Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards

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Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards
Birth nameHenry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards
BornAugust 16, 1848
Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedSeptember 28, 1935(1935-09-28) (aged 87)
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Buried
Charles Evans Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnion Army
Years of service1864-1878
Rank Captain
Commands heldSpanish–American War
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Spanish–American War

Alma materUnited States Naval Academy

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards (August 16, 1848 – September 28, 1935) was an American military officer who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and then as a captain in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War. He was a member of the Muhlenberg family, a United States political, religious, and military dynasty based in the state of Pennsylvania.[1] Muhlenberg College (an ELCA affiliated institution) in Allentown, Pennsylvania is named in after the family's honor.

Richards was the grandson of Matthias Richards and great-grandson of Henry Muhlenberg.[2][3] In 1905, the college purchased and relocated to a 51-acre (21 ha) tract located in Allentown's West End, the site of today's campus.[4] Richards commanded regiments and campaigns during the Spanish-American War. Richards was also a published author, writer and wrote numerous books. His wife Ella was also a descendant of the Van Leer Family, some the earliest settlers of the Pennsylvania Colony who built a wealthy iron business and Van Leer's were descendants of a noble mayor Werner Von Loehr of Mainz.[5][6][2][7]

Early life and education[edit]

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards moved to Reading, Pennsylvania with his parents as a small child and graduated from its high school in 1864. His father was a prominent local minister and his grandfather Matthias Richards was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania and a judge, who had served as an officer during the American Revolutionary War. His grandmother was the youngest child of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg.[8] The Muhlenberg family home is historic home in Trappe Pennsylvania and on the property are the remains of a pottery kiln dated to about 1720. It is the oldest intact pottery kiln known in Pennsylvania.[9][10]

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg House in Trappe

Throughout his career he wrote for numerous publications about military or American German history.[11][12] Richards would go on to publish many on historical books about events and families during the American Revolutionary War.[13][14][15] In 1910, Richards received the honorary degree of Literary Doctor from Muhlenberg College in recognition of his published works and historic subjects. Richards was appointed the Director of Pennsylvania's Council of National Defense and authorized to join the Four Minute Men during World War 1[16][17][15] and later city treasurer of Lebanon, in which he served from 1918 to 1920. Richards would later be appointed to numerous positions without solicitation on his part. On December 26, 1871, Richards married Ella Van Leer who was a member of another well known Pennsylvania family. Richards was also president of the Pennsylvania German Society.[17][15]

Military[edit]

At the outbreak of the Civil War Richards joined the Union Army at in the 26th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in 1864. Richards participated throughout the entire Gettysburg campaign and in the battle of Gettysburg where he narrowly escaped capture. Later in 1864, he reenlisted under the 195th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served under General Sheridan. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy, he received his diploma with honors from the hands of Ulysses S. Grant and was attached to the USS Juniata (1862). During the Carlist Wars Richards ship was attacked at San Roque, Spain and nearly captured.[18] During the voyage back to the United States, Juniata discovered the German schooner Avance in distress, with her crew sick. Five sailors were put aboard Avance and she was taken in to São Jorge Island, Cape Verde Islands.[19] Richards also invented solutions for Earthing system fuses which were adopted by the military. During the Spanish–American War Richards served as director of naval service for the Lebanon County branch of the Pennsylvania Council of National Defense and Committee of Public Safety.

See also[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ "Man of Vision - The Muhlenberg Monument - Stanley Wanlass". stanleywanlass.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  2. ^ a b Wallace, Paul A. W. (1950). The Muhlenbergs of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 90. She was only fifteen when, on May 8, 1782, she was married to Matthias Richards, a prosperous saddler of Boyertown, Pennsylvania.
  3. ^ "Colby VP Randy Helm Named President Of Muhlenberg College". Muhlenberg College. Archived from the original on 2003-04-01. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  4. ^ Lindsey Aspinall. "The history of Haas College Center". The Muhlenberg Weekly. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
  5. ^ "Genealogy Trails Lebanon County Pennsylvania Biographies".
  6. ^ Foster, Gordon B., ed. (1942-05-23), "THE EPIC STORY OF THE HEROIC MUHLENBERG FAMILY", The epic story of the heroic Muhlenberg family, Muhlenberg College, May twenty-fourth to June first, 1942 (txt), Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania: MUHLENBERG BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, Inc., retrieved 2010-09-06
  7. ^ "Samuel Van Leer welcomed the Revolution with enthusiasm".
  8. ^ Wallace, Paul A. W. (1950). The Muhlenbergs of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 90. She was only fifteen when, on May 8, 1782, she was married to Matthias Richards, a prosperous saddler of Boyertown, Pennsylvania.
  9. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2021-10-05. Note: This includes Rebecca A. Hunt (September 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg House" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  10. ^ "Revolution at Home: The Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania". 18 April 2017.
  11. ^ Catalog Record: Valley Forge and the Pennsylvania-Germans :... | HathiTrust Digital Library. Pennsylvania-German society. Proceedings and addresses.. Oct. 15, 1915. C1918v. 26. Press of the New era printing company. 1917.
  12. ^ Catalog Record: Report of the Commission to locate the site... | HathiTrust Digital Library. C. M. Busch, state printer. 1896.
  13. ^ The Pennsylvania-German in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. The Society. 1908.
  14. ^ "Staff View: The Pennsylvania-German in the French and Indian War".
  15. ^ a b c https://hsmcpa.org/images/thebulletin/1941vol3no1.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  16. ^ "War Service of Members of Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution 1917-1919".
  17. ^ a b "Biography of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg Richards".
  18. ^ "Medal of Honor Recipients - Interim Awards, 1871–1898". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  19. ^ "Shipping Intelligence". Daily News. No. 9292. London. 3 February 1876.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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