George Bell ( British Army officer ) Sir George Bell KCB ( 17 March 1794 – 10 July 1877 ) was an officer in the British Army . He served during the Peninsular War in the Napoleonic Wars , the First Anglo - Burmese War , the Rebellions of 1837 in Canada , and the Crimean War . During the Crimean War he saw action at the battles of Alma and Inkerman , and at the Siege of Sevastopol . Family and early life . He was the son of George Bell , of Belle Vue , on Lough Erne , Fermanagh , by Catherine , daughter of Dominick Nugent , M . P . , was born at Belle Vue , 17 March 1794 , and whilst yet at school in Dublin was gazetted an ensign in the 34th Regiment of Foot on 11 March 1811 . Sent to Portugal , he carried the colours of his regiment for the first time in the action of Arroyo - de - Molinos ; was present at the second and final Siege of Badajoz , and in the majority of the celebrated actions which intervened between that time and the Battle of Toulouse . On being gazetted to the 45th Regiment of Foot in 1825 he proceeded to India , and was present in Ava during the First Anglo - Burmese War . Canada . Bell became a captain in 1828 , and in 1836 was in Canada , where he was actively employed during the rebellion of 1837 - 8 . He commanded the fort and garrison of Coteau - du - Lac , an important position on the Saint Lawrence River , and received the thanks of the commander of the forces and his brevet - majority , 29 March 1839 , for his exertions in recovering the guns of the fort , which had been sunk in the river , unspiking and mounting them in position , when it had been reported to be impossible to do so . The guns were 24 - pounders , sixteen of which , with 4 , 000 round shot , he recovered from the deep in the middle of a Canadian winter . Crimea . On becoming lieutenant - colonel of the 1st Foot , known as the Royal Regiment , 5 December 1843 , he next served in Gibraltar , Nova Scotia , the West Indies , the Mediterranean , and Turkey , after which he landed with the allied armies during the Crimea War , and was present at the battles of Alma and Inkerman , and in the Siege of Sevastopol , where he was wounded and honourably mentioned in a despatch from Lord Raglan , who appointed him to the command of a brigade . Later life . On his return to England he was made a Companion of the Bath on 5 July 1855 , and took up his residence at Liverpool as inspecting field officer until 1859 , when he became a major - general in the army . He was in the Royal Regiment for the long period of thirty years . From this time onwards he never obtained any further employment , the reason being , as he fully believed , a letter which he wrote to " The Times " on 12 December 1854 , complaining of the deficiencies of the commissariat in the siege of Sevastopol , and soliciting help from the people of England . On 23 October 1863 he was appointed colonel of the 104th Foot ; he became colonel of the 32nd Foot on 2 February 1867 , and colonel of the 1st Foot on 3 August 1868 . His work , in two volumes , entitled " Rough Notes By An Old Soldier : During Fifty Years ' Service , From Ensign G . B . To Major - General C . B . " , a gossiping and amusing account of his life and services , was published early in 1867 . He was created a Knight Commander of the Bath on 13 March 1867 ; a lieutenant - general on 28 January 1868 ; and a general on 8 March 1873 . He died at 156 Westbourne Terrace , London on 10 July 1877 and is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery in London . Personal life . Bell had been twice married , the first time to Alicia , daughter and heiress of James Scott , of Ecclesjohn and Commiston , N . B . , and secondly , in 1820 , to Margaret Addison , a daughter of Thomas Dougal , of Scotland , banker . His brother was Henry Nugent Bell .