Rees Griffith Richards | |
|---|---|
 circa 1912 | |
| 16th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio | |
| In office January 9, 1882 – January 14, 1884 | |
| Governor | Charles Foster |
| Preceded by | Andrew Hickenlooper |
| Succeeded by | John G. Warwick |
| Member of theOhio Senate from the 22nd district | |
| In office January 7, 1878 – January 1, 1882 | |
| Preceded by | J. K. Rukenbrod |
| Succeeded by | J. M. Dickinson |
| Member of theOhio House of Representatives from theJefferson County district | |
| In office January 5, 1874 – January 6, 1878 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel H. Ford |
| Succeeded by | Thomas B. Scott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1842-07-22)July 22, 1842 |
| Died | February 10, 1917(1917-02-10) (aged 74) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine C. Rees Elizabeth Johnson |
| Children | one |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | 45th Pennsylvania Infantry |
Rees Griffith Richards (July 22, 1842 – February 10, 1917) was an AmericanRepublican politician who served as the 16thlieutenant governor of Ohio from 1882 to 1884.[1]
Richards was born July 22, 1842, nearSwansea, Wales, and lived there until age 10. His family then moved toOntario, Canada, before removing toTioga County, Pennsylvania.[2]
At the outbreak of theU.S. Civil War, he enlisted as a first sergeant in Company G of the45th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry September 18, 1861. He was promoted to second lieutenant July 31, 1862, to captain September 14, 1862. He re-enlisted as a veteran January 1, 1864,[3] and was captured at theCrater, July 30, 1864.[4] He was held prisoner atAsylum Prison Camp nearCharleston, South Carolina, until his escape February 16, 1865. He and two colleagues made it to Union lines atChattanooga, Tennessee March 16, 1865.[5] He was appointed brigade inspector May 11, 1865, and mustered out July 17, 1865.[3]
After the war, he moved toYoungstown, Ohio, and engaged in mercantile business for two years,[2][6] then six years inIrondale, Ohio. In 1873, and again in 1875, he was elected to representJefferson County, Ohio, in theOhio House of Representatives at the 61st and 62nd General Assemblies[7] In 1876 he was admitted to the bar.[6] He represented the 22nd district in theOhio Senate in the 63rd and 64th General Assemblies (1878–1881).[8] In 1881, he defeated Democrat Edgar M. Johnson for election as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, and could have had the nomination in 1883, had he wanted it.[2]
He was elected to two terms as Common Pleas Judge of Jefferson County while living inSteubenville, Ohio, starting in 1902, and died February 10, 1917.[6]
Richards married Catherine C. Rees of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, on November 22, 1865, and Elizabeth Johnson of Jefferson County, Ohio, on September 25, 1894, who had one daughter. Richards was aFreemason and aPresbyterian by faith. He was a member of theGrand Army of the Republic and theMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.[9]
Rees Richards.
