The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-02-28


Of this county.
The subject of this sketch was born, Feb.
%, 1928. a, Bloomhill, Sumter County, the
residence of bis grandfather, Judge John 5.
Richardson. His father was the Rev. John S.
Richardson, a local Methodist preacher. After
graduating with FIRST honor at the Cokesbury
School in Abbeville County, he entered the
South Carolina College in lS47 and graduated
in 1850, taking one of the appointments OF
his class. The same month he married Miss
Agnes D. Mcdowell.
He studied law under the late james S. 6
Richardson and Samuel Mayrant, who were
then law partners in this place, and was
admitted to the bar in 1852.
He practiced law alone, and filed the
Office of Magistrate for several years until
1855, when he formed law copartnership
with Col J. D. Banding, and continued in
that coparsnership until 1876.
BE was also connected with the newspapers
of the place as co-proprietor and editor, first
of the Sumter Banner, previous to 1855, when
that paper and the Black Riuer Watchmaass
were united, as the Sumter Watehman, and fos
some time afterwards with the latter paper,
from which he retired on account Of the de.
mands of his law business.
In 1861 he joined the Samter Volunteers,
the first company that left Sumter TO 60 into
the war, and was elected captain. He was
on Morris Island st the bombardmene of Fort
Sumter, with his command, called Co. D, and
afterwards went in the End S. c. Regt., Col.
afterwards Gen. Kershaw, TO Virginia, and
was at the frst battle of Manassas, where he
was severely. wounded in the leg. At the
reorganization in 1862 be wentinto the artil-
lery service, and after that served as Adjutant
of the 23rd Regiment he was with Gen. Joe
Johnston at Greensboro, N. G., when be sur
rendered.
After the war be resumed the practice OF
Law, in which be continued until 1876.
In 1866 he was elected to the Legislature
aud served until Reconstruction, when the
Republicans got control of the State govern
ment.
In 1876 ne was nominated for Congress by
the Democratic Convention, and took an
active part in the great campaign which re-
suited in the restoration of Democratic govern
mcnt in South Carolina. He was elected but
was not allowed his seat. After long con.
test he obtained favorable report on his
case from the Committee on Elections, but
Congress, which was then in control of the
Radicals, never acted upon the contest, and
allowed Smalls to serve out the term.
He was again unanimously nominated aud
elected to Congress in 1873. and also in 1880,
and served two full terms.
In 1884 he was appointed Master forSumter
County which place be filed until last year.
Just one year aud two days before his own
death, be had the great grief of losing his
wife, to whom he was much devoted. Life
largely lost its brightness for him after that,
and although be went about attending to his
duties with cheerfuluess aed composure, an
obser saot eye readily detected the presence in
his heart of great and irremediable sorrow.
About the first of the year he contracted la
grippe, which was followed by pneumonia,
from which he recovered but slowly. A re-
lapse ensued, aud about one week before his
death, he bad q paralytic stroke which
affected his entire right side, and also rem
dered him speechless. In this condition be
gradually sank until Saturday when, as
stated, he quietly breathed his last. The
funeral services were conducted On Monday
at the Presbyterian Church by bis pastor, the
Rev. Dr.. Edmunds, who, in his sermon, eulo-
gized the deceased in language of great beauty
and power. A large number of his friends
attended the services, in spite OF the very un-
favorable weather, and long procession fol-
lowed his remains to the City Cemetery where
they were placed by the side of his wife's.
Captain Richardson leaves three children,
David u. aud John S. Richardson, and Mrs
D. Arcy P Duncan, and number of grand.
children, between whom and himself existed
the strongest and most affectiouate attach
ment.
He will be missed by the city and county.
in whose welfare be always took the warmes
interest, and by the Bar of which be was 6
distinguished ornament. To his distressed
family we tender our heartfelt sympa.hies.