Monroe Bell

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Monroe Bell (1826 or 1828/9 - 1900) was a laborer and state legislator who served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1872 until 1873. [1]

Contents

Biography

He was born in Mississippi either in 1826 [2] or 1828/9. [1]

Bell enlisted with the 5th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery in November 1863 joining Company L and was made sergeant after serving just a month. [1] A few months later in June 1864 he deserted. [1]

He was a member of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors in 1870 and was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1871 serving one session from 1872 until 1873. [1] [3] He had been elected as a Radical and had been accused by legislator C. F. Norris of bribing member of the Radical party to support him. [4]

He stood for Sheriff of Hinds County in September 1873 as the Republican nominee, [5] but lost to William Jefferson who ran as an independent. [6] Later the same year he was made major of the Hinds County militia. [7]

He was tried in 1885 for attempting to poison his niece but his defense claimed it was only love powder "to kindle the ardent passion in her breast". [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Foner, Eric (August 1, 1996). Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. LSU Press. p. 16. ISBN   978-0-8071-2082-8 . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Monroe Bell – Against All Odds" . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  3. ↑ Work, Monroe N.; Staples, Thomas S.; Wallace, H. A.; Miller, Kelly; McKinlay, Whitefield; Lacy, Samuel E.; Smith, R. L.; McIlwaine, H. R. (1920). "Some Negro Members of Reconstruction Conventions and Legislatures and of Congress" . The Journal of Negro History. 5 (1): 63–119. doi:10.2307/2713503. JSTOR   2713503 . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Another violation of the Enforcement Act". The Clarion. November 9, 1871. p. 1. Retrieved March 25, 2023. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. ↑ "Sheriff's Election". The Clarion-Ledger. September 25, 1873. p. 3. Retrieved March 25, 2023. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. ↑ "William Jefferson Sheriff of Hinds". The Clarion. October 9, 1873. p. 2. Retrieved March 25, 2023. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. ↑ "Militia Appointments". The Clarion. October 2, 1873. p. 3. Retrieved March 25, 2023. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Monroe Bell tried for attempted poisoning". Mississippian. November 24, 1885. p. 1. Retrieved March 25, 2023. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
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