901
Major General
Regular Army 3 January 1907

Personal

On January 5, 1881, Bell married Sarah Buford (April 28, 1857 – December 22, 1943) at Rock Island, Illinois. She was the niece of Civil War generals John Buford Jr. and Napoleon Bonaparte Buford.[7][23][24]

See also

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ Ltr, Maj Gen J. Franklin Bell to Maj Gen Hugh L. Scott, September 30, 1915, Hugh L. Scott Mss., Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
  3. ^ Shelby News, May 10, 1906; E. A. Garlington, "James Franklin Bell," Fiftieth Annual Report of Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy (Saginaw, Mich., 1919), pp. 162–63.
  4. ^ Ltr, 2d Lt J. Franklin Bell to The Adjutant General, August 9, 1878, Adjutant General Correspondence, 1890–1917, 3773 Appointment, Commission, Promotion (ACP) 78 filed with 937 ACP 79, Record Group (RG) 94, National Archives and Records Service (NARA), Washington, D.C.; Ltr, 2d Lt J. Franklin Bell to Col E. F. Townsend, November 19, 1890, 6842 ACP 90 filed with 937 ACP 79, RG 94, NARA.
  5. ^ a b c Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1890–1900. Vol. IV. The Riverside Press. 1901. pp. 303–304. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1920–1930. Vol. VII. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press. March 1931. p. 153. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "James Franklin Bell". Fiftieth Annual Report of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Saginaw, Michigan: Seemann & Peters, Inc., Printers and Binders. June 10, 1919. pp. 163–177. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  8. ^ CMH Archived June 7, 1997, at the Wayback Machine at www.army.mil
  9. ^ Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1900–1910. Vol. V. Seemann & Peters, Printers. 1910. p. 281. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  10. .
  11. ^ Worcester, Dean C. (Dean Conant) (1914). The Philippines past and present. University of Michigan. New York, Macmillan.
  12. ^ Storey, Moorfield; Codman, Julian; YA Pamphlet Collection (Library of Congress) DLC (1902). Secretary Root's record. "Marked severities" in Philippine warfare. An analysis of the law and facts bearing on the action and utterances of President Roosevelt and Secretary Root. Harvard University. Boston, G.H. Ellis co., printers.
  13. .
  14. .
  15. ^ "James Franklin Bell: Hard War in the Philippines".
  16. .
  17. ^ Storey, Moorfield; Codman, Julian (1902). Secretary Root's Record:"Marked Severities" in Philippine Warfare.
  18. ^ Vidal, Gore; Nielsen, David. "Death in the Philippines | David Nielsen". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  19. ^ Roth, Russel. "Death in the Philippines". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  20. ^ a b Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1910–1920. Vol. VI–A. Seemann & Peters, Printers. September 1920. pp. 259–260. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  21. ^ "Bell, James Franklin". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  22. ^ Military Times Hall of Valor Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine – Bell was the first person to earn both the MOH and the DSC
  23. ^ "Bell, J(ames) Franklin". Who's Who in America. A. N. Marquis. 1908. p. 130. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  24. ^ "Bell, Sarah B". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved May 22, 2023.

Further reading

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff of the United States Army
1906–1910
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commandant of the Command and General Staff College
1903–1906
Succeeded by