John Montgomery Bell and wife

John Montgomery Bell was a Presbyterian of Scotch-Irish ancestry and a man of great stature and courage. He was a grandson of  Major William Bell and Margaret Montgomery of Montgomery County, Tennessee.

John M. Bell (and his brother Hugh Bell) served as a Confederate soldier in Company H (The Obion Avalanche) 9th Tennessee Infantry & Co. E, 1st Consolidated Tennessee Infantry, from 1861-1865. He was severely wounded in the leg at Chickamauga, Ga., shot through the hand and wounded in the head.

He was one of the “Immortal Thirteen,” and drew a Confederate pension.

John M. and Sarah Wallace Bell married in 1866 in Union City, Tennessee. He is buried in Woodland Heights Cemetery, Clay County, Rector, AR

Glory and Tears – Obion County Tennessee 1860-1870 by Rebel C. Forrester.
John Montgomery Bell, a cousin of Lieutenant Daniel Bell [killed at Perryville, Ky] and a grandson of Major. William Bell, served in the Obion Avalanche until Johnston’s surrender. He was very severely wounded in the leg at the Battle of Chickamauga. This wound rendered him lame for life. Not withstanding this, he rejoined his company when the wound healed and served until the end of the war. He moved to Rector, Arkansas many years ago, where he died in 1921. The last time I saw him was at the reunion in Memphis many years ago. He was still lame and had to walk with the assistance of a stick.

Glory and Tears – Obion County Tennessee 1860-1870 by Rebel C. Forrester
George W. Carmack, John Bell and Fount Holloway were paroled in January, 1863 [after their capture at Perryville, Ky.] They were landed near Vicksburg, Mississippi from which they were forwarded to Chattanooga. They were absolutely destitute in the shape of clothing.  They had no change from August 1862 until January 1863, except when they took off their old shirts to wash them in cold water. They were literally crawling with what are now called “cooties,” little animals which were called by another name at that time. On the arrival at Chattanooga – being on parole – they were detailed as brakemen on the N.C. & St. L. Railway, where they remained until April 1863, when they left and rejoined their command at Shelbyville, Tennessee.

Served under Col. Henry L. Douglas, Col. Charles S. Hurt, Lt. Col. John W. Buford, Capt. J. W. McDonald, Captain H. W. Head.

Higher Unit Assignments: Stephen’s Brigade, 1st Geographical Division, Department #2 {Sept-Oct 1861. Stephens Brigade, 1st Geographical Division, Dept. #2 Oct 1861-1862. Stephen’s Brigade, 1st Grand Division, Army of the Mississippi, Dept. #2 [March 1862]. Stephen’s Brigade, Clark’s Division, 1st Grand Division, Army of the Mississippi, Dept. #2 [March 1862] Stephen’s Maney’s Brigade, Cheatham’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Mississippi, Dept. #2 [March-July 1862]. Maney’s Brigade, Cheatham’s Division, Army of the Mississippi, Department #2 [July-August 1862]. Maney’s Brigade, Cheatham’s Division, Right Wing, Army of the Mississippi, Dept. #2 [August- November 1862]. Maney’s Brigade, Cheatham’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Tennessee, [November 1862-63], Polk’s Corps. Maney’s Brigade, Walker’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Tennessee [November 1863-February 1864]. Maney’s-Carter’s Brigade, Cheatham’s-Brown’s Division, 1st Corps, Army of Tennessee [February 1864-1865] Evidence of Physician for Pension: State of Arkansas: County of Clay.

A wound in the back of the head and right hip, also bullet wound in right hand.  Principally to wound in hip causing a kind of Rheumatism. Totally incapacitated for manual labor.