Peter Hansborough Bell (1812-1898) moved to Texas from Virginia to fight in the war for Texas independence. After the war he actedas assistant adjutant general, inspector general and a Texas Ranger before joining the US Army to fight in the Mexican War. Bell was elected governor of Texas in 1849 and 1851. He resigned in 1853 to fill a vacant seat in the US Congress. Bell served in Congress from 1853 to 1857. He refused a commission in the Confederate Army and spent the Civil War years on his wife's plantation in North Carolina. He died there in 1898. Bell County, Texas is named for him, and a memorial to him stands on the grounds of the courthouse in Belton, Texas.
From the description of Bell, Peter H., papers, 1847-1898. (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 70585122
