Posted on: Austin Co. Tx Obituaries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Tx/AustinObits/44 Surname: Bell, Cloyd, Grimes, Granville, Stephenson ------------------------- Memorial Resolutions adopted at the time of the death of Thomas Bell. At a meeting of the citizens of Bellville, held in pursuance of previous notice, on the 18th day of January, 1858, as a token of respect to the memory of the late Thomas Bell, Hon. Wm. Bradbury was called to the chair, and A.W. Frear appointed Secretary. On motion a committee of five was appointed by the chair to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of this meeting. The chair appointed J.P. Osterhout, Ben T. Harris, N. Holland, Z. Hunt and B.F. Elliot said committee, who reported the following preamble and resolutions, which were unanimously adopted: Whereas, in the providence of Almighty God, Thomas Bell, a citizen of this community and the Father of Bellville, was on Monday, the 11th day of January, A.D. 1858 removed by death from this world, and whereas the death of a man who filled so large a space in the respect and esteem of the community in where he lived and died and who had spent so many years of his life in the vicinity calls for some public token of respect to his memory. He was one of the early settlers in Texas, having immigrated to the country in the year 1822, as one of the original "twenty-five" and settled soon after in Austin's colony, for a period of more than thirty years resided in the place where he died. His early settlement in Texas and being a participant in the hardships and induced by the early settlers made him familiar with all the incidents of our history and the history of our country. The struggles, trials, and difficulties suffered by the colonists in former times were often recalled by him for the pleasure and gratification of those who listened to him and are worthy a place on the historic page. Ever prompt in discharge of his civic duties, he was equally so in those regarding to the defense of his country. When the Texans determined to throw over their yoke of Mexican tyranny and oppression, he was not one of those who lingered or faltered in the discharge of his duty to his country. When under the direction of Santa Anna, the Mexican army invaded the country in 1835, and took possession of Bexar, Thomas Bell was one of those chivalrous spirits who went with brave old Ben Milam and Francis Johnson to storm the city. As a private in the artillery company, he did good service to the cause of Texas liberty. Through his well directed arms, the Mexican guns on the tower of the cathedral were put to silence, and many a Mexican invader caused to bite the dust. For the indomitable spirit by which he braved the terrors, dangers, and hard ships of this then western wilderness, inhabited principally by savages, and Mexicans some barbarous for that courage and noble daring and hatred of oppression, and love of liberty, we honor his memory. But while we honor him for these commendable traits in his character, we prefer to remember him for the quiet and unobtrusive tenor of his life, his unostentatious manners and for the stern and inflexible honesty and integrity of character and sincerity of purpose, and life of virtue so conspicuous in him during his whole career in Texas. Political preferment was never in the line of his aspirations and it is doubtful whether he ever held any, even the smallest political office by the suffrages of the people. He preferred his own quiet home and the toils and labors to which life long he had been accustomed. "Along the cool sequestered vale of life, he kept the noiseless tenor of his way." But above all we delight to remember him as the earnest and sincere Christian. For many years to the close of his long and eventful life, a member of the M.E. Church, his greatest desire as well as his most pleasant duty and highest aim, was to serve the cause of the divine Master, and "to adorn the doctrines of God our Savior by a well ordered life and a goodly conversation," and well did he fulfill his mission. Death found him waiting and prepared to meet the summons. His whole work as a citizen, a patriot and a Christian was done and well done. The time of his departure was at hand. Well might he have said, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." Thus after a long and useful life, at the age of sixty-six years Thomas Bell sunk to rest and has been gathered to his fathers. "Uncle Tommy" as he was familiarly called will henceforth be missed not only from among his neighbors and friends, but from all social meetings of the church he was a member and an ornament and whose walls often echoed with his earnest prayers and exhortations: but most of all will be missed in the bosom of his bereaved family. May they remember that they sorrow not as those who have no hope. The people of Bellville and vicinity thus appreciating their loss, and sympathizing with the afflicted widow and family of the deceased, feel it their duty to pay this public tribute of respect to his memory, and offer the following resolutions. RESOLVED: That in the death of Thomas Bell, society has lost a good citizen, a kind neighbor, and one who was emphatically