Career
Born on March 12, 1839, in Sunderland, England, Bell"s family moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in the mid-1840s. He began his maritime career at age fourteen and over the next seven years sailed the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea. While docked in New York City on May 12, 1861, just after the onset of the American Civil War, Bell enlisted in the United States Navy.
In July, he joined the United States Ship Santee as an able seaman but was quickly promoted to coxswain due to his sailing experience.
At Galveston Bay, Texas, on November 7, 1861, he distinguished himself during a mission to destroy the Confederate ship Royal Yacht. Bell died on September 26, 1917, at age 78 and was buried in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.