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 Russell a -year-old Springfield native declared he wasn t aware until in the past few days 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 I m stunned by it Russell declared Friday when solicited 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 highway to Boston He s years old had a bad leg but he saw himself as still being eligible and someone who should fight if they had to Russell reported 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 stated 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 Executive Director Jonathan Lane Jason Russell according to his Hollywood descendant was stabbed as countless as times with a bayonet These guys are trained soldiers Kurt Russell commented They stabbed you once in the heart and you re dead He was stabbed somewhere between and 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 th anniversary of the Revolutionary War The actor commented he was planning to attend the Boston Pops celebration later in the day and perhaps shoot a cannon Jason Russell was one of 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 The home had remained in the Russell family until 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 kicked off their tour on Friday The museum is also open to the residents for guided tours Russell noted it was genuinely his other son Wyatt Russell who he shares with his longtime partner and actress Goldie Hawn who discovered the family s prospective ancestral connection to the Revolutionary figure Wyatt yearned to come but could not attend as he is in London shooting a Marvel movie Russell declared The other thing that would have been fun would be to be in the Jason Russell house with a Captain America Russell disclosed 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 th-inning fireworks another Giolito gem give Red Sox July win in D C Joey Chestnut reclaims title in Nathan s Famous hot dog eating contest wins th Mustard Belt MBTA will offer free amenity the night of July here s how it works Massachusetts gas prices tick down ahead of busy July th holiday movement week Russell spoke to his family s role in a pivotal moment in American history while gesturing to the bullet holes from the 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 announced The war s lesser-known first-day battle would make a good movie Russell revealed If he were to make such a film he commented 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 Western film he starred in That movie is the one I d want to see Russell explained 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 th great-grandfather Jason Russell Libby O'Neill Boston Herald