Richard Hugh Sisson

Richard appears on the 1850 census with his father and siblings. His mother must have died before 1850. Randall Sisson was listed as a farmer with real estate valued at $250. Richard was not marked as attending school that year, but his brothers and sisters were.

On January 12th, 1860 Richard married Eliza Jane Cralle. She was the daughter of Darius Griffin Cralle and Maria Gatewood Gordon. Richard and Eliza were first cousins through their mothers. They lived in a home at Old Totuskey post office on what is now called Canal Road at the headwaters of Totuskey Creek The census that year says they are nearest the Stony Hill post office. Richard is a farmer with real estate valued at $500 and personal property valued at $100. Richard's brother, William, was living with them and listed as a farm laborer.

At the start of the Civil War Richard and his brother both enlisted in the Confederate army. Their younger brother Thomas joind the Northumberland County Home Guard. Peter T. Baron, Jr. writes about Richard's trials during the war in his book, For Love of Family:

Richard enlisted in Company C of the 41st VA Militia on 23 SEP 1861. He was described as 5'8", dark hair, gray eyes and dark complected. He reenlisted in Company G of the 15th VA Cavalry on 13 APR 1862 in Tappahannock. The 15th was assigned to patrol duties in the Northern Neck, which allowed Richard to remain close to home. Richard's second child was Laura Alice Sisson, born 5 JUN 1862. Richard served throughout the war and has numerous entries for being home sick and being "cut off" by the enemy. The Yankees tested the Confederate lines at the Rapidan River on 6 FEB 1864. The 15th fell back to Barnett's Ford. When the Yankees retired, the 15th had sustained with one killed, two wounded and five missing. Richard wasn't missing, he had been captured by the enemy at the Rapidan River. Richard was taken to Old Capital Prison in Washington DC. He was held for over 15 months and released on oath 21 JUN 1865 from Fort Delaware. It is unknown when he learned of the tragedy that had occurred while he was away. It is known that there were letters between him and Eliza and between him and his sister Caroline. One of those letters told him of the birth of his 3rd daughter Richard Anna Sisson, 11 JUL 1863. The story then becomes difficult. Eliza had died of complications from the birth and starvation. She was buried along the front fence line. The exact location has now been lost, but was once marked with a metal pipe. The child Richard Anna lived 11 days and died on 22 JUL 1863. Frances and Laura stayed with family until Richard returned from the War.

The 1880 census shows Richard and his family near Farnham area of Richmond County. Richard is still listed as a farmer. On the farm schedule that year it shows that he farmed 30 acres and had an additional 50 in woodland. He grew Indian corn on 10 acres and produced 150 bushels. Eleven acres of the farm were in wheat and grew 28 bushels. His farm was valued at $700, his farm tools at $10 and his livestock at $100. He spent $30 on fertilizer the previous year. His farm productions the previous year were valued at $275. He owned one horse, two working cows and one milk cow. They produced 50 pounds of butter. He also had 3 swine and 10 chickens. The family also had apple and peach trees on a couple acres.

Richard died June 19th, 1896 and was buried at Totuskey Baptist Church where he was a deacon. The death register recorded "Don't know" for his cause of death and parents names, Marie Sisson reported his death (this might have been Charlotte's middle name). His cause of death was given as paralysis on the CSA widow's pension application that Charlotte filled out years later. Charlotte lived to be 95 years old. In October of 1930 one of Richard's daughters with Charlotte, Agnes Sisson Potter of Emmerton, filed an application with the US War Department for the veteran's headstone that marks his burial plot.