a good man and a Christian. RESOLVED: That we sympathize with the bereaved family, in the severe affliction and that the secretary of this meeting be requested to furnish the widow of Thomas Bell with a copy of the proceeding of this meeting. RESOLVED: That a copy of the proceedings of this meeting be sent to the Texas Christian Advocate for publication. On motion, the meeting adjourned. Wm. Bradbury Chairman A.W. Frear, Secretary Mention is made that Thomas Bell served under Ben Milam at the battle of Bexar, which occurred before the battle of the Alamo at San Antonio. From the book Judge Robert McAlpin Williamson: Texas' Three-legged Willie by Duncan W. Robinson (c. 1948 Texas State Historical Association) the story is told of the Bexar siege in which Thomas Bell participated. "A period of indecision upon the part of Burleson and other army leaders as to whether to attack San Antonio or to retire into winter quarters was seemingly resolved by a decision of a war council on December 3 to abandon the siege. This dismal eventuality was prevented by Milam, who, although only recently arrived, regarded the disbanding of the army as disastrous. He drew a line, it is said, across the ground, and shouted to the bewildered troops, "Who will follow old Ben Milam?" "After three hundred men volunteered for the adventure, Milam stormed San Antonio and in less than three weeks inflicted a crushing defeat upon a Mexican army of thirteen hundred men, commanded by General Cos. The Mexicans surrendered, and Cos agreed to withdraw his army from Texas. Killed in the fighting was the great-hearted Milam, whose memory one of his soldiers later thus enshrined: It was four to one, not gun for gun, but never a curse cared we, Three hundred faithful and fearless men who had sworn to make Texas free. It was mighty odds, by all the gods, this brood of the Mexique dam, But it was not much for heroes such as followed old Ben Milam! With rifle-crack and sabre-hack we drove them back in the street, >From house to house in the red carouse we hastened their flying feet, And ever that shout kept pealing out with the swift and sure death-blow: "Oh who will follow old Ben Milam into San Antonio?" Behind the walls from the hurling balls Cos cowered and swore in his beard, While we slashed and slew from dawn til dew, and Bexar, how we cheered! But ere failed each ruse and the white flag of truce on the failing day was thrown, Our fearless soul had gone to the goal in the land of the Great Unknown. Death brought the darksome boon too soon to this truest one of the true, Or men of the fated Alamo, Milam had died with you! So when their names that now are Fame's--the scorner of braggart Sham-- In song be praised, let a rouse be raised for the name of Ben Milam! >From Thomas Bell's will, we find that he owned the following tracts of land at the time of his death: 150 acres from Benjamin Granville on Piney Creek out of 200 acs sold to him on 7-23-1849 25 acres from Benjamin Granville transferred to Bell on 5-1839 150 acres from James Stephenson on Piney Creek conveyed to him 2-19-1849 640 acres Milam County granted to SY Reams & sold to Bell 12-28-1854 150 acres west of the Colorado River in Bastrop County from William Medford 640 acres east of the Brazos in Austin county near Burton located by virtue of Donation Certificate for having entered Bexar from the morning of the 5th to the 10th of December 1835 and for actually taking part in reduction of the same. It appears that Thomas and Abigail Bell never had any children of their own, however, they adopted a son, John G. Bell, who became the proprietor of several stores in Bellville, including a hotel. The following is from a newspaper clipping, presumably a Bellville paper of that time which speaks of the death of John Bell's wife, Penelope, and which may possibly give some insight into the area in Florida from which the Bell brothers (in 1822) and the Stephensons (in 1826) came: "In the death of Aunt Nellie Bell at her home here Wednesday night at 9 o'clock another landmark has been erased by the hand of Time. For fifty-eight years a resident to Bellville, her death marks the taking hence of one of the oldest inhabitants of the town, and one of the best women that ever gave the crowning years of her life to the development of Texas. She was born in Hamilton County, Florida, November 11, 1819, the same year that the dominion of Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain. At that time, there were about 600 white people..in the state, the population being composed...of numerous tribes of hostile Indians. Her father was Daniel Greene who settled in Florida prior to the seizure of Pensacola by General Andrew Jackson in 1814, which act was the primary cause of Spain relinquishing Florida to President Monroe. General Nathaniel Greene whose name is famous in the history of the Indian wars, was her father's brother. In her young life, Aunt Nelly experienced much privation and peril by reason of the constant war with the Indians and upon several occasions her father's family were forced to flee from the danger of being massacred. In 1839, she was united in marriage to John G. Bell whose father was Tom Bell and who came to Texas