Nelson Russell 24^th Iowa, Co. G, 1^st Iowa, Co. K.

Nelson Russell was born on May 15, 1843 in Ohio, but he eventually moved to Kingston City, Iowa. Very little is known about him, except that he married a woman named Mary L., and had two children, Willie, and Nellie.

He enlisted in the 1^st Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Co. K, on April 24, 1861, at the age of 18. Nelson mustered in on May 14, 1861, but he mustered out only a short while later, presumably because the Regiment's enlistment papers expired, on August 21, 1861. When the 24^th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment was called into existence, he enlisted on August 13, 1862. Mustering in as a 7^th Corporal on September 3, 1862, Nelson soon left for war. On July 1, 1863, he was promoted to 2^nd Corporal. From there he was promoted to 1^st Corporal and then 5^th Sergeant on July 18, 1864. He was promoted twice more before the end of the war: to 4^th Sergeant and then to 3^rd Sergeant. On July 17, 1865, he was mustered out in Savannah, Georgia, and returned home to Iowa.

He lived happily with his wife and children, but on the 13^th of October, 1876, his wife and children died in a road accident in Lincoln, Nebraska. On August 28, 1884, Nelson, too, died. He was buried in Linwood Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in Lot 65, Block 1, in the Original Addition next to his wife and children. His government stone reads, "Sgt. Nelson, 24^th Iowa, Co. G," but his family stone merely reads, "Father."