Colonel James Franklin Bell was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on September 9, 1899 near Porac, Luzon, Philippine Islands during the Philippine Insurrection. At the time he was serving with U.S. Volunteers, 36th Infantry. Bell was 43 years old.
One other service member also received the Medal of Honor for actions on the same day. The medal was presented on December 11, 1899. He later rose to the rank of Major General.
Bell was born on January 9, 1856 in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Kentucky. Bell died on January 8, 1919 in New York, New York, at the age of 62. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
Bell is one of 82 Medal of Honor recipients from the Philippine Insurrection and one of 44 credited to Kentucky.
Official Medal of Honor citation
While in advance of his regiment, charged seven insurgents with his pistol and compelled the surrender of the captain and two privates under a close fire from the remaining insurgents concealed in a bamboo thicket.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Other decorations and honors
Besides the Medal of Honor, James Franklin Bell received:
Source: Wikidata. Gold chips link to our guide to that decoration.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: Philippine–American War, World War I, American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Offices held: Chief of Staff of the United States Army
- Occupations: lawyer
- Education: United States Military Academy
Source: Wikidata.
Places
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Kentucky →
Timeline
- January 9, 1856Born in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Kentucky
- September 9, 1899Act of valor — near Porac, Luzon, Philippine IslandsAge 43. U.S. Volunteers, 36th Infantry
- December 11, 1899Medal of Honor presented
- January 8, 1919Died in New York, New YorkAge 62.
- Resting placeArlington National CemeteryArlington, Virginia
Biography
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.
From the Wikipedia article “J. Franklin Bell”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
Named in his honor
- Bell Amphitheater — amphitheatre
- Bell House — museum building
