The Belangiga Bells-- Part 3: Taken As War Souvenirs

After the massacre, the town was recaptured on September 29, 1901, by Co. G, 9th Infantry.  They departed town the same day and were replaced by Companies K and L of the 11th Infantry.  When the 11th left the town, they took the bells from the destroyed church and a cannon from the plaza in front of it.

The reason for taking them was that one of them had been used to signal the attack that became the massacre.  The smaller bell was the one that started the massacre and  before the 9th shipped off for home, the 11th Infantry gave it to the 9th and it was taken to the Madison Barracks at Sackets Harbor, New York where a brick pedestal was built to display it.

In 1918, it was moved to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, and later ended up in South Korea at an army base.

The 11th Infantry had the two larger bells and took them with them when they redeployed to Fort D.A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  In 1905, the two bells and cannon were displayed by the fort's flag pole with a sign about their significance.

In 1927, Fort Russell was renamed Fort Francis E. Warren which later became Francis E. Warren Air Force Base.

Next, Recovery Attempts.  --Cooter