Charles Francis Russell (1855-1933) was born on July 5, 1855, in Brunswick, Virginia. He was the son of Warren Russell (1821-1899) of Waterbury, Maine, and Susan Amy Vincent (1829-1872) of Petersburg, Virginia. C. F. Russell married Ann Elizabeth "Bettie" Via (1855-1931) in Henrico County, and the two had at least five children together. In 1887, Russell entered a contract with R. E. Lee Camp No. 1, a Confederate veterans' association, to produce and sell nationwide a "Lee Camp Smoking Tobacco". A portion of the tobacco sales would then be paid to Lee Camp's housing facilities and support programs.
C. F. Russell died on October 24, 1933 and was buried alongside his wife at Bethel Baptist Church in Midlothian.
Source: Materials within collection.
The collection is open for research use.
MSS 15971, Charles Francis Russell tobacco ledgers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
The Charles Francis Russell tobacco ledgers (1887-1888; 0.2 cubic feet) document Russell's operation of a tobacco company. The collection contains copies of over six-hundred letters written by Russell, both to A. A. Spitzer of R. E. Lee Camp No. 1 and to other customers and dealers nationwide. Russell's "Lee Camp" tobacco was created via contract with the homonymous organization, who received a portion of tobacco sales. Some of the letters to Spitzer note great difficulty selling a Confederate-branded tobacco in Northern states, speculating that part of the issue might be the packaging's inclusion of the Confederate flag.