Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Israel Bell (b. circa 1829 - d. circa 1895)
MSA SC 5496-050570
Enlisted with Company I, 39th Regiment, USCT, in Montgomery County, 1864

Biography:

Israel Bell was a slave when he enlisted with Company I in the newly-formed 39th Regiment of the Maryland Volunteer Infantry.1 The muster roll did not list his age, and the name of his former slaveholder is also unknown. Bell served from March 31, 1864 to June 31, 1865. The 39th participated in battles that included Petersburg, Spotsylvania Court House, and the Crater.1

Bell did not appear in any census records following the war. However, he registered with the Freedman's Bureau in 1874, listing himself as an illiterate farm laborer. He also stated that he was born in Montgomery County around 1829, which means that he was about thirty-five when he enlisted with the 39th in 1864.3 In 1874, Bell was living in Randallstown in Baltimore County with his wife, Violet, and their children: William, Alfred, Joseph, and Jeffery (birth dates unknown). Israel Bell also listed three siblings: Oma, Charlotte, and Henry.

Israel Bell did not appear again in public records until 1890, when he applied for a pension for his military service.4 Bell stated in the application that he was still living in the state of Maryland. He then disappeared again from records, this time permanently. No death certificate has been found, but Maryland counties did not officially begin recording deaths until 1898, so Bell may have passed away before then.

The African American Civil War Memorial in Washington D.C. commemorates Israel Bell along with 209,144 other black soldiers listed on the monument. Bell's name appears on plaque C-53 on the Wall of Honor.5
 

1.     ADJUTANT GENERAL, (Muster Rolls), Date: 1863-1866, Description: U.S. Colored Troops [MSA S936-50]. Israel Bell, Company I, 39th Regiment, Line 9.

2.     L. Allison Wilmer, J. H. Jarrett, and Geo. W. F. Vernon. History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers, War of 1861-65. Vol. 2 (Baltimore, MD: Guggenheimer, Weil & Co., 1899) 261.

3.     "Israel Bell." Freedman's Bank Record. Baltimore, MD, 1874. Series: M816  Roll: 13, Page: 784, Account: 6506. HeritageQuest Online.

4.     "Israel Bell." Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. www.ancestry.com.

5.     "Israel Bell." Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. National Park Service. http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm.
        "The African American Civil War Memorial." African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum. http://www.afroamcivilwar.org/.
  

Researched and written by Rachel Frazier, 2010.

Return to Israel Bell's Introductory Page


This web site is presented for reference purposes under the doctrine of fair use. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user.

Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
© Copyright November 14, 2013 Maryland State Archives