James T. Bell

BELL, SHANNON, IRVING

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/18/2009 at 14:05:18

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 715-716

JAMES T. BELL, one of Audubon County's
pioneer teachers, has devoted twenty
years to his chosen profession, and many
a youth owes his success in life to the early
impressions made by the zeal and energy
which Mr. Bell manifested in his noble call-
ing. This venerable teacher was born in
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, August
8, 1827, and is the oldest son and second
child of William and Martha L. (Shannon)
Bell, natives of Pennsylvania. He was reared
in his native county and received a common-
school education. He began his career by
teaching one term in his own county. He
then drifted west, and in 1855 stopped in
Garnavillo, Clayton County, Iowa. He con-
tinued to reside there until 1874, when he re-
moved to Audubon County, and soon after
began teaching. He closed his last term in
March, of the present year, 1889. On May 4,
1861, he entered the Union army, joining the
Third Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was
assigned to Hannibal, Missouri, and there
guarded the Hanibal & St. Joseph Railroad
during the first summer. The following fall
he was sent to St. Louis, Missouri, and was
ordered from that point to St. Charles, where
he guarded the North Missouri Railway at
different points for one winter. His regi-
ment was then sent to make up the expedition
of the Tennessee River, General Grant com-
manding. He took part in the engagement
at Blue Mills, Shiloh, the siege of Corinth,
and was ordered to Moscow, Tennessee; and
was then ordered to Moscow, Missouri,
guarding there the Memphis & St. Charles
Railroad. In the following spring he went
to Memphis, and from that place passed to
Vicksburg, and was in the siege from May
18 to July 4. Thence the regiment was
ordered to Natchez, after which he was sent
to Keokuk, Iowa, where he was honorably
discharged in June, 1864. Returning to
Clayton County he remained there until 1874,
when he went to Audubon County, as before
stated. Soon after coming to the county Mr.
Bell bought eighty acres of land to which he has
added until he now owns 240 acres, all fenced
and under good cultivation. Mr. Bell was
married in March, 1888, to Mrs. Irving, a
native of the State of New York. She came to
this county in 1883, having previous to this
time lost her former husband, James F. Irving,
by whom she had one son, Frank F. Irving.
Mr. Bell has served as township clerk three
terms, and as trustee one term.