Clark Family Mysteries-2

Location: WaKeeney, Trego, Kansas, United States
Surnames/tags: Payne Russell

Summary of what is known about Edwin Payne Russell

Earliest known fact – Mustered into the Vermont 1st Cavalry, Company K. Enrolled October 13th, 1861. Said he was from Shoreham, Vermont and was 19 years old. That would put his birth year at 1842. Mustered into the cavalry on November 19th, 1861, the day that the Vermont 1st Cavalry was formed. June 13th, 1864 he was slightly wounded in the neck. Maybe at the Battle of Trevallian Station which occurred over the two previous days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trevilian_Station

In the pay records of Sept./Oct. 1864 it said that he’d gone to Vermont to muster out. The three years of service he’s signed up for were done. Many men in the 1st Cavalry mustered out on November 18th, 1864.

August, 1864 – He was absent because he was sent to Camp Stoneman, Washington, DC. Camp Stoneman was a cavalry dismount facility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Stoneman,_DC

In an IRS tax assessment from 1864 for Iowa there is an Edwin Russell living in Davenport, Iowa. He owed $19.20. Seven lines down there is a J.P. Russell living in Liberty Township, Iowa which is just northwest of Davenport. He owes $1.86 in taxes. On the next page there is a Samuel Russell living in Winfield, Iowa which is southwest of Davenport. There is also a J T Russell living in Winfield that shows up on that page.

In the 1870 census E. P. Russell shows up in Etna, Iowa as a saloon keeper. He’s listed as 28 years old. Again, his birth year would be 1842. It shows him owning real estate worth $1,000. He is said to have been born in England. This is the only reference to him being born in England that has ever turned up. He is in the same entry as Alva Harp and his family. Alva is listed as a restaurant owner. There is another Hosp family living in Etna as well. Just above E. P.’s entry is Tina Koons. Short for Christina Koons who would eventually become his wife. She is listed as 21 years old. Birth year 1849. She is listed as housekeeping, presumably at the Harp restaurant where E. P. may have been the saloon keeper. She is said to have been born in Illinois. Christina was also in the 1870 US census for Viola, Illinois (post office was Rochelle, Ill.) with her parents Jesse and Eliza. (Illinois census was June 23rd, 1870. The Iowa census was August 30th, 1870)

On October 25th, 1870 E P Russell marries Christina Kuntz in Marshalltown, Iowa. This information came from Early Marriage Records of Marshall County, Iowa July 27, 1856 – July 1, 1880.

In the 1880 census, dated June 10th, 1880 E P Russell appears in the WaKeeney, Kansas census with Christina and three children, Anna Retta, Roscoe Centennial (initials RRC), and Myrtle (Mabel). (Franklin Street, dwelling number 110) All of the children were born in Illinois and ranged in age from seven to one. (In later censuses Myrtle’s place of birth is listed as Kansas, Anna and Roscoe’s are listed as Illinois.) In this census E P’s age is 33 making his birth year approximately 1847, contradicting the birth years previously mentioned.

From March 15th, 1879 through May 5th, 1881 the following ad appeared in the WaKeeney World:

E Russell House Painting, Glazing and Kalsomining WAKEENEY KANSAS Prompt and satisfactory execution assured.

In the Western Kansas World (WaKeeney, Kansas) on July 30th, 1881 there is a notice of delinquent tax list of real estate in Trego county, Kansas, for the year 1880. Edwin Russell appears on that list with 320 acres of land owing $25.43.

In the March 24th, 1887 edition of the Terry Eye, (Terry, Kansas) there is the following piece: “Mr. Edwin Russell is visiting Mr. J. O. Gregory, three miles west of town. Mr. Russell is from Meade County, this state, where he proved up a pre-emption. He has taken a homestead and tree claim in Colorado. We are sorry he could not find attractions sufficient in North Finney to have remained with us.”

Not sure if this is our Edwin Russell but June 1st, 1885 E.P. Russell appears in a Colorado state census for Chaffee, Colorado along with Christina, Anna, Roscoe and Myrtle. Edwin is age 39 in that census. That would put his birth year at 1846.

There is an E P Russell buried in Potter Field in Omaha, Nebraska. Year of birth was 1848 and year of death was 1888. Age 19-40. This could be our E P Russell. https://northomahahistory.com/2019/09/04/a-history-of-the-potters-field-in-north-omaha/

On April 9th, 1889 Christina Russell applied for a widow’s pension from Iowa. In the index card for the pension it shows Edwin Russell serving in company K of the first Vermont Cavalry. The application number is for widow number 392,849, certificate number 321,029. A notation at the bottom of the card says XC 2665.240. This is the last know reference to E P Russell.

Speculation and unknowns: Who were Edwin Payne’s parents and where was he born? It appeared that he lied about his age to join the cavalry in the Civil War. Did they leave WaKeeney because of the delinquent taxes? If it is indeed our E P Russell in the Potter Field in Omaha, Nebraska then why? Were the Russell’s headed to or from Colorado. Afterwards Christina applied for a widower’s pension from Iowa. When and where did Edwin Payne Russell die?