in 1821, and after whom Bellville was named. John G. Bell moved his family from Florida to Texas in 1855 settling at Bellville, then a mere village in the postoaks. Shortly after their arrival, they bought the Irvin hotel property and a few years later...Mr. Bell...became the Theo Menke place. After disposing of this place to Mrs. Menke, the Bell family built a home upon a large tract of land owned by them just south of town where Aunt Nelly continued to live up to the time of her death. She was the mother of nine children and lived to see six of them and her husband buried, the death of the latter occurring in 1895. Her three surviving children are Messrs, Tom and John Bell and Mrs. T.F. Thompson of Hempstead. Mrs. Thompson was at her mother's bedside when death came and had been her devoted nurse throughout her final illness. Aunt Nelly was an old time woman with old time ways. Her best years were spent in a period when there was closer communion with nature and people knew one another better and lived for one another's pleasures to a far greater extent than is the case today. She grew up at a time when the chivalry of the south was in its best days. It was a time of plenty and people lived but to be generous and hospitable, and Aunt Nelly acknowledged.....superior. As a wife and mother, as a friend and neighbor her life's work is recorded above and the sweet memory of the good deeds still tread the earth. For sixty seven years, she was a constant member of the Methodist church. Her faith was supreme and the tears of Heaven that fell upon her open grave was righteous benediction to the closing of the life of a good and faithful servant...Oak Knoll Cemetery where she was laid tenderly at the side of her husband and son. Rev. Allen Tooke officiated. >From this newspaper clipping, origin unknown, one can see that the Indian problems back in Florida were also severe during the early 1800's. There is a story about how James Stephenson (possibly the brother-in-law of James and Thomas Bell) fought the Indians back in Florida and then left to catch up with other family members (the Bell brothers?) who had gone ahead to Texas. Also, of note, the date of 1821 is mentioned when Thomas Bell came to Texas from Florida, only 2 years after Nelly's birth. Who was John G. Bell and why did Thomas Bell adopt him when he was fifty years old? Had the Bells and the Stephensons come to Texas from the area of Hamilton County Florida? Isabel Frizzel writes on page 36 of her book about Bellville, "In July of 1860 for $2500, the Krays sold the Ervin House stand and stable, beds, bedding and household furniture to John G. Bell, adopted son of the town's founder, Thomas Bell. The Ervin House became a flourishing Inn, known first as Bell's Hotel and later as the Planter's Hotel. In the years that followed, the Civil War would continue to be fought in Austin County long after it had officially ended. Oldtimers still talk about the feud between the Bells and the Shaffners which occurred just after the turn of the century. This feud threatened to once again tear the County apart. In fact, it was said that Mill Creek became the "Mason-Dixon Line" of Austin county, only this time those to the North still favored slavery, while those to the South were the abolitionists. It all came to a heated conclusion one day when there was a big showdown on the streets of Sealy. William C. Bell, who was born in Austin County in 1860 and was the son of John G. and Penelope Bell, was the father of six children, two of which were killed at the shootout in Sealy. Thomas Bell and Luther Bell, William's sons were both killed in the streets of Sealy that fateful day. Eye witnesses reported that people were hiding behind water troughs and rain barrels as the bullets flew. Another son, Foster Bell who was born in 1892 was shot in the leg and spent five years in prison for causing the uprising. All of the boys were members of the Ku Klux Klan which continued to be strong in the county for many years. After Foster Bell was released from prison, he came back to Bellville to live. His last days were spent at his home east of Bellville off FM 529. Foster Bell loved to breed and train horses, and the author purchased a 16 month old, sorrel quarter horse gelding from Bell when she was eighteen years old. Rusty, her favorite of all the horses she ever owned, was the fastest horse in the county she boasted, or at least, to put it a little more modestly, no other horse ever beat him in a race. A final coincidence in a story that never seems to end, the author has found a large number of Bell women who married Crockett men back in Tennessee. According to one Bell family researcher, Catherine Bell, possibly a sister to James and Thomas, married Andrew Crockett in 1818 in Davidson Co. Tn. Another sister, Martha Bell married James Crockett. One might ask the question, was it because Davy Crockett had family links in Texas (through the Bells?) that caused him to lead his band of Tennesseans to the rescue of Texas? This same researcher also claims that she has solid evidence that John Bell, the Presidential candidate in 1860 who ran against Abraham Lincoln was the brother of James and Thomas Bell of Austin County.