Bio: Richardson, Hollon General (1881)
Contact: Janet Schwarze
Email: Posted4u@Charter.net

---Source: 1881 History of Northern Wisconsin, pg. 216.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF GENERAL HOLLON RICHARDSON

GENERAL HOLLON RICHARDSON, lawyer, Chippewa Falls. Was born in Poland, Mahoning Co., Ohio, Dec. 25, 1838; lived there until he came to Chippewa Falls in September, 1859. In July, 1861, he entered the army as first lieutenant of Co. A. 7th Wis. V. I., and was promoted from time to time until he became colonel of his regiment, and was made brevet brigadier general at the close of the war. He was wounded eight times, but was in all general engagements of his command except part of the Wilderness battles. He and Captain Andrews were the only original officers of his regiment that came back from the war alive. He furnished to General Meade the information upon which he made the line of entrenchments which enabled him to successfully resist the attacks of the rebels, thereby saving his army the night of July 2. 1863. When he entered the service he improvised a flat boat at his own expense and took the troops from Chippewa Falls to Reed's Landing. He was one of the four officers appointed to organize Indian regiments in Nebraska, and was offered a colonelcy in one of them, but declined the position. He was finally mustered out in July, 1865. After leaving the army he located in Baltimore, Md., where he practiced law for six years, having been educated at the Ohio State Union Law College at Poland, Ohio, the Degree of A. B. was conferred on him by that institution July 1, 1857. In 1871 he returned to Chippewa Falls, where he has since continued the practice of his profession. He has been District Attorney two terms. City Attorney two terms, and was City Clerk one term while serving as City Attorney. The general was one of the delegates to the National convention which first nominated U. S. Grant to the presidency. In 1868 he was U. S. Commissioner of Inspection of the Kansas Pacific and Denver Pacific railways. He was appointed U. S. Attorney for the Territories of Montana and Washington, but declined both places. He was also appointed Governor of Utah, but declined that honor. In May, 1862, he was married in Washington, D. C, to Leonora C. Robinson. She was born near Cleveland, Ohio, and is a daughter of Colonel W. W. Robinson, who was colonel of the 7th Wis. V. I., during the late rebellion, and is now U. S. Consul to Madagascar. The general has two children, Leonora and Mary E. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and K. of P.