Albert D. Richardson, born in Franklin, Massachusetts on October 6, 1833, was a journalist who traveled to the battlefields of the Civil War as a Union spy to report on the war. Because of this, Richardson was imprisoned several times. 

 

Richardson was married and had one daughter, but both his wife and daughter died during the Civil War. He later fell in love with Abby Sage McFarland, a married woman in an abusive relationship. The pair lived together while she worked to divorce her husband, Daniel McFarland. In 1867, upon learning about the situation, Daniel shot Albert, but he managed to recover. Two years later, in 1869, he tried shooting Albert again and this time, had more success. Albert lived for a little more than a week after the second shooting. During this time, he and Abby had a bedside wedding. Daniel McFarland was later put on trial for the murder, but, unfortunately for Albert, it was mostly for show. The lawyers painted Albert as a seducer and Daniel was easily acquitted of his crimes.