William Worthington Russell
William Worthington Russell was a United States Marine Corps 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 Russell. Among his siblings were Admiral Alexander Wilson Russell and Rear Admiral John Henry Russell.His paternal grandfather was lawyer and Revolutionary War soldier Alexander Russell, and among his extended family were uncle James McPherson Russell, a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, and first cousin, U.S. Representative Samuel Lyon Russell. Through his brother John, he was uncle to Maj.-Gen. John H. Russell Jr..
Career
Russell served as Paymaster of the Marines for two decades. While serving under the command of General Winfield Scott in the Mexican–American War, 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, Russell served as aide-de-camp for General George B. McClellan. He participated in the U.S. government's response to John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, alongside Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, and Israel Greene, and captured John Brown'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 broke out. Alcoholism led to his resignation, and untimely death, in 1862.Personal life
Russell was married to Virginia Fletcher of Alexandria, Virginia. Together, they were the parents of two daughters and a son, including:- Virginia Fletcher Russell, who married John Buchanan Brewer.
- William Worthington Russell Jr., a U.S. diplomat who served under five presidents; he married Grace Campbell Lidstone in 1905.
- Lucy Briscoe Russell, who died unmarried.