Peter Hansborough Bell
Encyclopedia
Peter Hansborough Bell was an American
military officer and politician
who served as the third Governor of Texas and represented the state for two terms in the United States House of Representatives
.
. He was educated in Virginia and Maryland
before emigrating to Texas
.
By March 1836, Bell was a member of the Texian Army
under Sam Houston
and was present at the Battle of San Jacinto
. His military service was distinguished and General Houston appointed him to the general's staff as adjutant general
. By 1839 Bell had been promoted to Inspector General
for the Republic of Texas
' army.
In 1845 Bell was named a captain of the Texas Rangers
. Given command of the Corpus Christi
district, he protected the primary trade route between Texas and Mexico
from outlaws. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American war, Bell became a lieutenant colonel
in the Second Regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers. His actions during the Battle of Buena Vista
were particularly distinguished. Following the war he returned to the Rangers and served along the western frontier.
, Bell ran on a platform advocating strong frontier defense and support of Texas's territorial claim to New Mexico. To this end he called for additional resources to eradicate the Native Americans
population and sending troops to Santa Fe
in support of Texas' claim to Santa Fe County. This platform allowed him to defeat incumbent Governor George T. Wood by a vote of 10,319 to 8,754.
Shortly after Bell's December 1849 inauguration, the Texas Legislature
created three new counties from the southern section of Santa Fe County. The governor sent Robert Neighbors
to oversee the organization of the new counties. Neighbors found the inhabitants of the new counties hostile to Texas interests and that residents of Santa Fe
had written their own constitution. After Neighbors' report became public in June 1850, Governor Bell called a special session of the state legislature to deal with these developments. The issue was resolved several months later in the Compromise of 1850
, Bell signing Texas' acceptance legislation on November 25, 1850.
Bell won reelection in 1851
due to his aggressive policies and his being the most Southern
of the five candidates. Highlights of his second term were payment of Texas' public debt and resolution of land claim disputes between empresario
s and their colonists. The governor left office before the end of his term to take a seat in the United States Congress
.
in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms. During this time he became friends with United States Secretary of War
Jefferson Davis
. He also met and married Ella Rives Eaton of North Carolina
. After his marriage, Bell never returned to Texas during his lifetime.
Following his 1857 marriage, Bell and his wife settled in Littleton, North Carolina
. When the American Civil War
began, he raised and paid to equip a regiment
with his personal funds. He then served as the regiment's colonel
.
The war left Bell financially ruined and living in poverty. After the Texas Legislature learned this, they awarded the former governor an annual pension of US$150 and 1280 acres (5.2 km²). Bell died in Littleton, North Carolina
on March 11, 1898. His body was reburied with honors in Austin, Texas
in 1929.
Bell County, Texas
is named for him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military officer and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the third Governor of Texas and represented the state for two terms in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Background
Bell was born March 11, 1810 in Culpeper County, VirginiaCulpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
. He was educated in Virginia and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
before emigrating to Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
.
By March 1836, Bell was a member of the Texian Army
Texian Army
The Texian Army was a military organization consisting of volunteer and regular soldiers who fought against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Approximately 3,700 men joined the army between October 2, 1835 during the Battle of Gonzales through the end of the war on April 21, 1836, at...
under Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
and was present at the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
. His military service was distinguished and General Houston appointed him to the general's staff as adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
. By 1839 Bell had been promoted to Inspector General
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
for the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
' army.
In 1845 Bell was named a captain of the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
. Given command of the Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
district, he protected the primary trade route between Texas and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
from outlaws. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American war, Bell became a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Second Regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers. His actions during the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexican army in the Mexican-American War...
were particularly distinguished. Following the war he returned to the Rangers and served along the western frontier.
Governorship
During the 1849 Texas gubernatorial electionTexas gubernatorial election, 1849
The 1849 Texas gubernatorial election was held in November 1849 to select the governor of the state of Texas. Peter Hansborough Bell won the election.-Gubernatorial election results:...
, Bell ran on a platform advocating strong frontier defense and support of Texas's territorial claim to New Mexico. To this end he called for additional resources to eradicate the Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
population and sending troops to Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
in support of Texas' claim to Santa Fe County. This platform allowed him to defeat incumbent Governor George T. Wood by a vote of 10,319 to 8,754.
Shortly after Bell's December 1849 inauguration, the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
created three new counties from the southern section of Santa Fe County. The governor sent Robert Neighbors
Robert Neighbors
Robert Simpson Neighbors was an Indian agent and Texas state legislator. Known as a fair and determined protector of Indian interests as guaranteed by treaty, he was murdered for his beliefs by a Texan who disagreed with giving any rights to the Comanches.-Early life:Robert Simpson Neighbors was...
to oversee the organization of the new counties. Neighbors found the inhabitants of the new counties hostile to Texas interests and that residents of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
had written their own constitution. After Neighbors' report became public in June 1850, Governor Bell called a special session of the state legislature to deal with these developments. The issue was resolved several months later in the Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a package of five bills, passed in September 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War...
, Bell signing Texas' acceptance legislation on November 25, 1850.
Bell won reelection in 1851
Texas gubernatorial election, 1851
The 1851 Texas gubernatorial election was held in November 1851 to select the governor of the state of Texas. Incumbent Peter Hansborough Bell won the election.-Gubernatorial election results:...
due to his aggressive policies and his being the most Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
of the five candidates. Highlights of his second term were payment of Texas' public debt and resolution of land claim disputes between empresario
Empresario
An empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. The word is Spanish for entrepreneur.- Background :...
s and their colonists. The governor left office before the end of his term to take a seat in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Later life
Beginning in 1853, Bell represented Texas' western districtTexas's 2nd congressional district
Texas's 2nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in the southeastern portion of the state of Texas. It stretches from Houston's northern suburbs through eastern Harris County, and across Southeast Texas to the Louisiana border...
in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms. During this time he became friends with United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. He also met and married Ella Rives Eaton of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. After his marriage, Bell never returned to Texas during his lifetime.
Following his 1857 marriage, Bell and his wife settled in Littleton, North Carolina
Littleton, North Carolina
Littleton is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Littleton is located at ....
. When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began, he raised and paid to equip a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
with his personal funds. He then served as the regiment's colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
The war left Bell financially ruined and living in poverty. After the Texas Legislature learned this, they awarded the former governor an annual pension of US$150 and 1280 acres (5.2 km²). Bell died in Littleton, North Carolina
Littleton, North Carolina
Littleton is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Littleton is located at ....
on March 11, 1898. His body was reburied with honors in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1929.
Bell County, Texas
Bell County, Texas
Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Bell County was founded in 1850. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2000, the county's population was 237,974; in 2010 the U.S. Census Bureau reported that its population had reached...
is named for him.