Henry Peter Russell (June 10, 1878December 1, 1956) was a
landsman
Landsman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anne Landsman (born 1959), South African-born female novelist
* Jay Landsman, homicide detective and actor from Baltimore, USA
* Keren Landsman (born 1977), Israeli epidemiologist ...
serving in the
United States Navy during the
Spanish–American War who received the
Medal of Honor for bravery.
Biography
Russell was born June 10, 1878, in
Quebec, Canada and after enlisting in the United States Navy on December 11, 1896, was sent to fight in the Spanish–American War aboard the U.S.S. ''Marblehead'' as a landsman.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for participating in cutting a communications cable while serving on the cruiser
USS Marblehead (C-11)
The second USS ''Marblehead'' (C-11/PG-27) was a ''Montgomery''-class unprotected cruiser in the United States Navy, authorized in the naval appropriations bill of September 7, 1888. ''Marblehead'' served in the Spanish–American War and Worl ...
.
Russell was discharged from the Navy on December 10, 1899. On April 20, 1905, he joined the U.S. Army, served in the cavalry and artillery, and rose to the rank of master sergeant before retiring January 28, 1930. About 1910 he served with the
14th Cavalry Regiment
The 14th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the United States Army. It has two squadrons that provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition for Stryker brigade combat teams. Constituted in 1901, it has served in conflicts ...
in the Philippines.
Shortly after his discharge from the Regular Army, Russell was commissioned as a 1st lieutenant in the New Hampshire National Guard on May 10, 1930, and secured employment on the staff of the Adjutant General of New Hampshire. He was promoted to captain on October 11, 1931.
[National Guard Register, 1931. pg. 595.] In 1940 he was living in
Portland, Maine.
Captain Henry P. Russell died at the Maine Veterans Hospital in
Togus, Maine
Togus, formally known as the Togus VA Medical Center, is a facility operated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Chelsea, Maine. The facility was built as a resort hotel, and housed Union veterans of the American Civil War prior ...
on December 1, 1956, and is buried at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia.
[Arlington National Cemetery]
/ref> His grave can be found in the section 31, lot 6377.[
]
Awards
* Medal of Honor
* Sampson Medal
* Spanish Campaign Medal
* Philippine Campaign Medal
* Victory Medal
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 10 June 1878, Quebec, Canada. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 521, 7 July 1899.
Citation:
On board the U.S.S. Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Russell displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.
See also
* List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Spanish–American War
References
External links
*
1878 births
1956 deaths
United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients
United States Navy sailors
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian-born Medal of Honor recipients
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
American people of French-Canadian descent
Spanish–American War recipients of the Medal of Honor
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