William Howard Russell witnessed the final re-capture of Lucknow (1858). In 1861 Russell went to Washington, returning to England in 1863. In July 1865 he sailed on the "Great Eastern" to document the laying of the Atlantic Cable and wrote a book about the voyage with color illustrations by Robert Dudley. He published diaries of his time in India, the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War, where he describes the warm welcome given him by English-speaking Prussian generals such as Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal. Russell later accused fellow war correspondent Nicholas Woods of the "Morning Herald" of lying in his articles about
Sir William Russell, 2nd Baronet Edinburgh, he migrated to Calcutta, where he acquired a large practice. Returning to London before 1832, he distinguished himself in that year by his energy during the cholera epidemic, and was for his services created a baronet. Russell entered the army as a Cornet in 1841, became a Lieutenant in February 1846, a Captain in April 1857, a Major in August 1857, a Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1858, and Colonel in July 1863. He served in the Crimean War and during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 he served at Alumbagh and at the Siege of Lucknow, and commanded the 7th Hussars