William Pitt Richardson (May 25, 1824 - August 4, 1886) was a Republican politician from the state of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, USA. He was Ohio Attorney General

Ohio Attorney General

The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Mike DeWine.-History:...

 in 1865.

Richardson was born on May 25, 1824, at Washington County, Pennsylvania

Washington County, Pennsylvania

-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...

. He entered Washington College

Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...

 in 1841, and graduated in 1844. He was then a teacher, and remained so after moving to Ohio. He enlisted as a private in the Third Ohio Infantry in 1846, and served in the Mexican-American War. In 1852, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Monroe County, Ohio

Monroe County, Ohio

Monroe County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,642. Its county seat is Woodsfield and is named for James Monroe, Secretary of State when the county was formed and later President of the United States....

, and held that office until 1861. During the Civil War, he enlisted as a Major in the 25th Ohio Infantry

25th Ohio Infantry

The 25th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 25th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on June 28, 1861 under the command of Colonel James A. Jones...

, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. On May 2, 1863, at the Battle of Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...

, he was wounded and lost use of his right arm.

In 1864, he was elected Ohio Attorney General, but resigned after less than a year, replaced by Chauncey N. Olds

Chauncey N. Olds

Chauncey N. Olds was a Republican politician from the state of Ohio. He was Ohio Attorney General 1865.-Biography:Chauncey Olds was born February 2, 1816 at Marlboro, Vermont, brother of Edson B. Olds. He was moved to Cuyahoga County, Ohio at age four. In 1830, the family moved to Circleville,...

 of Franklin County

Franklin County, Ohio

Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...

 being appointed by Governor Brough

John Brough

John Brough was a War Democrat politician from Ohio. He served as the 26th Governor of Ohio during the final years of the American Civil War, dying in office of gangrene shortly after the war concluded....

. He was Brevetted

Brevet (military)

In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...

 Brigadier General

Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...

 in December, 1864. The same year, he was named commander of the military prison at Camp Chase

Camp Chase

Camp Chase was a military staging, training and prison camp in Columbus, Ohio, during the American Civil War. All that remains of the camp today is a Confederate cemetery containing 2,260 graves. The cemetery is located in what is now the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.- History :Camp Chase...

 in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

, and was later Collector of Internal Revenue for the Fifteenth (Ohio) district. He died at New Castle, Indiana

New Castle, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,780 people, 7,462 households, and 4,805 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.5 people per square mile . There were 8,042 housing units at an average density of 1,351.3 per square mile...

 August 4, 1886, and was interred at Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio

Marietta, Ohio

Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...

.