William Pitt Richardson (May 25, 1824 – August 4, 1886)
reocities.com was a Republican politician from the state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, USA. He was

Ohio Attorney General The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost. History The office ...

in 1865. Richardson was born on May 25, 1824, at

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington. Washington County is part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county i ...

. He entered Washington College in 1841, and graduated in 1844. He was then a teacher, and remained so after moving to Ohio. He enlisted as a private in the Third Ohio Infantry in 1846, and served in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. In 1852, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Monroe County, Ohio, and held that office until 1861. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he enlisted as a Major in the

25th Ohio Infantry The 25th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 25th Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on June 28, 18 ...

, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. On May 2, 1863, at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

, he was wounded and lost use of his right arm. In 1864, he was elected Ohio Attorney General, but resigned after less than a year, replaced by

Chauncey N. Olds Chauncey N. Olds was a Republican politician from the state of Ohio. He was Ohio Attorney General 1865. Biography Chauncey Olds was born February 2, 1816 at Marlboro, Vermont, brother of Edson B. Olds. He was moved to Cuyahoga County, Ohio at a ...

of Franklin County being appointed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Brough. He was Brevetted

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 December 1864. The same year, he was named commander of the military prison at Camp Chase in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, and was later Collector of Internal Revenue for the Fifteenth (Ohio) district. He died at

New Castle, Indiana New Castle is a city in Henry County, Indiana, east-northeast of Indianapolis, on the Big Blue River. The city is the county seat of Henry County. New Castle is home to New Castle Fieldhouse, the largest high school gymnasium in the world. Th ...

on August 4, 1886, and was interred at Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio. His granddaughter, Rhea, was the mother of the famous American film director

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

and grandmother of the actors

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as no ...

and

Danny Huston Daniel Sallis Huston (born May 14, 1962) is an Italian-born American actor and film director. A member of the Huston family of filmmakers, he is the son of director John Huston and the half-brother of actress Anjelica Huston. He is known for h ...

References

People from Monroe County, Ohio Ohio attorneys general Ohio Republicans People of Ohio in the American Civil War Ohio lawyers County district attorneys in Ohio Washington & Jefferson College alumni Union Army generals 1824 births 1886 deaths American military personnel of the Mexican–American War 19th-century American politicians Burials in Ohio 19th-century American lawyers {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub