Robert A. Richardson (June 16, 1827 – October 16, 1895) was a Virginia soldier and lawyer who was a member of the

Readjuster Party The Readjuster Party was a bi-racial state-level political party formed in Virginia across party lines in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the Reconstruction era that sought to reduce outstanding debt owed by the state. Readj ...

and served for twelve years on the

Supreme Court of Virginia The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrativ ...

(then called the Supreme Court of Appeals).

Biography

Richardson was a native of

Charlotte County, Virginia Charlotte County is a United States county located in the south central part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Charlotte Court House. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,529. Charlotte County is ...

. While still in his teens, he enlisted in the army and fought in the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

. Following this, he returned to Virginia and taught in the school in Monroe County (now in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

). He read law books extensively during his hours outside of school and in the early 1850s was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals at Lewisburg (now in West Virginia). He still pursued the study of law when he was not working. He was admitted to the bar, and shortly after moved to Mercer County to begin practicing law. This was interrupted by military service in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

. After the war, he settled at Marion in Smyth County, where he had a large practice. He became a member of the

and, in February 1882, was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals. After serving his twelve-year term, he retired in January 1895 and returned to Marion where he died in October 1895.

References

Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Virginia lawyers Readjuster Party politicians People of Virginia in the American Civil War 1827 births 1895 deaths 19th-century Virginia state court judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Virginia-politician-stub