John Russell was the only child of John and Mehitable (Davis) Russell and was baptized on 4 September 1748 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. John’s father died on 1 August 1748, one month before his own birth. Mrs. Mehitable (Davis) Russell married John Sturgis of Barnstable on 14 April 1754.

Aged 20 years, John married Mary Gorham, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Sturgis) Gorham, on 10 December 1768, in Barnstable. Their children were: John, William, who died before age 1, Abigail, William, and Hetty, who died at age 1.¹

John first served in the American Revolution as a Sergeant in Captain Micah Hamilton’s (Hamlin) militia company from Barnstable, commanded by Colonel Joseph Otis “on the alarm at Marshfield, 19 April 1775”.² The Pay Rolls of Captain James Davis dated “1 November 1775” and “1 November to 31 December 1775” in “Seacoast Service” include Sergeant John Russell enlisted 1 July with monthly wages of £2, 4 shillings.³ The Muster Roll for Captain Elisha Nye’s company stationed at the Elizabeth Islands from “the 4 January to 29 February 1776 lists John Russell, 2nd Lieutenant, with service of 29 days, and monthly wages of £3, 3 shillings.⁴ From 5 April to 26 June 1776, Russell continued his service in the company of Captain Elisha Nye in defense of the seacoast at the Elizabeth Islands with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.⁵

Mid-1776, representatives of Martha’s Vineyard to the General Court petitioned for a third company in defense of the island. On 27 June 1776, John Russell was commissioned Captain of an 83-man company raised to defend the sea coast at Martha’s Vineyard from 29 June to 22 November 1776, under the command of Major Barachiah Bassett.⁶ The Continental Army pay accounts show Captain John Russell, of Barnstable, with service from 2 December 1776 to 1 April 1778, in the regiment of Colonel Gamaliel Bradford.⁷

The Massachusetts privateer brigantine General Arnold, captained by James Magee with its crew of 120 and mounting 22 guns, cruised off Martha’s Vineyard with the ships Mars and Revenge in July 1778. As Captain of the marines, John Russell was among the crew of General Arnold when on 24 December 1778, in the company of the brigantine Revenge, she departed Boston with intentions of sailing to the West Indies in search of British ships and their prized cargo. Before clearing Cape Cod Bay, a “Nor’easter” caused Captain Magee to seek shelter at Plymouth Harbor. Heavy winds and surf drove the General Arnold ashore while the icy waters flooded below decks. Forced onto the quarterdeck, the crew huddled together in an effort to survive the freezing conditions. By mid-day of the 28th, rescuers from Plymouth reached the General Arnold, tragically finding only 34 of its crew survived. Among the dead was Marine Captain John Russell.⁸

Captain John Russell, aged 31 years, was buried with his brother-in-law Lieutenant Daniel Hall at the Burial Hill Cemetery in Plymouth in a single grave, with about sixty of the perished crew buried in a mass grave at the southwest side of Burial Hill. Mrs. Mary (Gorham) Russell died on 11 March 1811. He was buried at Lothrop Hill Cemetery in Barnstable nearby the grave of her younger sister Mrs. Mehitable (Gorham) Hall, wife of Lieutenant Daniel Hall.  

Sources:

1. Barnstable Town Records, Volume III, page 247.
2. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. Micropublication M246, roll 26. Washington: National Archives. Volume 12, page 117 (image 188)
3. Ibid, Volume 35, pages 272 & 273 (images 619 & 620)
4. Ibid, Volume 36, page 143 (image 199)
5. Ibid, Volume 36, pages 159 & 160 (images 218-221)
6. Ibid, Volume 36, pages 198 & 201 (images 256 & 261)
7. Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Soldiers, and Sailors of the Revolutionary War, Vol. XIII, Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1901, page 691
8. Thacher, James: History of the Town of Plymouth, pages 210-211