To James Madison from Joseph Desha and Others, 12 October 1814
From Joseph Desha and Others
Octbr. 12th 1814
Sir
Permit us to call your attention to a worthy officer, who, we will not say has been neglected, but whom we beleive, (from his having signalized himself in all situations in which he has been plased,) deserves promotion. We allude to Col. William Russell of the 7th Infty, Whom we beleive to be the eldest officer of his grade in the army. We have Recd. information of the death of Brigadeer Genl. Benjn. Howard, and solicit that his place may be filled by the appointment of Col. William Russell to that situation.1
Jos. Desha
[and nine others]
RC (DNA: RG 94, Letters Received, filed under “Russell”). Desha’s cosigners included eight of the nine other congressional representatives from Kentucky (only Samuel Hopkins’s name was missing), and John H. Bowen.
1. Russell, who had been second in command in the western portion of the Eighth Military District under Howard, wrote James Monroe on 28 Sept. 1814 to report Howard’s death and his own assumption of the command, which he retained through the end of the war (DNA: RG 107, LRRS, R-58:8; Quimby, U.S. Army in the War of 1812, 2:735; Hamersly, Complete Regular Army Register of the U.S., 84; Esarey, Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison, Indiana Historical Collections, 2:695). He was honorably discharged at the rank of colonel on 15 June 1815 ( 1:854).