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William Henry Russell (1802 - 1873)

William Henry Russell
Born in Poplar Hill, Fayette County, Kentuckymap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 11 Mar 1824 in Calvert County, Marylandmap
Husband of — married 25 Jun 1862 in Washington, District of Columbiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 71 in Washington, District of Columbia, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 5 May 2011
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This person was created through the import of LaBach Family TreeApril28_2011.ged on 05 May 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Contents

Name

Name: William Henry /Russell/
Source: #S-2084246783
Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Union, Washington, Missouri; Roll: M593_; Page: ; Image: .
Note: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1870usfedcen&h=3113489&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
Note:
Data:
Text: Birth date: abt 1804Birth place: KentuckyResidence date: 1870Residence place: Union, Washington, Missouri, United States
APID: 1,7163::3113489


Birth

Birth:
Date: 9 Oct 1802
Place: "Poplar Hill", Fayette Co., KY
Source: #S-2084246783
Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Union, Washington, Missouri; Roll: M593_; Page: ; Image: .
Note: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1870usfedcen&h=3113489&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
Note:
Data:
Text: Birth date: abt 1804Birth place: KentuckyResidence date: 1870Residence place: Union, Washington, Missouri, United States
APID: 1,7163::3113489


Residence

Residence:
Date: 1870
Place: Union, Washington, Missouri, United States
Source: #S-2084246783
Page: Year: 1870; Census Place: Union, Washington, Missouri; Roll: M593_; Page: ; Image: .
Note: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1870usfedcen&h=3113489&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt
Note:
Data:
Text: Birth date: abt 1804Birth place: KentuckyResidence date: 1870Residence place: Union, Washington, Missouri, United States
APID: 1,7163::3113489


User ID

User ID: ABA0D9ACC2DE43649A0ADBBF3F0DC79E06B0


Burial

Burial:
Place: Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, Washington, DC


Occupation

Occupation: Attorney


Event

Event:
Type: census 1830
Date: 1830
Place: Nicholas County, Kentucky
Source:
Note: William Henry Russell is listed in the 1830 Census for Nicholas
County, Kentucky with 2 white males under 5, 1 5-10, 1 30-40, 1 white
female 30-40, 1 50-60, 1 male slave under 10, 1 10-24, 1 female slave
under 10, 1 10-24, and 1 24-36.
Event:
Type: census 1840
Date: 1840
Place: Callaway County, Missouri
Source:
Note: William Henry Russell is listed in the 1840 Census for Callaway
County, Missouri in Fulton Township with 2 white males under 5, 1
5-10, 2 10-15, 1 15-20, 1 20-30, 1 30-40, 1 white female 5-10, 1
30-40, 1 50-60, 2 males slaves under 10, 2 10-24, 2 24-36, 1 36-55, 3
females slaves under 10, and 4 10-24 for a total of 14 slaves. Six
persons were engaged in agriculture.
Event:
Type: census 1850 - free
Date: 1850
Place: Jackson County, Missouri
Source:
Note: William Henry Russell is listed in the 1850 Census for Jackson County,
Missouri in Blue Township with himself listed as a lawyer 45 years of
age born in Kentucky, Zaenett is 44 born in Maryland, Eugene is 26
born in Maryland, Frederic is 20 born in Kentucky, Thomas A. is 18
born in Kentucky, Josephine is 17 born in Missouri, Harry is 15 born
in Missouri, and George W. is 12 born in Missouri. Harry and George W.
attended school in the previous year.
Event:
Type: census 1860 - free
Date: 1860
Place: Shawnee, Johnson Co., Kansas Territory
Source:
Note: William Henry Russell is listed in the 1860 Census for the Kansas Territory as a lawyer, age 56, born in Kentucky, with real estate worth $25,000 and personal property worth $10,000. He is living in the household of J. D. Allen, age 48.
Event: Divorce from Zaenett Freeland
Type: Divorced
Date: 1860
Place: Act of Kansas Territorial Legislature


