Charles James Bell (March 10, 1845September 25, 1909), a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, was the 50th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

from 1904 to 1906. A native of

Walden, Vermont Walden is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 956 at the 2020 census. The community has no ZIP code of its own; mail is routed through the West Danville and East Hardwick post offices. Geography According to ...

, Bell was educated locally and attended Peacham Academy. He enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and served in the 15th Vermont Infantry Regiment and 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment. He was wounded at

Appomattox Station Appomattox Station was located in the town of Appomattox, Virginia (at the time, known as, West Appomattox) and was the site of the Battle of Appomattox Station on the day before General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Li ...

in April 1865, and was mustered out in June. After leaving the army, Bell became a successful farmer and horse breeder. In addition to farming and breeding horses, Bell served in local offices, and was a member of both the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

(1882-1883) and

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

(1894-1895). He served on the state Board of Railroad Commissioners (1894-1896), state Board of Agriculture (1896 to 1904), and was Secretary of the state Board of Cattle Commissioners (1898-1902). In 1904, Bell was the successful Republican nominee for governor, and he served one term, 1904 to 1906. After leaving office, he returned to his farming and horse raising enterprises. Bell became ill while visiting

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and died at

Grand Central Station Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

while on board a train preparing to return to Vermont. He was buried at North Walden Cemetery, North Walden, Vermont.

Early life and education

Bell was born in

, on March 10, 1845, the son of James Dean Bell and Caroline (Warner) Bell. He attended the local schools, and graduated from Peacham Academy.

Military service

At 17, Bell enlisted for the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

as a member of the

's Company B, 15th Vermont Infantry Regiment. After he was mustered out in 1864, he reenlisted in Company C, 1st Vermont Cavalry Regiment and was promoted to

Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

. Bell was wounded at

in April 1865, and was mustered out in June. He then returned to Walden, where he farmed and raised horses.

Post-Civil War

In addition to operating his farm and breeding horses, Bell was elected and appointed to various local offices, including school board member, selectman, and chairman of the select board. A Republican, he served in the

from 1882 to 1883, and the

from 1894 to 1895. He was a member of the state Board of Railroad Commissioners from 1894 to 1896, and member and secretary of the state Board of Agriculture from 1896 to 1904. From 1898 to 1902 Bell was a member and secretary of the state Board of Cattle Commissioners. Bell also served as President of the

Caledonia County Caledonia County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,233. Its shire town (county seat) is the town of St. Johnsbury. The county was created in 1792 and organ ...

Agriculture Society, a Director of the Vermont Agricultural Society, Treasurer and Master of the Vermont Grange, and an executive committee member and Secretary of the

National Grange The Grange, officially named The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a social organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and ...

Election as Governor

Bell was nominated for Governor in 1904. He easily won the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

, and he served two years, in keeping with the

Vermont Republican Party The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Vermont and has been active since its foundation in the 1860s. The party is the second largest in the state behind the Vermont Democratic Party, but ahead of the Vermont ...

's "

Mountain Rule The governor of Vermont is the U.S. state's head of government. Since 1994, Vermont is one of only two U.S. states (New Hampshire being the other) that elects governors for two-year terms. Until 1870, Vermont elected its governors for one-year ter ...

." In August 1905, the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

launched a new battleship, the USS ''

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

''. Bell led a delegation to the

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

shipyard for the christening ceremony, and his daughter Jennie performed the traditional task of breaking a bottle of champagne on the ship's bow. During his administration Bell was involved in a controversy that gained national attention when he was besieged by pleas to commute the sentence of

Mary Rogers Mary Cecilia Rogers (born c. 1820 – found dead July 28, 1841) was an American murder victim whose story became a national sensation. Rogers was a noted beauty who worked in a New York tobacco store, which attracted the custom of many distingui ...

, who had been convicted of murdering her husband. Opponents objected to executing a woman, or pleaded for mercy on the grounds of her difficult upbringing and youth and immaturity. Bell granted a reprieve so her appeals could be heard, and personally reconsidered her case, but ultimately decided to allow the original sentence to be carried out. Mary Rogers was executed by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

in December 1905.

Career after governorship

After leaving office Bell returned to his agricultural interests and remained active in the Grange and other farming organizations. In 1906 he received the honorary degree of

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

Death and interment

Bell became ill while visiting New York City in September 1909. He decided to return home early, and died from a heart attack on September 25, while on a train at

. He was buried at North Walden Cemetery, North Walden, Vermont.

Family

In 1870, Bell married Mary Louisa Perry of

Cabot, Vermont Cabot is a New England town located in the northeast corner of Washington County, Vermont, Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It contains the unincorporated villages of ...

. They were the parents of two daughters, Adine and Jennie.

References

Sources

Books

* * * *

Newspapers

* * * *

Internet

External links

*
Charles James Bell
at Vermont in the Civil War
C. J. Bell Family Diaries
at Vermont Historical Society

at National Governors Association

at The Political Graveyard {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Charles J. 1845 births 1909 deaths People of Vermont in the American Civil War Republican Party governors of Vermont Republican Party Vermont state senators Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives People from Caledonia County, Vermont Norwich University alumni Burials in Vermont 19th-century American politicians