Richard L.T. Beale
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Richard Lee Turberville Beale (May 22, 1819 – April 21, 1893) was a lawyer, three-term
United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of the ...
from the
Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, and a brigadier general in the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. He had more than 3-dozen slaves and was a Democrat.


Early life and career

Beale was born at Hickory Hill,
Westmoreland County, Virginia Westmoreland County is a County (United States), county located in the Northern Neck of the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross, Virginia, Montross ...
. He attended two local private schools, Northumberland Academy and Rappahannock Academy, before attending
Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...
in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...
. He studied law and graduated from the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
in 1837. Two years later, he was admitted to the bar and established a law practice at Hague, Virginia. Beale was elected as a
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
to the Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). However, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1848. He served as a member of the Virginia constitutional reform convention in 1850–51 where he opposed constitutional reform as a member of the ruling Richmond Junta, and he was elected to the
Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...
serving from 1858 to 1860. Beale owned thirty-eight slaves along with significant farmland.


Civil War

Upon the
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
of Virginia in 1861, Beale accepted a commission in the
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
as a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the 9th Virginia Cavalry. He was soon promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
and then
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
, and placed in command of Camp Lee, near his hometown of Hague, on the lower
Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...
. Being commended for his intelligence and excellent judgment, he subsequently served under Col. W. H. F. "Rooney" Lee in the 9th Virginia Cavalry in what became the
Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...
. When Lee was promoted to brigadier general, Beale was advanced to the rank of
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
on September 15, 1862 and given command of the regiment, which included his sons. In December 1862, he led a bold expedition throughout the countryside near the
Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the enti ...
, capturing the Federal garrison at Leeds without losing a man. Beale's service in 1863 earned him several written commendations and praises. On April 16, he won the praise of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart for repelling the threatened raid of Maj. Gen.
George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the 15th governor of California from 1883 to 1887. Stoneman trained at West Point, graduating in 1846, and served in ...
's Federal cavalry division, capturing several prisoners during a week of nearly continual fighting. During the Gettysburg Campaign, Beale led the 9th Virginia in a charge on Fleetwood Hill at the
Battle of Brandy Station The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, around ...
in June. He participated in Stuart's subsequent ride around the
Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...
and the raid through
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. He participated in hard fighting at Gettysburg's East Cavalry Field in early July and during the army's retreat to Virginia. He briefly assumed command of Rooney Lee's brigade during fighting at Culpeper Court House and participated in the Bristoe and
Mine Run Campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...
s. In March 1864, he made a forced march to intercept Union Col.
Ulric Dahlgren Ulric Dahlgren (April 3, 1842 – March 2, 1864) was an American military officer who served as Colonel (United States), colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was the son of Union Navy Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren and ...
and his raiders. A detachment of his 9th Virginia Cavalry successfully ambushed the Federals, and, with other units, captured about 175 men and killed Dahlgren. The papers found upon Dahlgren's person, revealing a design to burn
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
and kill
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...
and his
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
, were forwarded through Maj. Gen.
Fitzhugh Lee Fitzhugh "Fitz" Lee (November 19, 1835 – April 28, 1905) was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish–American War. He was the son of S ...
to the Confederate government. These controversial papers discovered by Beale's troopers may have been a factor that influenced
John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...
in his decision to
assassinate Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
. Beale led his regiment during the
Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...
, and captured two Union flags at the
Second Battle of Ream's Station The Second Battle of Ream's Station (also Reams or Reams's) was fought during the siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destroy ...
during the
Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...
. In August, upon the death of John R. Chambliss, Beale was assigned to command of Chambliss's brigade, although still with the rank of colonel. It was not until February 6, 1865, that he was finally promoted to brigadier general. He led the brigade through the end of the war. He was wounded and captured at Appomattox Station on April 9, 1865, and was paroled on April 27 at Ashland.


Postbellum activities

After the war, Beale resumed his political career during
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...
. He was elected to the
Forty-fifth Congress The 45th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1877, ...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Beverly B. Douglas Beverly Browne Douglas (December 21, 1822 – December 22, 1878) was a Democrat who served two terms as U.S. Representative from Virginia from 1875 to 1878. He also served as in the Virginia Senate representing King William, King and Queen and E ...
. He was reelected and served in the
Forty-sixth Congress The 46th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879, ...
from January 23, 1879 to March 3, 1881. Finally retiring from public service, Beale resumed the practice of law. He also wrote A History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States. Beale died near Hague, Virginia, and was buried there at Hickory Hill Cemetery.


Elections

*1847; Beale was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th District with 51.86% of the vote, defeating Whig Willoughby Newton. *1855; Beale lost election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st District, defeated by Democrat Thomas Henry Bayly. *1878; Beale was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st District with 48.32% of the vote, defeating Republican George C. Round and Independent Democrat John Critcher. *1879; Beale won a special election with 75.84% of the vote, defeating Republican U.W. Douglas and Independents George C. Round and John W. Parker.


Bibliography

*


See also

*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate) Confederate generals __NOTOC__ * Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith * Incomplete appointments * State militia generals The Confederate and United States processes for appointment, nomination and confirmation of general officers were essential ...


Notes


References

* Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Evans, Clement, ''Confederate Military History'', Volume III. Atlanta, Georgia: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. Retrieved on 2008-10-18 * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Beale, Richard L. T. 1819 births 1893 deaths People from Westmoreland County, Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of Virginia in the American Civil War Democratic Party Virginia state senators Virginia lawyers Dickinson College alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly