This biography pertains to our John L. Russell’s half-brother, Alfred, who settled in Blount County, Alabama. It gave us a lot of information on John and Alfred’s grandfather, Joshua, and father, Albert Grayson. We do, however, question the fact that it says that Joshua and his first wife, Nancy Richardson, were natives of Pennsylvania, as Joshua is listed on the 1850 census of Marshall County as being born in Virginia. It also does not mention Alfred Grayson’s second marriage to Laura Loveless in Blount County, Alabama in 1847. Our ancestor John L. Russell is one of the children of this union. Alfred, whom this biography is about, was about 7 years old when this marriage occurred and was raised by his natural father and Laura Loveless along with five other siblings of the first marriage. Laura was only 19 years old when she took on this family of six and then had at least seven more children. Joshua, Alfred G., Laura and John were all buried in the Russell Family Cemetery in Marshall County, Alabama, which, in 1938 was flooded for a reservoir project.

Willis G. Clark, Hannis Taylor and Gen Joseph Wheeler

Brant & Fuller, 1893

"Alfred Russell, farmer, of Blount County, was born in Marshall County, Ala., in 1839, a son of Alfred G. and Susan (Geno) Russell. The father was born in Hawkins County, Tenn., June 25, 1811, came to Alabama in 1828 and settled in Limestone County, where he engaged in a tannery until 1837, when he removed to Marshall County and engaged in the mercantile business and remained until his death, Nov. 4, 1874. He was a son of Joshua S. and Nancy (Richardson) Russell, both natives of Pennsylvania, who moved to Tennessee in an early day, where they remained until 1850, when they came to Alabama and remained till death. Joshua S. was a saddler by trade. Mrs. Susan Russell was a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Hancock) Geno. Her grandfather was a Frenchman, and the grandmother (born 1774, died 1857) was a native of South Carolina. Alfred Russell was reared on the farm and received but a limited education in the old log schoolhouse. In 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Fourth Alabama Cavalry, under Capt. Henry Milner, and served until the 9^th day of May, 1865, and was with Gen. Joe E. Johnston in his famous march. He was taken prisoner at Fort Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862 and was held until Sept. 23, 1863. After the war he returned to Marshall County, Ala and began farming and butchering. In 1868 he married Nancy A. Carnes, daughter of James and Nancy (Staten) Carnes, who has borne him eight children: Thomas B., Nancy J., James A., Sam H., Eliza M., William A., Grover Cleveland and Susan G. The mother was born Apr. 8, 1846 and was reared in sight of where she now lives. After marriage, Mr. Russell settled on his present farm, and since that time has given it and his gin-mill and his saw-mill all his attention. He began life without a dollar, but by hard work he gradually came to the front and now owns 490 acres, the most of which is tillable and well improved. He is a representative farmer of the county, well respected, and, with his family, affiliates with the Methodist Church."