John R. Bell (military officer)
John R.. Bell was an American military officer who served as provisional secretary and interim Governor of East Florida between July and August, 1821.
Biography
John R. Bell joined to American Army in his youth, place where he stressed, obtaining the commandant and Captain titles.
John R. Bell moved to East Florida, where he was commander of American troops at St. Augustine and provisional secretary.[1]
Eventually, Bell become in a temporary agent to the Seminoles. So, in early 1822, he prepared an estimate of the number of Amerindians living in Florida. He reported about 22,000 Amerindians, and 5,000 slaves held by Amerindians. He estimated that two-thirds of them were refugees from the Creek War, with no valid claim (in the U.S. view) to Florida.[2] John R. Bell said to Secretary of War John C. Calhoun in a letter, he had gone to government warehouses for collecting provisions that would require the Seminoles who were to leave their land.[3]
On 11 July 1821, Bell was appointed acting governor of West Florida, office he maintained until 20 August 1821.[4]
References
- ^ The East Florida Coffee Land Expedition of 1821: Plantations or a Bonapartist Kingdom of the Indies?. Posted by Canter Brown Jr. Retrieved on July 15, 2014, to 1:21pm. Page 6.
- ^ Missall. P. 55.
- ^ Black Seminoles, Maroons & Freedom Seekers in Florida.
- ^ Been Cohhon. U.S. States F-K.