{⋆★⋆} BG Richardson, Robert Vinkler

Robert Vinkler Richardson
:CSA1stNat:
Brig. General Richardson.jpg


Born: November 4, 1820

Birthplace: Granville County, North Carolina

Father: Benjamin Richardson 1776 – 1841

Mother: Nancy Hendricks 1784 – 1824

Wife: Mary Elizabeth Avent 1822 – 1854
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee)​

Children:

James Martin Richardson 1850 – 1911​
Robert Richardson​

Occupation before War:

Attorney in Memphis, Tennessee​
Business Partner with Nathan B. Forrest and Gideon J. Pillow​

Civil War Career:

1861: Brigadier General of Tennessee State Militia​
IMG_1541.JPG

1862: Organizer of a group of Partisan Rangers in Tennessee​
1862: Participated in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee​
1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth, Mississippi​
1863: Colonel of 1st​ Tennessee Partisan Rangers Regiment​
1863 – 1865: Brigadier General in the Confederate Army​
Served in Chalmer’s Cavalry Division, Army of Tennessee​

Occupation after War:

Levee and Railroad Building Contractor​

Died: January 5, 1870

Place of Death: Clarkton, Dunklin County, Missouri

Cause of Death: Killed at a Tavern

Age at time of Death: 49 years old

Date of Burial: January 10, 1870

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee
 
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Jefferson Davis requested that Richardson's nomination as brigadier general be returned to him but He had already been confirmed by the Senate on Dec. 3, 1863. His nomination was returned to Davis and Richardson performed little service thereafter except for a brief stint in Chalmer's Division.
 
Robert Vinkler Richardson:
:CSA1stNat:
Born: November 4, 1820View attachment 380151
Birthplace: Granville County North Carolina
Father: Benjamin Richardson 1776 – 1841
Mother: Nancy Hendricks 1784 – 1824
Wife: Mary Elizabeth Avent 1822 – 1854
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery Memphis Tennessee)
Children:
James Martin Richardson 1850 – 1911
Robert Richardson

Occupation before War:
Attorney in Memphis Tennessee
Business Partner with Nathan B. Forrest and Gideon J. Pillow

Civil War Career:
1861: Brigadier General of Tennessee State Militia
1862: Organizer of a group of Partisan Rangers in Tennessee
1862: Participated in the Battle of Shiloh Tennessee
1862: Served in the Siege of Corinth Mississippi
1863: Colonel of 1st​ Tennessee Partisan Rangers Regiment
1863 – 1865: Brigadier General in the Confederate Army
Served in Chalmer’s Cavalry Division Army of Tennessee

Occupation after War:
Levee and Railroad Building Contractor

Died: January 5, 1870
Place of Death: Clarkton Dunklin County Missouri
Cause of Death: Killed at a Tavern
Age at time of Death: 49 years old
Date of Burial: January 10, 1870
Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery Memphis Tennessee


View attachment 380152
I believe it was his men who were involved in the Fort Pillow Massacre. Could be wrong.
 
Jefferson Davis requested that Richardson's nomination as brigadier general be returned to him but He had already been confirmed by the Senate on Dec. 3, 1863. His nomination was returned to Davis and Richardson performed little service thereafter except for a brief stint in Chalmer's Division.
I did not know he made Brigadier General.
Most of what I learned about R. V. Richardson was from a book "Coming Like Hell" by Waldon Loving. Despite the book not having any footnotes nor bibliography, I still find it a very informative book. It is the only book that has a description of the Battle of Collierville, 11 Oct 1863.
R. V. Richardson was appointed an Agent of the Bureau of Conscription under the jurisdiction of General Gideon Pillow. In this capacity, he was constantly on the move throughout West Tennessee gathering recruits for various units in the Confederate States Army. In 1861, he helped organize and quip state troops in Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri. In this role, he was referred to as "General" as he carried out the duty of Inspector General. In September 1862, he requested and obtain approval to organize a band of partisan rangers in West Tennessee. Despite the Union occupation of Tennessee, Richardson managed to recruit men from Fayette and Tipton counties and some success in Gibson, Haywood, Hardeman and Shelby counties. His regiment became of the 12th Tennessee Cavalry; later commanded by Lt-Col. James Green after Richardson took over command of a brigade.

Colonel. R. V. Richardson commanded a brigade under General James R. Chalmers in the fall of 1863. During Chalmers' raid on the M&C RR at Collierville, Richardson was in charge of the lead elements that set-up for the attack. During the battle, General Chalmers was slightly injured by a spent round and turned the command over to Richardson. After the battle, Chalmers pulled back to the Coldwater River for the night. Chalmers took leave of absence---possibly to go to his home in Byhalia---and left Colonel Richardson in command. The next day the Confederates woke to a pursuing Union cavalry and they fought a running battle back across the Tallahatchie River to their HQ at Oxford.

This is a report of R. V. Richardson that lays out his plans for the attack on the Union fort at Collierville.
OR Richardson.JPG


Also during Grierson's Raid, Col. Richardson was ordered to intercept the Union cavalry column. He only had a newly mounted 20th Mississippi Infantry. They headed south out of Jackson on 28 April 1863 by train but he had problems with this transportation. He finally gathered up 3 regiments when he engaged a Union patrol under scout Capt. Hiram Love. Again he thought Grierson had escaped. He continued to search for Grierson and joined up with Adam's column to reach Osyka. They moved south to Greensburg by the morning of May 2 only to find that they were late---Grierson had crossed the Williams' Bridge and escaped their trap.
 
The 12th Tennessee Cavalry and the 1st Tennessee Partisan Rangerss were the same unit.
Thanks. I wanted to check that out. Another regiment that morphed. Many of those roving bands in West Tennessee were brought into Mississippi and reformed. I think that included: 13 Tenn Cav (Neely’s), 14 Tenn Cav(Stewart’s) and his 12 Tenn Cav. All of these served in Richardson’s Brigade.

Also all of these commanders were court martialed for illegal conscription from infantry regiments. The infantry commanders were claiming they were taking their men when really it was the soldiers got tired of garrison duty and wanted to defend their own home state in the cavalry. Loving’s book has a chapter on this.
 
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