Rees G. Richards
| Rees Griffith Richards | |
|---|---|
 circa 1912 | |
| 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio | |
|
In office January 9, 1882 – January 14, 1884 | |
| Governor | Charles Foster |
| Preceded by | Andrew Hickenlooper |
| Succeeded by | John G. Warwick |
| Member of the Ohio Senate from the 22nd district | |
|
In office January 7, 1878 – January 1, 1882 | |
| Preceded by | J. K. Rukenbrod |
| Succeeded by | J. M. Dickinson |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the Jefferson County district | |
|
In office January 5, 1874 – January 6, 1878 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel H. Ford |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. Scott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 22, 1842 Swansea, Wales |
| Died |
February 10, 1917 (aged 74) Steubenville, Ohio |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Catherine C. Rees Elizabeth Johnson |
| Children | one |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Signature |
 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank |
 Captain |
| Unit |
 45th Pennsylvania Infantry |
Rees Griffith Richards (July 22, 1842 – February 10, 1917) was an American Republican politician who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio from 1882 to 1884.[1]
Early life
Rees G. Richards was born July 22, 1842 near Swansea, Wales, and lived there until age 10. His family then moved to Ontario, Canada before removing to Tioga County, Pennsylvania.[2]
Civil War
At the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War, he enlisted as a first sergeant in Company G of the 45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry September 18, 1861. He was promoted to second lieutenant July 31, 1862, to captain September 14, 1862. He re-enlisted as a veteran January 1, 1864,[3] and was captured at the Crater, July 30, 1864.[3] He was held prisoner at Asylum Prison Camp near Charleston, South Carolina until his escape February 16, 1865. He and two colleagues made it to Union lines at Chattanooga, Tennessee March 16, 1865.[4] He was appointed brigade inspector May 11, 1865, and mustered out July 17, 1865.[3]
Political
After the war, he moved to Youngstown, Ohio and engaged in mercantile business for two years,[2][5] then six years in Irondale, Ohio. In 1873, and again in 1875, he was elected to represent Jefferson County, Ohio in the Ohio House of Representatives at the 61st and 62nd General Assemblies[6] In 1876 he was admitted to the bar.[5] He represented the 22nd district in the Ohio Senate in the 63rd and 64th General Assemblies (1878–1881).[7] In 1881, he defeated Democrat Edgar M. Johnson for election as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, and could have had the nomination in 1883, had he wanted it.[2]
He was elected to two terms as Common Pleas Judge of Jefferson County while living in Steubenville, Ohio, starting in 1902, and died February 10, 1917.[5]
Personal
Richards married Catherine C. Rees of Tioga County, Pennsylvania on November 22, 1865, and Elizabeth Johnson of Jefferson County, Ohio on September 25, 1894, who had one daughter. Richards was a Freemason and a Presbyterian by faith. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.[8]
Notes
- ↑ "Lieutenant Governors Of The State Of Ohio: 1852 - Present". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- 1 2 3 Smith 1898 : 451
- 1 2 3 Albert 1912 : 484
- ↑ Story of POW camp escape is told Albert 1912 : 360-375
- 1 2 3 Neff 1921 : 153
- ↑ Ohio 1917 : 293
- ↑ Ohio 1917 : 244
- ↑ Randall 1915 volume 6 : 605
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rees G. Richards. |
- Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company.
- Albert, Allen, ed. (1912). History of the Forty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865. Williamsport Pennsylvania: Grit Publishing Company.
- Neff, William B., ed. (1921). Bench and Bar of Northern Ohio History and Biography. Cleveland: The Historical Publishing Company. p. 153.
- Ohio General Assembly (1917). Manual of legislative practice in the General Assembly. State of Ohio.
- Randall, Emilius; Ryan, Daniel Joseph (1915). History of Ohio: the Rise and Progress of an American State 6. New York: The Century History Company.
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