Mrs. J.P. Kirk

Box 28

Melrose, New Mexico.

My parents were married in or near Ft. Scott, Kansas in 1854.  Andrew was born not far Ft. Scott, Kansas in 1860.

My Grandfather (Samuel James) RUSSELL lived in Tennessee.  My father was born in 1833, and in 1849 he was 16 and started going with girls.  Being too young to marry, he went west with the Smith train of Wagons.  He stayed several years, then returned to Tennessee, and found his friends had gone to Ft. Scott,

so he returned to Ft. Scott, and married Jane HORTON.

She was born near Montgomery, Alabama, Morton, P.O. in 1835.

Father was in the army and was taken prisoner at Maysville, Arkansas; probably in 1863, and sent to Springfield, Missouri.  Most of the RUSSELL's had moved to Arkansas by this time.  Father and another man got sick while in Prison.  Father got well, the other man died and the names got mixed, so Father's name was put on tombstone marker of other soldier.  Father was sent back East to exchange for another prisoner.

Mother heard that Father was dead and the war ended, and returned to Arkansas; living with her parents, her mother caring for her two little children,

while she helped her father on the farm. Father returned to Kansas when released and the family was reunited.

They later removed to Arkansas, living about five miles west of Gravette.

Copy of letter written 2-24-1954 by Elizabeth Kirk to Mattie Johnson.

Mrs. J.P. Kirk

Box 28,

Melrose, New Mexico.

Dear Mattie,

Received your letter. I'm feeling better than when I wrote the other time, but still pretty messy and forgetful.  My father, Jim B. Russell, was born in Tennessee in 1833.  I think in about 1846,the family moved from Tennessee to Kansas in covered wagons, my father with the bunch.

Then in 1849, Pa wanted to go with Smith's wagon train to the west coast.  His parents let him go.  He stayed in California I think, 4 years, came back different route but finally got to Fort Scott, Kansas and felt more settled, then met my mother.

Mother's folks, left Alabama, I think in 1846. Ma was 11 years old.  They went to Hot Springs, Arkansas in covered wagons, bought land out a ways from Hot Springs and farmed till, I think, 1851.

They sold out and moved to Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Pa's father died not long before my Pa was taken into the army.  Grandpa (Samuel James) Russell was buried not far from Fort, Scott.  Ma's parents died and were buried not far from Fort, Scott.

My folks, didn't live at Maysville, But out East of Maysville.  Most all of my folks and relatives were buried in the old cemetery not far from where Jack lives.

We all were born on that old place from Lish down.  My mother's maiden name was Olive Jane HORTON. Married in 1856.  Sister Joe was born during the war, in Arkansas.  Brother Will in Kansas after the war, Andrew in Kansas before the war in 1860.

My grandma (Mary) Polly RUSSELL, and her niece, Louise, married brothers.  Aunt Louise married Lidge RUSSELL; he lived up toward Bentonville till he died.  My father, I think, was the oldest son.   His brother, Lish died during Civil War with congestive chill.  Uncle Sam the youngest of the boys.  Polly's name before marriage, I think was HUBBARD or BELL. Aunt Louise's mane BELL or I may have the names mixed up.  Mabe Grandma's was BELL.  I think my Grandpa RUSSELL's name was James, think my Pa was supposed to be names for his dad.  Pa's name was Jim B.

In speakin of him, his sisters would say Jim B.

Talking of me writing, I wonder who could be me being messy.  We are still dry here, weather not at all cold,  dust blowing today, excuse this mess.

My father was sick in Springfield, Mo. prison, when a Mr. Gray died and Pa's name was put on the slab at Mr. Gray's grave.

I'll send this although you may not be able to read it.

With Love,

Aunt L. Kirk

Letter written by Mattie Johnson??

The first Russells I have been able to trace were three brothers in Alabama.  They must have moved from there at an early age since most of the Russell historians say they were natives of Tennessee and the brothers all married natives of Tennessee. The Three were Samuel born in 1811, Andrew born in 1813, and Elijah born in 1821. We are descended from Samuel. He married Mary Bell and their first three children were born in Tennessee. They went from Tennessee to Barry County Missouri where their next four children were born. About 1859 they moved to Benton County Arkansas.

Their oldest child James B., was born in Rhea County, Tennessee, Nov 20, 1833. He married Olive Jane Horton who was born near Montgomery, Alabama on March 20, 1838. They gave their sons presidential names and their daughters Bible names. Their oldest son was Andrew Jackson born on the family farm about one and a half miles west of Gravette, Arkansas on May 14, 1860.

Shortly after this the Civil War moved into the area of northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri and the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. James B. Russell joined the Union Army on July 4, 1862, leaving his wife and two small sons in Arkansas. With most of the men away fighting the Bushwackers, Indians and the poorly fed troops from both sides of the conflict started raiding the farms and taking all the food animals and supplies. There are several instances where they killed any men who where there. Because of the danger to the women left behind, the Union Army sent wagons and moved the women and children of their soldiers to Kansas, near the old trading post north of Fort Scott. Olive Horton Russell and her small sons were among those who made the move. One article I read about the Russells said Andrew Jackson was born at Fort Scott, but if he was born in 1860 that would not be true since his father didn't enlist until 1862. A Few months after they arrived in Kansas Olive Jane was told her husband had been killed in the Battle of Wilson Creek near Springfield, Mo. She even, went to Springfield and found a grave, with his name on it.

When the war ended she took her sons and went back to Benton County where she moved in with her husband's parents. One day she looked up and saw a man walking down the road toward their their house. As he got closer she saw that it was her husband. It seems, a friend of his had been killed and mistakenly buried under his name. He was taken prisoner and shipped to a camp, at Camp Lee Virginia. He was seriously ill for several months and couldn't let his family know where he was.

Andrew Jackson grew up in Benton County and married Mary Mathews Oct. 17, 1879. One son was born to them, our grandfather James Washington, Oct.29, 1880. He was their only child and Mary died on April 15, 1883 and is buried in the Russell Family Cemetery west of Gravette. Andrew Jackson married for the second, time on August 29, 1885 to Margaret Brooks. Her family came to Benton County with a group from Georgia. They settled about five miles southwest of Gravette and called their community Georgia Flats.

Andrew Jackson and Margaret had six sons and seven daughters so Andrew was actually the father seven sons and seven daughters. They continued to live on the farm and raised strawberries that were shipped out by train and tomatoes that were sold to the local canning factory. Most of Andrew's adult life he was involved in law enforcement serving as constable, city marshall, justice of the peace, undersheriff and sheriff of Benton County. While he was sheriff they lived in Bentonville because the new jail had living quarters for the sheriff and his family on the first floor with cells for the prisoners on the second floor.

We have often wondered about our Indian ancestory from Dad's side of the family but I ran across something interesting about the Russells. I was told by an officer of the White River Band of Cherokees in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas that no one served in the Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Riflemen except Indians. This is the unit that James B. Russell was in. One possibility I have not been able to research yet is that James's mother was Mary Bell. At the prisent time I don't know about her family but I also know that the famous Indian General Stand Watie was also married to a Sarah Bell.  Could they have been related? Could the Bell girls have been related and of Indian ancestry? There are a number of books listing the Indians and their numbers if they were registered. I looked at one of these, The Dawes Guion Miller Roll 1898-1914 and it has 99 Russells listed in it.