William Worthington Russell (September 20, 1821 – October 31, 1862) was a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

officer who served as the paymaster of the U.S. Marine Corps during the mid-19th century.

Early life

Russell was born on September 20, 1821. He was the son of Robert Grier Russell and Susan Hood ( Worthington) Russell. Among his siblings were Admiral Alexander Wilson Russell and

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

John Henry Russell Rear Admiral John Henry Russell (4 July 1827 – 1 April 1897) was an officer of the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Biography Russell was born at Frederick, Maryland on 4 July 1827 to Sir James H ...

. His paternal grandfather was lawyer and Revolutionary War soldier Alexander Russell, and among his extended family were uncle

James McPherson Russell James McPherson Russell (November 10, 1786 – November 14, 1870) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography James M. Russell (father of Samuel Lyon Russell) was born in York, Pennsylvania. He moved wit ...

, a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Pennsylvania, and first cousin, U.S. Representative

Samuel Lyon Russell Samuel Lyon Russell (July 30, 1816 – September 27, 1891) was a Whig member of the United States of America (U.S.) House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Formative years Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1816, Samuel L. Russell was ...

. Through his brother John, he was uncle to Maj.-Gen.

John H. Russell Jr. John Henry Russell Jr. (November 14, 1872 – March 6, 1947) was a major general and 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps. His only child was Brooke Astor, a noted philanthropist, who lived to be 105. Early life Russell was born on November ...

(father of

Brooke Astor Roberta Brooke Astor (née Russell; March 30, 1902 – August 13, 2007) was an American philanthropist, socialite, and writer who was the chairwoman of the Vincent Astor Foundation, established by her third husband, Vincent Astor, son of John Ja ...

Career

Russell served as Paymaster of the Marines for two decades. While serving under the command of General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, he was aboard the ship USS ''Independence'' when Captain Shubrick ordered Russell to lead a counter-attack from Mexican forces at San José, Mexico.

Civil War

At the beginning of the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Russell served as aide-de-camp for General

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

. He participated in the U.S. government's response to

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, alongside

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...

J. E. B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

, and

Israel Greene Israel Greene (June 17, 1824 – May 25, 1909) was a member of the United States Marine Corps and the leader of the company of Marines that captured John Brown during his raid on Harpers Ferry. He later left the USMC and served as an officer ...

, and captured

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

's pike in the process. Of the four officers who led the government's response to Brown's raid, only Russell remained loyal to the United States, with the rest joining the Confederacy after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

broke out. Alcoholism led to his resignation, and untimely death, in 1862.

Personal life

Russell was married to Virginia Fletcher of

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

. Together, they were the parents of two daughters and a son, including: * Virginia Fletcher Russell (1854–1943), who married John Buchanan Brewer. * William Worthington Russell Jr. (1858–1944), a U.S. diplomat who served under five presidents; he married Grace Campbell Lidstone in 1905. * Lucy Briscoe Russell (1860–1943), who died unmarried. Russell died from alcoholism on October 31, 1862.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, William Worthington 1821 deaths 1862 deaths United States Marine Corps officers