Note

Note: His biography from [IT:William Russell and His Descendants:IT] by Anna
Russell des Cognets (Lexington, Ky., 1884) follows: WILLIAM HENRY
RUSSELL, born October 9th, 1802. Some account of his public life and
services is given in the following letter of Hon. Robert J. Walker to
President Andrew Johnson.
Washington, D. C., May 9th, 1867.
To his Excellency,
The President of the United States:
I am prompted to this act by my knowledge of the eminent fitness of
Col. Russell for the position, and my conviction that his appointment
would secure the faithful and intelligent discharge of the duties of a
responsible position.
Col. Russell is a native of Favette county, Ky. He was a member of the
Legislature of that State in 1830; and was mainly instrumental in
securing the election of Mr. Clay, an old political opponent, to the
U. S. Senate in 1831; so acknowledged by Mr. Clay himself.
In the fall of 1831, Col. Russell emigrated to Missouri; and in the
summer of 1832 was Judge-Advocate of a regiment in the Black Hawk war.
In 1838 and '40, he was a member of the Legislature from Ca!loway
county of that State; serving in 1839 as a member of the Harrisburg
Convention, and urging with consistent zeal Mr. Clay for the
Presidency. In 1844, he was appointed, by President Harrison, Marshal
of Missouri - comprising at that time Missouri proper, Iowa,
Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska.
In 1846, he went to California at the head of a large emigration. On
his arrival there he was appointed, by Commodore Stockton, Secretary
of State, while Fremont was acting Governor. In 1848, he was a member
of the Philadelphia Convention that nominated General Taylor, but
withdrew before the nomination was made, because he opposed that of
Gen. Taylor and regarded the Whig party as having degenerated into a
mere personal party.
In 1849, Col. Russell returned to California, where he was made an
honorary member with Gov. Waller of the Convention that framed the
State Constitution. In 1851, he was appointed Collector of Customs at
Monterey, which position he held until his successor was appointed by
Mr. Pierce.
He practiced law with the late Senator Baker and Edward Stanley of
North Carolina, in San Francisco, Cal.
In 1861, he was appointed by Mr. Lincoln, U. S. Consul at Trinidad de
Cuba, which office he held until after the assassination, receiving
the plaudits of all for the faithful manner in which he discharged his
duties, especially for his successful effort to rescue the Joseph
Maxwell from the claims of the Spanish government, she being a prize
of the Confederate steamer "Sumpter".
His record is spotless, and I most earnestly commend him to your
favorable consideration.
Yours very respectfully,
R. J. WALKER.
Col. Russell died in Washington, D. C., October 13th, 1873, and was
buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, D.C. He married in early life
Miss Zanette Freeland, of Baltimore.
The above letter of Robert J. Walker, former Secretary of the Treasury under
President Polk, Senator from Mississippi, and Territorial Governor of Kansas is
apparently a preliminary version. The actual letter from U.S. Government records
follows:
Washington City May 17, 1867.
To His Excellency,
The President of the United States
Dear Sir
«tab»Permit me to command to your favorable attention the application of Col. Wm H. Russell, late U. S. Consul at Trinidad de Cuba to the appointment U. C. Consul General at Havana. I am prompted to this act by my knowledge of the eminent fitness of Col. Russell for the position, and my conviction that his appointment would secure the faithful and intelligent discharge of the duties of a responsible position. Col. Russell is a native of Favette County, Ky. He was a member of the Legislature of that State in 1830; and was mainly instrumental in securing the election of Mr. Clay, an old political opponent, to the U. S. Senate in 1831; so acknowledged by Mr. Clay himself. In the fall of 1831, Col. Russell emigrated to Missouri; and in the summer of 1832 was Judge-Advocate of a regiment in the Black Hawk war. In 1838 and '40, he was a member of the Legislature from Callaway county of that State; serving in 1839 as a member of the Harrisburg Convention, and urging with consistent zeal Mr. Clay for the Presidency. In 1844, he was appointed, by President Harrison, Marshal of Missouri - comprising at that time Missouri proper, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. In 1846, he went to California at the head of a large emigration. On his arrival there he was appointed, by Commodore Stockton, Secretary of State, while Fremont was acting Governor. In 1848, he was a member of the Philadelphia Convention that nominated General Taylor, but withdrew before the nomination was made, because he opposed that of Gen. Taylor and regarded the Whig party as having degenerated into a mere personal party. In 1849, Col. Russell returned to California, where he was made an honorary member with Gov. Waller of the Convention that framed the State Constitution. In 1851, he was appointed Collector of Customs at Monterey, which position he held until his successor was appointed by Mr. Pierce.
