Richard Whiting Blue (September 8, 1841 – January 28, 1907) was a farmer, teacher, lawyer, judge, state senator, and

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He lived in Virginia and then

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

. Born near

Parkersburg, Virginia Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metrop ...

(now West Virginia), Blue worked on a farm in the summertime and studied in the select schools of that locality during the winter season. He attended

Monongalia Academy Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia Universit ...

Morgantown, Virginia Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. The largest city in North-Central West Virginia, Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia Universit ...

, in 1859 and Washington (Pennsylvania) College until his enlistment, on June 29, 1863, as a private in Company A of the

3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment The 3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On May 23, 1863, it was converted to a mounted infantry by Brigadier General William W. Averell. The regiment was immedi ...

, 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 became second and then first lieutenant of the company. Honorably discharged May 22, 1866, at Leavenworth, Kansas, when he returned to

Grafton, West Virginia Grafton is a city in and the county seat of Taylor County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,729 at the 2020 census. It originally developed as a junction point for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, serving numerous branches of ...

. He taught school. He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in Virginia, and commenced practice in Linn County, Kansas, in 1871. Probate judge of Linn County 1872-1876. County attorney 1876-1880. He served as member of the State senate 1880-1888. Blue was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress. He engaged in the practice of law until his death in

Bartlesville Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is north of Tulsa and south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Can ...

, Washington County, Oklahoma, January 28, 1907. He was interred in Pleasanton Cemetery,

Pleasanton, Kansas Pleasanton is a city in Linn County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,208. History In 1864, General Alfred Pleasonton defeated the Confederates in the Battle of Mine Creek near present-day Pleasant ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue, Richard Whiting 1841 births 1907 deaths Kansas state court judges Republican Party Kansas state senators Union Army officers Politicians from Parkersburg, West Virginia People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Military personnel from West Virginia People from Grafton, West Virginia Kansas lawyers Washington & Jefferson College alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges