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REGIMENT CAPTURED BY ONE CONFEDERATE,
Ex-Sheriff Charlie Wells tells a remarkable story of what
occurred while the Seventh Georgia regiment was campaigning in
the Valley of Virginia. The hero of the wonderful feat is Capt.
James L. Bell, a popular conductor who daily takes his train in
and out of Atlanta on the West Point road. The story is strictly
true, and is known to all the surviving members of the Seventh
Georgia regiment. It illustrates how whole bodies of
well-disciplined men are liable to sudden and uncontrollable
panics.
During Gen. Grant's advance on Richmond the Seventh Georgia
regiment, after a day of hard and almost incessant fighting,
found itself on the confines of a large field, across the center
of which ran a straight deep ravine. The exigencies of the
battle had, in a measure, separated the regiment from other
commands on either flank, and, although the firing was incessant
about them, no enemy was visible in their front. They had just
repulsed an attack made by the Nineteenth Wisconsin regiment and
a portion of a New York regiment. The latter had fallen back
through the field and were lost to view. Dusk was fast
gathering. The men of the Seventh were weary with a long day's
fighting and were taking a needed rest. It was with these
surroundings that Sergt. Bell thought he would reconnoiter, and,
climbing over the works, he moved stealthily across the field
and obliqued so as to meet the ravine at its head. Here he
beheld a sight which almost paralyzed him. The ravine was full
of Federals, and he had run full upon them. To retreat would
have been dangerous. It was one man against hundreds, and Sergt.
Bell determined in a moment to capture the regiment and take the
colors with his own hands. Without a moment's pause he dashed
boldly forward, firing his musket full into the ranks of the
enemy, crying: "Surrender! Throw down your arms!" The Seventh
Georgia heard the cries and shot, and dashed across the field,
but too late to rob the gallant Bell of the honor achieved by
his daring act. Bell had captured them single-handed, and had in
his possession the colors of the Nineteenth Wisconsin Regiment.
The captured regiment was sent to the rear amid great laughter,
and Sergt. Bell became the hero of the hour.
It was the opinion of many that had the regiment appeared across
the field it would have been saluted with a volley and an
obstinate fight would have ensued; but the sudden apparition of
a single wild figure darting out of the gloom, yelling and
firing into their midst, so disconcerted them that they yielded
to a genuine panic and were prisoners almost before they knew
it. When Sergt. Bell dashed at them at the end of the ravine one
man arose up and surrendered, then another and another, and in
less than two minutes they were all prisoners.
Capt. Bell is a hale, handsome man of about fifty-five, with
grizzled hair and mustache. He is as modest as he is brave, and
this story comes from the lips of his comrades who were with him
and who witnessed the remarkable feat on that October day. In
1884. in conversation with a friend, Capt. Bell expressed a
great desire to know the fate of the gallant color bearer whom
he had met on the field of battle so long ago. The friend,
without informing him of his intention, inserted in a Wisconsin
paper a little notice to the effect that the color bearer of the
Nineteenth Wisconsin regiment, if still alive, would please
confer with James L. Bell, Atlanta, Ga. The notice brought from
Baraboo, Wis., the following, by Phillips Cheek, Jr.:
"Your card received, and I should have replied ere this, but was
at Minneapolis at the National Encampment of the G. A. R., in
command of the Department of Wisconsin; hence the delay. John
Fallen, some-times called Fowler, was color bearer of Company A,
Nineteenth Wisconsin Infantry. He was captured with his regiment
at Fair Oaks, Va, From there he was sent to Libby and Belle
Isle, afterwards to Salisbury, N. C., where he remained until
they were all re-leased. By the aid of comrades he got home, but
was so reduced that his friends did not recognize him, and was
mentally an imbecile. He remained so for two months before he
was able to recognize his mother. From that time, as a farmer,
he did what he could to support his family. The people were very
kind to him, and elected him Treasurer of the town of Freedom,
Wis., each year for five years, which helped him financially.
In May, 1888, he was attacked by a disease which carried him to
the other shore. As evidence that he was esteemed, the G. A. R.
post of Freedom, Wis., is called "John Fallen Post". His early
death was the result of imprisonment in the Confederacy. My only
brother was a member of this company, and was killed in August,
1864, in the trenches before Petersburg. It is a source of
gratification to us, his relatives and friends, to have
testimony of his gallant foe of the Seventh Georgia regiment to
his gallantry as a soldier. His officers all speak of him as one
that could be trusted under the most trying circumstances. I
have often heard him tell of the capture of his regiment, and
that "there was no getting out of it". Capt. Bell, whose
feelings were deeply aroused by this unexpected reminder of the
thrilling episode of Fair Oaks, replied from Atlanta, Ga.,
August 30, 1884, to Mr. Cheek as follows:
"The bravery of John Fallen is indelibly stamped on my memory. I
met him once and spoke to him only to learn his name, but the
flight of years can never efface the gallantry he displayed at
his capture. He says "there was no getting out of it", which was
true; but that made no difference; he was game all the same. I
never doubted but that. John Fallen would come to the front, for
he was made of the right kind of stuff. To the Western soldiers
credit belongs for the hardest and best fighting of the war. . .
. It is with pleasure that I learn that his name is to be
perpetuated by having a G. A. R. post named for him. Please tell
the members of that post of a Confederate soldier's admiration
for the bravery of their honored namesake."
Application was made for a furlough for Sergt. James L. Bell,
Company K, Seventh Georgia Regiment, dated at Fair Oaks, Va.,
November 30,1864, in the following language: "This is to ask
leave of absence for thirty days on behalf of Sergt. James L.
Bell, Company K, Seventh Georgia Regiment, to visit his home in
Atlanta, Ga., because of his having advanced four hundred yards
in front of his command, capturing the colors of the Nineteenth
Wisconsin regiment, and causing the surrender of many officers
and men. For this and other acts of gallantry I respectfully ask
that this application be granted."
"THOMAS WILSON, Lieut. Commanding Co. K"
This application was indorsed as follows:
"J.F. Kiser, Major Commanding 7th Georgia Regiment; G.T.
Anderson, Brigadier General; C.W. Fields, Major General
Commanding Division; Respectfully approved and forwarded for
special gallantry- James B. Longstreet, General Commanding
Corps."
" Respectfully approved and returned.
" Robert E. Lee"
This is one of the most remarkable feats in history.
BELL, JAMES L. State: GA Year: 1870 County: Fulton County Record
Type: Federal Population Schedule Township: 5 W. Atlanta Page:
355 Database: GA 1870 Federal Census Index.
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Mother: Ann SPILSBE |
On 17 Apr 1722, Thomas bought 150 acres from John Tatum, son of
Abel Tatum. He also bought 150 acres from Stephen Benbridge.
On 5 Sep 1723 (Pat. Bk. 11, p. 234) Thomas was granted 540 acres
of land in the Parish of S. Farnham, Essex Co. By deed of 16
Oct 1760, Thomas' son Robert and wife Sarah of Culpeper Co. and
son Thomas and wife Milly of King & Queen Co. conveyed 540 acres
in Essex Co. to Richard Hill. The deed says it is the land on
which Thomas Coleman of Essex Co. lived. (D & WB 13, p. 598
Essex Co. Records.)
The will of Thomas Coleman of K & Q Co. was dated 10 Feb 1748
and proved 14 Mar 1748: mentions wife Mary, Son Richard Lort
Coleman, Son Thomas, Daughter Ann Clayton, daughter Lucy
Perkins, Daughter Dolly Hoskins, Daughter Grissell Smith. Ex:
sons Richard L. Coleman and Thomas Coleman. Wit: G. Braxton,
John Page, George Kauffman. (Tidewater VA Families, Vol. 2, No.
2, 1993).
_(RESEARCH QUERY) COLEMAN ________ | _Robert I of Mobjack Bay COLEMAN "the Immigrant"_| | (1622 - 1675) m 1650 | | |__________________________________ | _Robert COLEMAN II___| | (1656 - 1713) m 1678| | | _William GRIZZELL "the Immigrant"_ | | | (1600 - ....) | |_Elizabeth GRIZZELL _____________________________| | (1630 - 1682) m 1650 | | |__________________________________ | | |--Thomas COLEMAN | (1679 - 1748) | __________________________________ | | | _John SPILSBE ___________________________________| | | (1630 - ....) | | | |__________________________________ | | |_Ann SPILSBE ________| (1659 - ....) m 1678| | __________________________________ | | |_________________________________________________| | |__________________________________
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Mother: Mary A. E. MORRISON |
_Thomas DIXON Jr.____________ | (1750 - ....) _William George DIXON ______| | (1783 - 1840) m 1811 | | |_Ann FERGUSON _______________+ | (1760 - ....) _Lewellyn George DIXON _| | (1819 - 1862) | | | _William Gunnell SANDERS Sr._ | | | (1769 - 1825) | |_Nancy Ann SANDERS _________| | (1793 - 1851) m 1811 | | |_Mary YOUNG _________________ | (1774 - 1827) | |--Green B. DIXON | (1851 - ....) | _____________________________ | | | _(RESEARCH QUERY) MORRISON _| | | | | | |_____________________________ | | |_Mary A. E. MORRISON ___| (1823 - 1863) | | _____________________________ | | |____________________________| | |_____________________________
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Mother: Mary PAYTON |
_____________________ | _Christopher EDRINGTON I "the Immigrant"_| | (1630 - 1681) m 1671 | | |_____________________ | _Christopher EDRINGTON II_| | (1672 - 1738) m 1698 | | | _John PAYNE _________+ | | | (1616 - 1690) | |_Margaret PAYNE _________________________| | (1632 - 1684) m 1671 | | |_Margaret ROBINSON __+ | (1620 - 1690) | |--Elizabeth EDRINGTON | (1706 - ....) | _____________________ | | | _________________________________________| | | | | | |_____________________ | | |_Mary PAYTON _____________| (1680 - 1756) m 1698 | | _____________________ | | |_________________________________________| | |_____________________
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Mother: Minta or Alaminta or Araminta VANDERFORD |
_Charles VANDERFORD ___________________+ | (1678 - 1737) _Richard VANDERFORD _| | (1695 - ....) m 1732| | |_______________________________________ | _John VANDERFORD __________________________| | (1735 - 1792) m 1759 | | | _______________________________________ | | | | |_Hannah GREEN _______| | (1717 - 1765) m 1732| | |_______________________________________ | | |--John VANDERFORD | (1774 - ....) | _George Paul Van Der Voort VANDERFORD _+ | | (1656 - 1715) | _William VANDERFORD _| | | (1685 - 1745) m 1731| | | |_Elenor HOLLINGSWORTH _________________ | | (1660 - ....) |_Minta or Alaminta or Araminta VANDERFORD _| (1741 - 1815) m 1759 | | _______________________________________ | | |_Rebecca COUNTISS ___| (1705 - 1752) m 1731| |_______________________________________
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