Richard Lee Turberville Beale (May 22, 1819 – April 21, 1893) was a lawyer, three-term

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, and a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Early life and career

Beale was born at Hickory Hill,

Westmoreland County, Virginia Westmoreland County is a county located in the Northern Neck of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross. History As originally established by the Virginia colony's ...

. He attended two local private schools, Northumberland Academy and Rappahannock Academy, before attending Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He studied law and graduated from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

in 1837. Two years later, he was admitted to the bar and established a law practice at Hague, Virginia. Beale was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Thirtieth Congress The 30th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 ...

(March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). However, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1848. He served as a member of the Virginia constitutional reform convention in 1850–51 where he opposed constitutional reform as a member of the ruling Richmond Junta, and he was elected to the State senate from 1858 to 1860. Beale owned thirty-eight slaves along with significant farmland.

Civil War

Upon the

secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...

of Virginia in 1861, Beale accepted a commission in the cavalry as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the 9th Virginia Cavalry. He was soon promoted to captain and then major, and placed in command of Camp Lee, near his hometown of Hague, on the lower

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

. Being commended for his intelligence and excellent judgment, he subsequently served under Col. W. H. F. "Rooney" Lee in the

9th Virginia Cavalry The 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. History Virginia’s 9th Cavalry Regiment ...

in what became the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

. When Lee was promoted to brigadier general, Beale was advanced to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

on September 15, 1862 and given command of the regiment, which included his sons. In December 1862, he led a bold expedition throughout the countryside near the

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

, capturing the

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

garrison at Leeds without losing a man. Beale's service in 1863 earned him several written commendations and praises. On April 16, he won the praise of

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

for repelling the threatened raid of Maj. Gen.

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the fifteenth Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. He was trained at West Point, where his roommate was Stonewall ...

's Federal cavalry division, capturing several prisoners during a week of nearly continual fighting. During the Gettysburg Campaign, Beale led the 9th Virginia in a charge on Fleetwood Hill at the

Battle of Brandy Station The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, aroun ...

in June. He participated in Stuart's subsequent ride around the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

and the raid through

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He participated in hard fighting at Gettysburg's East Cavalry Field in early July and during the army's retreat to Virginia. He briefly assumed command of Rooney Lee's brigade during fighting at Culpeper Court House and participated in the Bristoe and

Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

s. In March 1864, he made a forced march to intercept Union Col.

Ulric Dahlgren Ulric Dahlgren (April 3, 1842 – March 2, 1864) was a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was the son of Union Navy Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren and nephew to Confederate Brigadier General Charles G. Dahlgren. He ...

and his raiders. A detachment of his 9th Virginia Cavalry successfully ambushed the Federals, and, with other units, captured about 175 men and killed Dahlgren. The papers found upon Dahlgren's person, revealing a design to burn

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and kill

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Jefferson Davis and his

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

, were forwarded through Maj. Gen.

Fitzhugh Lee Fitzhugh Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 28, 1905) was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish–American War. He was the son of Sydney S ...

to the Confederate government. These controversial papers discovered by Beale's troopers may have been a factor that influenced

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated United States President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the prominent 19th-century Booth ...

in his decision to assassinate

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. Beale led his regiment during the

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union ...

, and captured two Union flags at the

Second Battle of Ream's Station The Second Battle of Ream's Station (also Reams or Reams's) was fought during the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destr ...

during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. In August, upon the death of John R. Chambliss, Beale was assigned to command of Chambliss's brigade, although still with the rank of colonel. It was not until February 6, 1865, that he was finally promoted to brigadier general. He led the brigade through the end of the war. He was wounded and captured at Appomattox Station on April 9, 1865, and was paroled on April 27 at Ashland.

Postbellum activities

After the war, Beale resumed his political career during

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

. He was elected to the

Forty-fifth Congress The 45th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1877, ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Beverly B. Douglas. He was reelected and served in the

Forty-sixth Congress The 46th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 ...

from January 23, 1879 to March 3, 1881. Finally retiring from public service, Beale resumed the practice of law. He also wrote A History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States. Beale died near Hague, Virginia, and was buried there at Hickory Hill Cemetery.

Elections

*1847; Beale was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th District with 51.86% of the vote, defeating Whig Willoughby Newton. *1855; Beale lost election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st District, defeated by Democrat Thomas Henry Bayly. *1878; Beale was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st District with 48.32% of the vote, defeating Republican George C. Round and Independent Democrat John Critcher. *1879; Beale won a special election with 75.84% of the vote, defeating Republican U.W. Douglas and Independents George C. Round and John W. Parker.

Bibliography

Notes

References

* Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Evans, Clement, ''Confederate Military History'', Volume III. Atlanta, Georgia: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. Retrieved on 2008-10-18 * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Richard L. T. 1819 births 1893 deaths People from Westmoreland County, Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of Virginia in the American Civil War Democratic Party Virginia state senators Virginia lawyers Dickinson College alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers