At the age of seventeen, Bissell ran off and joined the U.S. Navy. In the book, "List of Officers in the US Navy and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900", compiled from the Official Records of the Navy Department, Bissell is shown listed as Acting Masters Mate. On 0ctober 17, 1862, Bissell was appointed as a Mate in the Union Navy, receiving his instruction and training at New York. Bissell was aboard the USS "Arizona" at the mouth of the Mississippi River, from April 1 through April 4, 1863, then on June l5, l863, while still aboard the "Arizona" and on the Mississippi River, Bissell was captured at Pointe Coupee, Louisiana and imprisoned at Vicksburg, Virginia. Bissell was finally released, with the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi by General Grant in July l863, and after his release, Bissell was allowed to return home due to bad health. On March 15, 1864 Bissell again reported for duty, aboard the double-ended Union gunboat, "Agawam" and is shown on Naval rosters as Acting Ensign aboard the "Agawam" from March 1864 through April 1864. Bissell was then transferred to the ‘Union Naval' vessel "Shenandoah", on May 31, 1864. On April 27, 1865 Bissell officially resigned from naval service and arrived in Australia, some twenty years later. Bissell became infected with Typhoid Fever and spent some six weeks in the Rockhampton hospital recovering. He eventually moved to Mount Morgan, Queensland, where he died in hospital of a cerebral haemorrhage, at the age of sixty-three on April 2, 1906; and was buried in the Mount Morgan Cemetery. Unfortunately, the grave remained unmarked and is in an old part of the cemetery, making it absolutely impossible to definitely identify which grave is his. Samuel Sherwood Bissell is interred grave M71, row A, under the name of "Bezzell". A bronze memorial plaque for his grave was acquired by James Gray and the American Civil War Round Table of Queensland, Inc.from the American Veterans Administration.
At the age of seventeen, Bissell ran off and joined the U.S. Navy. In the book, "List of Officers in the US Navy and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900", compiled from the Official Records of the Navy Department, Bissell is shown listed as Acting Masters Mate. On 0ctober 17, 1862, Bissell was appointed as a Mate in the Union Navy, receiving his instruction and training at New York. Bissell was aboard the USS "Arizona" at the mouth of the Mississippi River, from April 1 through April 4, 1863, then on June l5, l863, while still aboard the "Arizona" and on the Mississippi River, Bissell was captured at Pointe Coupee, Louisiana and imprisoned at Vicksburg, Virginia. Bissell was finally released, with the capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi by General Grant in July l863, and after his release, Bissell was allowed to return home due to bad health. On March 15, 1864 Bissell again reported for duty, aboard the double-ended Union gunboat, "Agawam" and is shown on Naval rosters as Acting Ensign aboard the "Agawam" from March 1864 through April 1864. Bissell was then transferred to the ‘Union Naval' vessel "Shenandoah", on May 31, 1864. On April 27, 1865 Bissell officially resigned from naval service and arrived in Australia, some twenty years later. Bissell became infected with Typhoid Fever and spent some six weeks in the Rockhampton hospital recovering. He eventually moved to Mount Morgan, Queensland, where he died in hospital of a cerebral haemorrhage, at the age of sixty-three on April 2, 1906; and was buried in the Mount Morgan Cemetery. Unfortunately, the grave remained unmarked and is in an old part of the cemetery, making it absolutely impossible to definitely identify which grave is his. Samuel Sherwood Bissell is interred grave M71, row A, under the name of "Bezzell". A bronze memorial plaque for his grave was acquired by James Gray and the American Civil War Round Table of Queensland, Inc.from the American Veterans Administration.
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