William Russell (Virginia politician)
William Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1735 Culpeper County, Virginia Colony |
| Died | 1793 (aged 57–58) Front Royal, Virginia |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain (to 1776) United States (1776–1783) |
| Branch | Continental Army Virginia Militia |
| Rank | Brigadier General (brevet) |
| Conflicts | Lord Dunmore's War
|
| Alma mater | College of William & Mary |
| Spouses | Tabitha Adams (m. 1755, d. 1776) Elizabeth Henry (m. 1783) |
William Russell (1735 – January 14, 1793) was a Virginia colonial militia officer, land speculator, enslaver, and politician who played a significant role in the violent dispossession of Indigenous nations from the Ohio Valley and Appalachian frontier during the late 18th century. He participated in military campaigns against the Shaawanwaki (Shawnee), Lenape (Delaware), Mingo, and Aniyvwiya (Cherokee) peoples, and operated commercial enterprises in southwestern Virginia that relied on enslaved labor. Russell County, Virginia and Russellville, Kentucky are named in his honor, reflecting his status among white settler contemporaries.