Private Lewis Bell, Jr. was born in 1831. He married Florencia Josefa Haager nee Leonardi on September 11th, 1858 at Tampa, Florida.

He was enlisted on May 14th, 1862 in Captain Smith’s Company (Key West Avengers), 7th Regiment Florida Infantry by Major R. B. Thomas at Tampa, Florida for a period of 3 years.

He is reported as present on all company rolls from that point until the period 7-28 February 1862, where he is reported absent on detached duty to the city police at Knoxville, Tennessee since December 1862.

He was promoted from the ranks to 4th Corporal between March and April, 1863. He is reported present on all rolls until February 6th, 1864, when he was granted a 30-day furlough. He was transferred to the C.S. Navy on April 10th, 1864 and was assigned to the CSS Chattahoochee as a seaman and Quartermaster.

The Chattahoochee was at that time awaiting tow to Columbus, Georgia for general repairs and the installation of engines and a boiler reclaimed from the fatally wrecked ironclad CSS Raleigh.

When the Confederates abandoned the Apalachicola River in December 1864, Chattahoochee was moved up theChattahooche River; she was later scuttled near Columbus to avoid capture, just as Union troops approached the city. There is no further official record of service after April 19th, 1864.

Quartermaster Bell died December 31st, 1884 chronic diarrhea Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida.

Florencia Josefa applied for and was granted a Confederate Widow's Pension for her husband's service.