Washington county delights in sending men of mature years and broad experience to the Legislature. This time, as last, it is Colonel William B. Bell who has the honor. He was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1833, and is now 62 years of age. The Muskingum county schools were the places in which he obtained his education. He early went to work at the blacksmith trade and grew to vigorous manhood while pursuing it. When he became of age he started for the west, locating at Muscatine, Iowa. With the exception of the two years at Muscatine he has lived at Washington ever since. He built up a good business at blacksmithing and carriage building. Like other patriotic young men he enlisted at the outbreak of the war, and was unanimously elected captain by a company of one hundred men. He was assigned to Company C. 8th Iowa Infantry. That gallant regiment was at bloody Shiloh, and Captain Bell with the remnant of his company was captured and sent to Libby prison. From that ghastly death trap he was paroled in October of 1862. He was a field officer in the campaign against Vicksburg. In July, 1863, came a promotion to the position of lieutenant colonel, and from October of that year till the end of the war he was in continuous command of the 8th Iowa. When Forest made his raid on Memphis Colonel Bell was in command of the Union forces that opposed him. For meritorious conduct at the storming and siege of a Spanish fort at Mobile he was made brevet colonel. With this honorable record he returned to Washington and resumed his business. After a number of years he was elected to the county board of supervisors. In 1879 he was appointed postmaster at Washington and retained the place till 1885. Not caring to return to the shop, he bought a fine farm near town and has ever since been engaged with his crops and fine stock. He has for a long time been a member of the United Presbyterian church. He is married and has one daughter.
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