Person:William Richmond (32)

William Caperton Richmond was born on July 30, 1823 in Virginia. His father Samuel Richmond ran a grist mill and a ferry on the New River. His mother was Sarah Cales, from the Cales family of Stump Lick Holler near Hinton. William was called Bill by his family and friends. He was a well educated southerner, and owned a large farm. In the 1850s, he was a district school commissioner in Raleigh County. He married Christiana Fleshman in 1851, and the couple had ten children. After his first wife's death, he married Nancy Meadows in 1876.

According to the West Virginia Service Commission, documents are are file at the West Virginia Archives and History Library that show William Caperton Richmond was a Lieutenant in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He was given the name "Devil Bill' by the soldiers in his unit because of his bravery and fearlessness. He served from December 20, 1861 until May 20, 1863. Later, he joined the 'State Scouts', an independent Confederate militia unit under D.L. Garten. which was organized on November 11, 1864.

After the War, Bill was a Justice of the Peace for more than 25 years in the Raleigh County Court System and was still serving in that position when he contracted pneumonia and died on March 2, 1897. The picture above his obituary was taken shortly before his death. William Caperton was buried in the Richmond Graveyard in Raleigh County.

Sources:

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 United States Federal census records William C. Richmond in the West Virginia Wills and Probate Records 1724-1985 "History of Summers County, West Virginia" published in 1907, page 535 "Raleigh County, West Virginia" by Jim Woods William C Richman (Richmond) in the West Virginia, Marriage Index, 1785-1971 Nancy Meadows in the West Virginia, Compiled Marriage Records.