Just Who Was Israel B. Richardson Anyway?

I did some searching. Afterall, if Hancock replaced him in the Battle of Antietam, I think I should know a little bit about his predecessor. As a Hancock "stalker" (as I have been called), I need to know all things Hancock and if anyone who had anything to do with him. So I did some searching.

Here are some facts that I learned about him: He was born on December 26, 1815 in Fairfax, Vermont (its a small town about halfway between Burlington and St. Albans....another Civil War related town that I have been to). He attended West Point and was graduated in 1841. Now this is interesting because Hancock graduated in 1844....so they probably knew each other at the school. I'm not sure how involved seniors would have been with freshman (plebes) but they may have known each other from classes or even barracks or whatever. He was given the nickname of "Fighting Dick" because once out on the battlefield he fought just as hard as his men. One thing that I saw repeatedly about him, was that he was quoted as saying "I would never put my men somewhere that I wasn't willing to go." I wish all leaders felt that way. He recruited and organized the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry. And was made the Colonel of that infantry. Now, at this point you are probably saying, how did he go from Vermont to Michigan???? Good question. This is all I know, somehow, he made his way down from Vermont and settled in Pontiac, Michigan. It was at a point after he resigned from the Army in the 1850's. He must have either been stationed in the area or traveled through the area and grew to like it, so it became home.

Now, at the Battle of Antietam, he attacked the enemy at the Sunken Road. During this fighting, he was wounded by a spent shell fragment. So many men were wounded this way. I don't believe that direct hits were as common as the indirect hits. The wound wasn't considered life threatening but infection set in and eventually it led to pneumonia and he ended up dying on November3, 1862 in the Pry House. If the Pry House sounds familiar, it was the house that McClellan used as his headquarters during the Battle of Antietam.

General Richardson sounds like an interesting guy. I really do need to find out a bit more about him, but I'm glad I got to know him a bit better. There is a Civil War Round Table in the Pontiac, Michigan area that is named after him. If a group of this caliber is naming itself after this gentleman, then he must have been a really good guy. Sounds like more research is needed!