Johnson William Richardson (c. 1834–1862) was a Pony Express rider. He was a native of Virginia and at a fairly young age he was

shanghaied Shanghaied may refer to: *Shanghaiing, or forced conscription * ''Shanghaied'' (1915 film), a film starring Charlie Chaplin * ''Shanghaied'' (1927 film), a 1927 American silent film * ''Shanghaied'' (1934 film), an animated short film starring Mi ...

onto a seagoing freighter where he sailed the icy seas of the North Atlantic. It was a number of years before he found an opportunity to make a successful escape. He ventured to

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

where he was employed as a

hostler A hostler or ostler is a groom or stableman, who is employed in a stable to take care of horses, usually at an inn. In the twentieth century the word came to be used in railroad industry for a type of train driver. Etymology The word is spelled ...

by Fish and Robidoux in 1859. During that time he also rode race horses at a popular track on Sparta Road. Billy Richardson is believed by many to have been the first westbound rider for the Pony Express. The contemporaneous newspaper account (written within hours of the actual event) as it appeared on April 4, 1860 in the St. Joseph Daily West, recorded him as the first Pony Express rider on April 3, 1860, "The rider is a Mr. Richardson, formerly a sailor, and a man accustomed to every description of hardship, having sailed for years amid the snows and icebergs of the Northern ocean." The article was reprinted in '' The Weekly West''. In the photo of the four Expressmen, Billy Richardson pictured in a sailor's hat and jacket is standing next to

Johnny Fry John Fry, Jr. (1840 – October 6, 1863) was the closing rider on the first westbound Pony Express and later a soldier in the United States Cavalry who was killed in action during the American Civil War. Early life and The Pony Express Fry was ...

. Also pictured is Charlie and Gus Cliff, the other Westbound riders for Lewis' division. Apparently, the expressmen had drawn straws to determine who would make the inaugural ride.

drew the shortest straw, which meant he would make the ride, but injured himself the day before, so Richardson, who was next in line, replaced him. Years later, a W. B. Richardson (1851–1946) claimed to be the Pony Express rider denied the honor, in an article titled "Uncle Billy Richardson, 91 Today, Disclaims Fame." W. B., who would have been about ten years old the day of the historic ride, boasts that his half brother Paul Coburn, who was the station manager, "accidentally" threw the "mail pouch" on his pony instead of Fry's horse and so he made the ride. His recollection contradicts all historic accounts. Clearly, J. W. Richardson, the actual rider, was not W. B. Richardson, a nine- or ten-year-old boy, but a grown man when he was hired by Lewis for Russell, Majors and Waddell. He rode for the company until the transcontinental telegraph went into service. According to his relatives he rode on to Fort Laramie and died later that year.

References

External links

Pony Express on Oregon Trail
"The Pony Express Mystery", by Lee Starnes from "Museum Graphic Vol. 3 / Winter 1951 / No. 1: 4, 4 by Lee Starnes

"The Pony Express Mystery", by Lee Starnes from "Museum Graphic Vol. 3 / Winter 1951 / No. 1: 4, 10-11 by Lee Starnes

, "The Pony Express Mystery", by Lee Starnes from "Museum Graphic Vol. 3 / Winter 1951 / No. 1: 4, 11 by Lee Starnes {{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Billy 1830s births 1862 deaths Pony Express riders