Milton F. Russell

Led his men across a river under fire to drive back troops.

Milton F. Russell (September 25, 1836 – July 2, 1908) was an American Civil War officer and Medal of Honor recipient who distinguished himself during the operations preceding the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee. Serving as a captain in Company A of the 51st Indiana Volunteer Infantry, he led a detachment across the Stones River on December 29, 1862, despite heavy Confederate fire. His advance against enemy skirmishers earned him the Medal of Honor on September 28, 1897, nearly thirty-five years after the engagement.

Russell was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, on September 25, 1836. His father was Smith Russell, whose name appears in surviving family possessions associated with his son's Civil War service. Although detailed records of Russell's childhood and education are limited, his early adult life was connected with North Salem, Indiana, where he entered military service during the opening months of the American Civil War.

In October 1861, Russell volunteered for service in the Union Army. He received a commission as a first lieutenant in Company A of the 51st Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a regiment organized at Indianapolis under Colonel Abel D. Streight. The regiment entered federal service in December 1861 and was subsequently assigned to military operations in Kentucky and Tennessee.

During the early months of 1862, the 51st Indiana participated in the Union advance into Tennessee. The regiment was present during the Battle of Shiloh in April, one of the first major engagements in the Western Theater of the Civil War.

A surviving family artifact provides a direct connection between Russell and the battlefield at Shiloh. Following the fighting on April 7, 1862, he collected a hickory branch from the battlefield and sent it to his father in Indiana. The branch was later fashioned into a walking stick, bearing an inscription identifying Russell, his regiment, and the circumstances under which the wood had been obtained.

Russell continued serving with the 51st Indiana during the subsequent Union operations in Mississippi and Kentucky. He was promoted to captain in August 1862, assuming command responsibilities within Company A as the regiment became part of the Army of the Cumberland.

By December 1862, Union forces under Major General William S. Rosecrans were advancing toward Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where Confederate General Braxton Bragg had positioned the Army of Tennessee. The opposing armies were preparing for the engagement that would become known as the Battle of Stones River.

On December 29, Captain Russell received orders to lead a detachment across the Stones River as part of a reconnaissance operation. Approximately 200 Union soldiers accompanied the advance, which was intended to establish the enemy's position before the larger engagement.

The operation required the soldiers to cross the river in winter conditions while Confederate skirmishers occupied concealed positions on the opposite bank. Russell led the movement and became the first soldier to cross the river.

As the Union troops advanced, Confederate skirmishers opened fire from the rising ground beyond the water. Their concealed positions gave them an advantage over soldiers attempting to complete the crossing.

Despite the danger, Russell continued forward and led his men up the hillside against the enemy skirmish line. The advance forced the Confederate soldiers to abandon their positions and retreat, allowing the Union detachment to secure the immediate area.

The action demonstrated Russell's leadership during a hazardous advance against an established enemy position. His official Medal of Honor citation specifically recognized his decision to cross the river first and continue the attack under sustained fire from concealed Confederate skirmishers.

The Battle of Stones River developed into a major engagement on December 31, 1862, and continued into the opening days of January 1863. The fighting ended with Confederate forces withdrawing from Murfreesboro, leaving the Union Army in possession of the battlefield.

Russell remained with the 51st Indiana as the regiment continued its military operations. In April 1863, the unit joined a mounted expedition commanded by Colonel Streight, whose force was ordered to disrupt Confederate railroad communications in northern Alabama and Georgia.

The expedition encountered persistent resistance from Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest. After several days of fighting and pursuit, Streight's command surrendered near Cedar Bluff, Alabama, on May 3, 1863.

Russell was among the Union officers who became prisoners of war. He was eventually confined in Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, where captured Union officers endured prolonged imprisonment.

The surviving regimental history documents Russell's imprisonment and his unsuccessful effort to escape through the tunnel used by other Union officers in February 1864. While Colonel Streight and a number of fellow prisoners escaped, Russell remained in Confederate custody.

In May 1864, Confederate authorities began moving prisoners from Libby Prison as Union military operations threatened Richmond. Russell was among the officers affected by these transfers. His wartime service included an extended period of captivity before he eventually returned from Confederate imprisonment.

A surviving photograph taken in Indianapolis in 1865 depicts Russell with his wife, Harriet Catherine Harlan Russell, following his return from the war. The photograph provides documentary evidence of his reunion with his family after his military experiences.

Russell's surviving personal possessions include his wartime trunk, photographs, correspondence, and battlefield souvenirs. These artifacts preserve evidence of his service as a Union officer and his experiences during the conflict. The collection also includes a historical image of Libby Prison on which Russell personally marked the room where he had been confined.

More than three decades after the Stones River engagement, Russell received formal recognition for his battlefield gallantry. On September 28, 1897, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 29, 1862.

The award acknowledged his leadership while crossing the river under enemy fire and driving Confederate skirmishers from their positions. Secretary of War Russell A. Alger sent official correspondence notifying him of the decoration, which was produced by Tiffany & Company and engraved with his name, rank, regiment, and the date of his distinguished action.

Russell's later civilian activities are less extensively documented than his military service. He maintained an association with Civil War veterans and was a companion of the Iowa Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, an organization established by Union officers and their descendants.

A studio portrait made around 1900 in Des Moines, Iowa, shows Russell wearing his Medal of Honor. The photograph, together with his original decoration and award correspondence, survives among the historical collections associated with his military service.

Milton F. Russell died in Oakland, California, on July 2, 1908, at the age of seventy-one. He was interred at the Odd Fellows Columbarium in San Francisco, California.

Russell's documented military career included Union infantry service, battlefield leadership at Stones River, and imprisonment following Streight's unsuccessful 1863 expedition. His preserved Medal of Honor, wartime correspondence, photographs, and personal artifacts provide a substantial historical record of his experiences. The action for which he received national recognition remains his advance across the Stones River on December 29, 1862, when he led Union soldiers against Confederate skirmishers under heavy fire.