Richard Lee Turberville Beale

Democrat Representative of Virginia's 1st district

  • Representative

    Virginia, district 1

    March 18, 1879 - March 3, 1881

3

Congresses Served

3

House Terms

May 22, 1819 (73 years old)

Birthday

April 21, 1893

Death

  • American politician and lawyer who served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  • Served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
  • Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and educated at Dickinson College and the University of Virginia.
  • Initially elected to Congress in 1847, he later returned to serve again in 1879.
  • Participated in significant military campaigns, including the Gettysburg Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg.
  • Commanded the 9th Virginia Cavalry and was recognized for his leadership and tactical skills.
  • Captured and paroled at the end of the Civil War.
  • After the war, he resumed his law practice and wrote a historical account of his regiment’s experiences.
  • Involved in Virginia’s constitutional reform convention and served in the Virginia Senate prior to the Civil War.