Researcher: Greg Good

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          Richard H. King was a local kid born and raised in Franklin, Massachusetts. Mr. King grew up to be a blacksmith. He worked right in town. When states started to succeed to form their own country called the Confederate States of America, talk of war was going around the America. After the attack on Fort Sumter Richard enlisted in the United States of America’s army. Richards’s reason for enlisting was to preserve the Union.

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             Richard H. King was assigned to the Fourth Massachusetts Calvary. Richard and his Calgary were assigned to the companies “I,” “K,” “L,” and finally company “M.” Richard H. King a man from Franklin was quite an army man. He became the Private of the Fourth Massachusetts Calvary. Richard’s regiment fought in three key battles.

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            The first key battle Richard and his regiment fought in was the Battle of Olustee. This battle is also known as the Battle of Ocean Pond. This battle took place in the state of Florida. The Confederates were victorious but the Union killed many soldiers from the south.

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            The second battle Richard and his regiment fought in was the Battle of Petersburg. Another name for this battle is The Assault on Petersburg. This battle took place in the city of Petersburg. Many key leaders were at this battle. Some key leaders for the Union in the Civil War that were at Petersburg were Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, Major General George G. Meade. For the Confederates there was General Robert E. Lee and General P.G.T. Beauregard. The Union were able to gain more ground and help capture Richmond, Virginia. This battle was able to do one of the parts of the Anaconda Plan. That part was to capture the capital Richmond.

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          The last battle the Fourth Massachusetts Calvary fought in was the battle of Honey Hill. This battle took place in the Jasper County. Some major leaders for the Union were Major General John P. Hatch. For the Confederates they had Colonel Charles Colcock. In this battle the Confederates were able to pull off a victory. A good bad thing that happened to the Union is they failed to capture the Confederate entrenchments or cut the railroad.

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          At the end of the war Richard H. King was a very lucky man. He was able to witness the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and his army at the Appomattox Court House. Richard was also a lucky man because his regiment was lost during service. Twenty- eight enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded and one hundred and twenty – eight men were killed by disease. Private Richard’s regiment totally lost one hundred and sixty- two men. Private Richards and his regiment were discharged at Boston on November 26, 1865. Later on in Richard’s life he died.