Kurt Russell visits Massachusetts site of ancestor’s Revolutionary War death

Renowned American actor Kurt Russell spent part of his Fourth of July visiting the Arlington house where his eighth great-grandfather was butchered to death by British soldiers in a bloody battle that kicked off the Revolutionary War in 1775. Russell, a 74-year-old Springfield native, said he wasn’t aware until recently of his family’s ties to the American Revolution, despite the dramatic nature of his ancestor’s death — which happened outside his home in one of the bloodiest battles that occurred on the first day of the American Revolution, April 19, 1775. “I’m stunned by it,” Russell said Friday, when asked whether he was surprised that such a dramatic event in his family’s history was not passed down to him, as he toured the historic Jason Russell House for the first time. “I don’t know why.” The actor’s eighth great-grandfather, Jason Russell, was shot twice and brutally bayonetted multiple times by British soldiers outside his home as the Red Coats were retreating from the battles of Lexington and Concord — where the first shots of the war took place — and passing through Menotomy, now known as Arlington, en route to Boston. “He’s 59 years old, had a bad leg, but he saw himself as still being eligible and someone who should fight if they had to,” Russell said. “He chose to go back … and check to make sure everything was OK, knowing he was coming back to this. “So that guy is my eighth — his ninth — grandfather, and I think he was a badass dude and I’m digging it,” Russell said alongside his oldest son, Boston Russell. Family legend has it that the farmer Jason Russell died on the doorsteps of his home, where colonials were fleeing inside, although the exact location of his death is not known, according to Revolution 250 Executive Director Jonathan Lane. Jason Russell, according to his Hollywood descendant, was stabbed as many as 27 times with a bayonet. “These guys are trained soldiers,” Kurt Russell said. “They stabbed you once in the heart and you’re dead. He was stabbed somewhere between 11 and 27 times. That’s a hate crime.” Russell’s visit to his ancestor’s home coincided not only with the Fourth of July, but with Boston’s yearlong events marking the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. The actor said he was planning to attend the Boston Pops celebration later in the day, and perhaps shoot a cannon. Jason Russell was one of 12 colonials to die at the home as part of the Battle of Menotomy, according to the Arlington Historical Society, which acquired and restored the house in 1923. The home had remained in the Russell family until 1896, according to the society’s website. A painting that depicts Russell being bayoneted by a British soldier on the doorsteps of his home now hangs in the Jason Russell House, where the actor and his son, Boston, 45, kicked off their tour on Friday. The museum is also open to the public for guided tours. Russell said it was actually his other son Wyatt Russell, who he shares with his longtime partner and actress Goldie Hawn, who discovered the family’s potential ancestral connection to the Revolutionary figure. Wyatt wanted to come, but could not attend, as he is in London shooting a Marvel movie, Russell said. “The other thing that would have been fun would be to be in the Jason Russell house with a Captain America,” Russell said, jokingly adding, “He was the wrong Captain America. He was a little over the top. And so I think that’s a fun delineation that goes from Jason Russell to that.” Related Articles 5th-inning fireworks, another Giolito gem give Red Sox July 4 win in D.C. Joey Chestnut reclaims title in Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, wins 17th Mustard Belt MBTA will offer free service the night of July 4 – here’s how it works Massachusetts gas prices tick down ahead of busy July 4th holiday travel week Russell spoke to his family’s role in a pivotal moment in American history, while gesturing to the bullet holes from the 1775 battle that still riddle the walls of his ancestor’s old home. The fighting was so intense that blood from the soldiers who retreated or were taken into the home was “ankle deep,” he said. The war’s lesser-known first-day battle would make a good movie, Russell said. If he were to make such a film, he said he’d prefer to focus on the personalities of those involved and what led up to the final “tragedy,” likening that sense of realism to “Tombstone,” a 1993 Western film he starred in. “That movie is the one I’d want to see,” Russell said, “and I wouldn’t mind playing Jason.” Kurt Russell stands before an oil painting titled "Jason Russell House in Battle with British Regulars" and points to his 8th great-grandfather, Jason Russell. (Libby O'Neill/Boston Herald)