Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 591 - 593 

COL. JOHN RUSSELL, a retired farmer, living in his pleasant home at No. 313 North Fern street, is numbered among the most honored citizens of Wichita. He is a worthy descendant of an old family of Scottish Covenanters who were pious followers of John Knox, and they were also a family of soldiers and very strict in their adherance to their religious principles. James Russell, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and his father was an excise officer of Scotland, and a stanch adherent of the Presbyterian Church.

            When a lad James Russell came to this country with one of his brothers, and during the Revolutionary War he served as a Sergeant under Washington. He was badly wounded by a sabre cut in the head at the battle of Long Island, near Flushing, while carrying despatches which were taken from him; he was allowed to live, however, as he was so badly wounded that it was not supposed that he could survive very long, but he recovered and did still further faithful service in the cause of the Colonists until the war was decided in their favor. He subsequently returned to the land of his birth, and there married Miss Jane Russell, of Ayrshire, a descendant of a common ancestry with himself. They remained for many years residents of Scotland, but in about 1800 Mr. Russell came with his family to make his home in this country, which he had so ably assisted in his younger days to gain its independence. Here he received from the State of Pennsylvania a grant of 315 acres of land in Beaver County, Moon Township, twenty-five miles distant from Pittsburgh. This land was given him in consideration of his making a settlement there; it was on the frontier, and was infested by hostile Indians. He remained on his farm, which he cleared from the heavy timber, until his death, in 1835, at the advanced age of ninety-four years. He was true to the religion of his fathers, always being a firm Presbyterian. To him and his wife were born five children, namely: William, James, Nathaniel, Mary and Sarah.

            William, the eldest son of the family above-mentioned, and father of our subject, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1789. He was bred to the life of a farmer in his native land. He was quite a young man when his father returned to settle in this country, but he preferred to remain in Scotland, chained by the bright eyes of his future bride, Miss Ann Dunlap, daughter of J. Dunlap, a freighter, of Scotland. Her mother prior to her marriage was a Miss Jennie McPherson, of the Highland clan of McPhersons, who spoke the old Gaelic tongue. To Mr. and Mrs. Russell were born four children -- James, William, Elizabeth and John. Mr. Russell was at one time a fruit-grower, and later engaged in the mercantile business. He died in the very prime of life from exposure in a snowstorm, being but thirty-six years of age. He was in every respect a good man, possessing in a marked degree the worthy characteristics that distinguish his race.

            Col. John Russell, of this sketch, was born in Glasgow, July 16, 1818, and was reared in Ayrshire on a farm which was owned by his father. His education was conducted in the schools of the day, and as a youth he enlisted in the volunteer troops that went from Great Britain to Spain in 1835, sent thither by the English Government with the avowed purpose of establishing Protestantism and of suppressing forever the Inquisition, which had been abolished the year before, and, in accordance with an alliance formed with the Spanish Queen, the French and Portuguese rulers, to assist in quelling the Carlist uprising and to strengthen the Queen more firmly in her possession of the Spanish throne. Our subject did valiant service in that country for three years, and at the retirement from the army was a non-commissioned officer. After his return to Scotland he spent but a short time in his native land, but soon emigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, finding employment as a gardener.

            In 1841 Col. Russell was married to Miss Jane Allen, a native of Scotland, and a daughter of Walter and Jeanette (Main) Allen. In 1844 the Colonel moved with his family to Moon Township, where he bad an interest in his grandfather's estate. He remained in that place until 1854, when be again moved West with his wife and children, and settled on the Vermilion River, near Reading, in Livingston County, Ill., where he bought a farm and was extensively engaged in farming for some years.

            When President Lincoln made his call for 300,000 men Col. Russell promptly responded and, with his previous military experience, was a valuable aid to the Government in raising Company C, 44th Illinois Infantry, which was enlisted for three years, and he was appointed Captain of the company that bore the colors. He served with distinction throughout the Rebellion, and was in the twenty-two battles that his regiment took part in, the principal of which were Pea Ridge, Stone River, Chickamauga, Perryville, all of the engagements of the Atlanta campaign, Mission Ridge, Jonesboro and Franklin. In the latter engagement the Colonel held an important position in Opdike's celebrated brigade, which, it is claimed, saved the day at the battle of Franklin, Tenn. He was recommended for promotion by Brig. Gen. Gordon Granger in 1862 for bravery and efficient service on the field of battle, and at the battle of Pea Ridge was appointed by Gen. Seigel to the command of three companies and covered the flank of Seigel's division, and in the fight of March 7, 1862, he captured the Colonel of the 3d Louisiana and the Colonel of the 14th Arkansas, with a portion of their commands.

            At Stone River Col. Russell had a horse shot under him, and at that battle he received deserved promotion from the hand of Gen. Sherman to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel by brevet. At the expiration of his first term of service he re-enlisted in Tennessee for a second term of three years in the veteran corps, the entire regiment re-enlisting in one day, although those brave men were on very short rations of one cup of meal a day. The Colonel was twice wounded at Chickamauga, once by a pistol ball in the right shoulder, which disabled his arm and caused it to shrink, necessitating the amputation of two fingers; his other injury was in his left side, causing his left leg to shrink, in fact he was almost entirely disabled, but as he had a fine physique and had inherited an iron constitution from a vigorous ancestry, he was enabled to overcome the effects of his dangerous wounds. He was the oldest man in his regiment, being about forty-three. After the battle of Franklin, Col. Russell was appointed to the command of the 1st Brigade, 2d Division of the 4th Army Corps.

            After the war Col. Russell came to Kansas and bought 300 acres of land near Topeka, and made his residence there for nearly six years. He then sold that place and bought a half-section of land. Afterward he moved to Wichita, where be purchased a half-section of land, which in the rapid growth of the city has now become very valuable.

            To our subject and his most worthy companion have been born eleven children, namely: Jennie, James, Anne, John, Mary, Andrew, William, Sarah, Samuel, Elizabeth and Sheridan. Their sons are all married and well established in life, with good farms. When our subject went to the war he left his wife on the farm with eleven children to care for. She heroically took up the burden, and offered her husband on the altar of their adopted country, and when Price made his famous raid she bravely dispatched her young sons, James and John, into the contest, where James was captured by the enemy but subsequently paroled.

            Col. Russell is a noble type of the citizen soldier, equally true to his country on the battle-field or in the peaceful surroundings of his home, and his family may well feel proud of his honorable and manly record. In 1883 he was a member of the Kansas Legislature. He is a fine representative of the Republican party and has always been firm in his support of its principles. Both himself and his excellent wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which they take a great interest, and in their daily lives they show themselves to be sincere Christians. Col. Russell is a member of Garfield Post, G. A. R., at Wichita.

            A fine portrait of Col. Russell is shown in this connection. It is made from a photograph taken many years ago, but will be recognized as both the valiant soldier and the enterprising citizen.

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