Historic Pelham: Statue Based on Portrait from Life of Soldier Who Was With the Marblehead Mariners as a Private During the Battle of Pelham

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The Battle of Pelham fought during the Revolutionary War on October 18, 1776 began early that day as British and German troops landed from barges and ships in Eastchester Bay and came ashore along the western edge of Pelham Neck. Soon the troops began marching along portions of today's City Island Road and onto today's Shore Road. It appears that the first shots fired were from New Rochelle based militia who fired a few warning shots from near today's Glover's Rock. See Fri., Jul. 01, 2016: Evidence the Battle of Pelham May Have Begun at Glover's Rock After All.

The British and German troops proceeded along Shore Road to the entrance of today's Split Rock & Pelham Bay Golf Club and turned onto Split Rock Road that once ran across the area and now follows on (and along) portions of the golf cart path that passes beneath the Branch Line Railroad Overpass near the course. American skirmishers met and temporarily halted the British and German troops on today's Split Rock Golf Course as Colonel John Glover of the famed Marblehead Mariners deployed various regiments behind stone walls to slow the advance of the enemy troops. The British and German troops planned to cut across the mainland and cut off General George Washington and his Continental Army as they escaped from upper Manhattan toward White Plains.

For much of the day, the Americans fought a delaying action as they engaged in a fighting retreat along Split Rock Road toward Boston Post Road. (The retreat followed the Split Rock Road, a section of which no longer exists due to construction of the Split Rock Golf Course and Interstate 95, both of which lie atop portions of the battlefield.) The Americans fought the delaying action as they retreated along Split Rock road and fanned out across Prospect Hill, headed toward (and onto) today's Wolf's Lane toward the old Boston Post Road (today's Colonial Avenue).

When the Americans reached the old Boston Post Road (Colonial Avenue), they turned westward. Because they earlier had torn up the planks of the bridge across today's Hutchinson River, the Americans forded the creek near today's Town of Pelham Public Library where Colonial Avenue crosses the Hutchinson River. The Americans set up cannons on a nearby hill and began shelling the British and German troops who stopped without chasing them across the tiny river. The British and German troops camped for the night along both sides of today's Colonial Avenue and shelled the American cannon emplacement all night with little effect.

One of the 450 or so American Patriots who was with the Marblehead Mariners led by Col. John Glover at the time of the Battle of Pelham was a Private named John Rhodes Russell (occasionally misspelled "Roads"). Russell was a son of Lewis Russel and Mary Savage Russel. He was born in about October 20, 1728 and was christened on December 6, 1730 in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

John Rhodes Russell married Miriam (occasionally spelled "Meriam") Rhodes on October 17, 1751 in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The couple had at least two children, a daughter they named Tabitha Rhodes Russell and a son they named John Rhodes Russell, Jr. (Thus, the father is often referenced, as on his tombstone, as John Rhodes Russell, Sr.)

During the Revolutionary War Russell rose to the rank of Captain. After the War Russell returned to Marblehead where he lived until his death on May 20, 1811. He is buried in the Unitarian Cemetery in Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts. An article published in The Boston Globe in 1892 provided details regarding Russell's service during the Revolutionary War. It stated, in part:

"As told by Gen. Stryker, the battle monument which is to be erected at Trenton is to be adorned by a statue of John Roads [sic] Russell, who was a private in Col. Glover's regiment of Marblehead fishermen. The Massachusetts Legislature appropriated $2500 last winter for this purpose.

Private Russell was born at Marblehead in 1754 [sic]. He enlisted in Glover's regiment in 1775. He was with the regiment all through its famous career. He helped ferry the army across the East river on the retreat from Battle Hill in Greenwood.

At Pelham Neck they held the British army at bay during the evacuation of New York. In crossing the Delaware he took a conspicuous part. At Saratoga under Arnold they led in the brilliant charge against the enemy, and convoyed Burgoyne's captured army through Massachusetts.

After the war he entered the foreign merchant service. While he was in France he had his portrait painted on porcelain. This portrait is now in the possession of his only living daughter, Mrs. Lyon, and is probably the only picture in existence of any of Glover's men. . . ."

Source: NATION'S FATE DECIDED -- Anniversary of the Famous Battle at Trenton -- New England Club Celebrates the Event at Christmas Banquet -- Gen. W. S. Stryker of New Jersey Eulogizes Bay State's Sons, The Boston Globe, Dec. 25, 1892, p. 9, cols. 4-7 (Note: Paid subscription required to access via this link).

The "portrait painted on porcelain" of John Rhodes Russell, described in The Boston Globe as "probably the only picture in existence of any of Glover's men" is significant for a rather interesting reason. It was used to create one of the statues unveiled with the Trenton Battle Monument unveiled on October 19, 1893 to commemorate the American victory at the first Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776.

Just as Private John Rhodes Russell guarded the liberty of Americans during the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776, today his statue guards the base of the Trenton Battle Monument and, hopefully, will for eons.