He practiced law with the late Senator Baker and Edward Stanley of North Carolina, in San Francisco, Cal. In 1860, he advocated in western Missouri the claims of Mr. Lincoln for the Presidency and was shot four times by an assassin for the boldness of his advocacy. In 1861, he was appointed by Mr. Lincoln, U. S. Consul at Trinidad de Cuba, which office he held until after the assassination, receiving the thanks of all for the faithful manner in which he discharged his duties, especially for his successful effort to rescue the Joseph Maxwell from the claims of the Spanish government, she being a prize of the Confederate steamer "Sumter".
«tab»Col Russell is a grand nephew of Patrick Henry and is the father in law of the youngest son of Henry Clay. His record is spotless and I «u»most earnestly«/u» commend him to your favorable consideration.
«tab»«tab»«tab»«tab»«tab»Yours very Respectfully
R. J. WALKER.
The biography of William Henry Russell from the[IT: Dictionary of
American Biography:IT]y (New York, 1935) follows (note that he was
actually born in Fayette County, KY but practiced law in Nicholas
County, KY): RUSSELL, WILLIAM HENRY (Oct. 9, 1802-Oct, 13, 1873),
politician, California pioneer, was born in Nicholas County, Ky., the
son of Robert Spotswood and Deborah (Allen) Russell and grandson of
Gen. William Russell. He practised law in his native county and in
1830 represented it in the legislature; about this time he married
Zanette Freeland of Baltimore. He early came to the attention of Henry
Clay, who befriended him, and it is said that for a time he was Clay's
secretary. In 1831 he emigrated to Callaway County, Mo., and in the
following year served in the Black Hawk War; in 1841 he was appointed
United States marshal of the District of Missouri, which included the
Indian Country. He had by this time acquired the courtesy title of
"colonel." His term ended in 1845, and in May 1846, near Independence,
Mo., he joined a wagon-train of California emigrants, among whom was
Edwin Bryant, later the author of [IT:What I Saw in California:IT]
(1848), in which Russell figures. He was elected captain of the
company but near Fort Laramie was displaced. With Bryant and seven
others he continued the journey on muleback by way of Fort Bridger to
the site of the future Salt Lake City and then across the Great Salt
Desert, the first to follow Fremont's track of the year before.
Arriving at Sutter's Fort on Sept. 1, and proceeding to Yerba Buena
and Monterey, Russell joined Fremont's California Battalion with the
rank of major and was one of the peace commissioners who framed the
treaty of Cahuenga, Jan. 13, 1847. Fremont [q.z:] a few days later
appointed him secretary of state. On the downfall of the Fremont
administration in March, Russell left for the east by way of Santa Fe,
reaching the Missouri settlements in July and thence going to
Washington; he was one of Fremont's principal witnesses in the
court-martial, which began in November. In 1849 he returned to
California and practised law at San Jose and elsewhere until at least
1854. Later he went east again and in 1861 was appointed consul at
Trinidad, Cuba. By 1865 he was back in the United States, and two
years later sought vainly to get the post of consul-general at Havana.
He died in Washington and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Russell appears as "Col. R___"in one passage in Parkman's The
California and Oregon Trail (1849, ch. x) and in many passages in
other Western books of the time. He was a large man, expansive in
manner, boastful and bombastic in speech. His egotism sometimes made
him the sport of his companions. In a story often told about him, he
is said to have mistaken the chorus of "tu-whoo's" from a flock of
owls for a challenge of "Who are you?" and to have thundered back,
"Col. William H. Russell, of Kentucky--a bosom friend of Henry Clay!"
Ever after he was known as "Owl" Russell. He was, however, a man of
many substantial and endearing qualities, and was widely popular. He
is sometimes confused with William Hepburn Russell [q.v.], the founder
of the Pony Express.
[Anna Russell des Cognets, William Russell and His Descendants ( 1884)
 ; W. H. Davis, Seventy-Five Years in California (1929); H. H.
Bancroft, Hist. of California, vol. V (1886); L. H. Garrard,
Wah-To-Yah and the Taos Trail (1850), chs. xxm-xxv; Appletons' Ann.
Cyc., 1878; Daily Nat. Republican (Washington, D. C.), Oct. 14, 1873;
information from Ludie J. Kinkead and Mrs. Jouett T. Cannon,
Frankfort, Ky.] W.J.G.
His obituary from the Daily National Republican newspaper of October
14, 1873, Washington, DC: The death of Colonel William H. Russell is
announced as having occurred yesterday at his residence, 1211 I
street, in this city, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, aged sixty-nine
years. Colonel Russell was formerly private secretary to Henry Clay,
with whose family he was connected by the marriage of one of his
daughters to a son of Mr. Clay. Colonel Russell was a man of superior
attainments and refined cultivation, who filled several official
positions with honor to himself and usefulness to his country. He was
at one time United States marshall of the State of Missouri, and later
was appointed by the late President Lincoln as consul at Trinidad,
Cuba. His funeral will take place to-morrow at 3 o'clock p.m. from his
late residence, and remains will be interred at Oak Hill.

Sources

Source S-2084246783
Repository: #R-2084255971
Title: 1870 United States Federal Census
Author: Ancestry.com
Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record
Note:
APID: 1,7163::0


Repository R-2084255971
Name: Ancestry.com
Address: http://www.Ancestry.com
Note:




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