Henry Ellsworth Bell

Henry Ellsworth Bell

• Father: James Henry Bell b. circa 1821, d. 1 October 1897
• Mother: Sarah Ann Elizabeth McGill b. circa 1825

• Henry Ellsworth Bell was born on 20 September 1843 in Alabama.
• James Henry Bell and Sarah Ann Elizabeth McGill appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Macon County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Henry Ellsworth Bell, Elizabeth Louisa Bell. Also in the household were three younger children, not yet recorded.
• James Henry Bell and Sarah Ann Elizabeth McGill appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Montgomery County, Texas. Other members of the household included Henry Ellsworth Bell, Elizabeth Louisa Bell. Also in the household were seven younger children, not yet recorded.
• He served as a private in Company B, 24th Texas Cavalry Regiment, CSA. He was listed on a roll of prisoners captured at Arkansas Post, and was sent to Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis.
• He married Adner A. Childers, daughter of Douglas Childers and Amanda Cheshire, on 30 December 1867 in Montgomery County, Texas, and Henry's sister Elizabeth married Adner's brother Jefferson.
• Henry Ellsworth Bell and Adner A. Childers appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Maysfield PO, Milam County, Texas, enumerated next to Adner's brother Jefferson Childers and Henry's sister Lizzie.. Other members of the household included Lizzie Bell.
• He was farming, according to the 1870 census.
• Henry Ellsworth Bell became a widower at the 9 July 1915 death of his wife Adner A. Childers.
• Henry Ellsworth Bell died on 20 October 1930 at age 87 in Pineville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
• The following appeared on 21 October 1930 in The Alexandria Town Talk: [Died] At the residence of his son, E. B. Bell, of Rigollette community, near Tioga, at 6:30 o'clock p. m., Monday, October 20 1930, Henry Elsworth Bell, aged 87 years. Funeral services were conducted at 2:30 o'clock this Tuesday afternoon at Tioga and interment made under direction of Hixson Brothers, local funeral directors. Besides his son, the deceased leaves one sister, Mrs. Carrie McDaniels, of Houston, Texas, and a brother, Lee Bell, of Tioga.
• The following appeared on 24 October 1930 in The Alexandria Town Talk: At 4 o'clock Wednesday, October 22, a few friends and the family gathered about a narrow grave in Tioga cemetery to lay away the earthly remains of Henry Elsworth Bell. Brother Bell had reached the ripe age of 87 years and one month to a day when he made his exodus from this life to a far better world. The services were very brief--only a prayer--a few verses of scripture--a short talk on the hope of the resurrection, no taps, no bugle call, no song, no great lamentation--and thus passed a man who joined Lee's forcesin the first days of the sixties and fought for the Lost Cause for more than four years and near the close of the war was captured and remained in prison at St. Louis for many more months. And, more than this, more than sixty years, he was converted and united with the Methodist church and remained until the time of his death. Brother Bell spent most of his life in Arkansas and Texas, moving to Rapides parish about two years ago.
       These scenes all remind us that too often we fail to place honor where honor is due and that only too soon the last bugle call will have sounded for the last Confederate soldier and the world will have missed a set of men hardly equalled for their love of country, God and their homes. This tribute is given by the Rev. A. N. Murray, minister.
• For an account of his CSA service in Company B, 24th Texas Cavalry Regiment, see his profile in Karen McCann Hett's Danville Mounted Riflemen.

• Last Edited: 6 Aug 2016