Thomas Sherrod Richards Burial Site

The unnamed Cemetery is in a remote location in Chambers County, Alabama.
I am in the process of having the Cemetery marked and named.

Location is Chambers County in NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 9, township 24, range 25 E. It is 1000 feet S. SW of western end of the CSX railroad bridge crossing the Tallapoosa River. From the intersection of highways 77 and 22 in Wadley, proceed 1.1 miles west on 22. Turn left onto Chambers Road 135. Continue 1.0 mile to gate. Once through the gate, at 0.4 miles is the old Richards home place marked by several large oak trees.
After another 0.1 mile take a logging road to the right and proceed 100 yards to the grave sites.

At one time there were as many as perhaps twenty graves, but at the time there are only four remaining. These are the graves.

Thomas S. Richards
b. 10/12 /1767
d. 09/30/1846 (age 59)

Elizabeth Richards
b. 01/18/1805
d. 06/25/1890 (age 85)

Rufus S. Richards
b. 07/13/1838
d. 03/21/1864 (age 26)

James F. Richards
b. 08/30/1835
d. 11/19/1906 (age 61)

Rufus S. Richards was the younger brother of George Washington Richards. Rufus joined the Confederate Army on April 20, 1862 along with George and two of Amanda Lee's brothers. To George and all the descendants until 1975, his fate was unknown.
The family just said, "He never returned and we don't know what happened to him." This point grieved George W. Richards who named his first born son after his younger brother.
(My grandfather is Rufus Stonewall Jackson Richards.)

In 1975 searching the Military Records in the National Archives, June Richards Daab discovered his fate. He had been captured and had died in a Union Hospital in Richmond, Virginia of dysentery.
Now, we discover that his widowed mother and brother in Chambers County knew his fate. An example of no communication in those years after the Civil War. Times were very hard for all of them. How I wished my father and his generation knew what we know now.
PHOTOS TO BE ADDED

William Richards Sr

Last week, cousins and I went to explore the land where our family began here in the "New World". We drove to Jamestown, Virginia, crossed the James river, where our forefathers had done some 400 years ago. We wanted to see the land that was granted to our g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.grandfather and see if there was a court house. Without any problem, we located a large reseach room within the Land Office of the Court House for Isle of Wight, Virginia. There we found a treasure chest of information.

At Jamestown, Virginia and crossed the river by Ferry over to Smithfield, Virginia and only a couple of miles, we found the Isle of Wight Courthouse.

To our great surprise, there in the records, we found a missing link...William Richards Sr. Can't wait to wade into this information. I plan to go back at the end of this month to document all the information for our records.

This photo is made crossing the James River and looking back on the ships that are docked with the ships in 1607 landed.

You are looking at the area of the river our g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g. grandfather crossed some 400 years ago.
As stated before, England is a small country. As the population grew, opportunities lessened. All the land by the year 1600 was owned. English tradition was to pass down the family land to the oldest son.

The other siblings got nothing. therefore, they had no opportunity to be a landowners there in England. For this reason, they obviously thought it worth risking their life to come to The New World, which was to come to Jamestown,Virginia.

We know George Sherrod was aboard one of the first ships bringing hopeful young people over in the early 1600's. And as you can see from the Isle of Wight Banner, he was one of the first settlers in that Colony.

It is documented that 60% of those who set sail died during the rough three month voyage.

The ships were crowded and only for the strongest survived. These photos were made August 2008
Photo is Alisha Richards Chandler Brandom with actors dressed as the passangers were dressed in 1607 and later.
The topography there is flat and seemingly ideal for good farm lands. There is a wonderful Court House and very large Land Office in Isle of Wight. The books/records date back to 1647.

Looking back from the Ferry, we could see the ships which are a remarkable re-creation of the first ships to bring the English to the New World and landed at this very spot.

The Ferry ride was about 15 minutes as the James River is wide and beautiful, lined with thick hardwood trees.

This is a close up of one of the ships which we later boarded.

We took a few minutes to look for our great, g. g.g.g.g.g.g.g. grandfathers name...and found yet another name...William Richards, Sr. There is much to research. Plans to go back at the end of this month to document all information for our family.

The Isle of Wight is only a couple of miles from Smithfield, Virginia where they have lodging. I plan to stay for as long as needed.

Do check back, as I will add all information found ...should be here in early September, 08.

June Richards Daab, August, 2008