Roscoe Richards

A builder's son, in 1860 he was a 17 year old living with his parents and 5 siblings in Hillsborough, NC. He enlisted there on 20 April 1861 and mustered as a Private in the Orange Guards - Company G, 27th North Carolina Infantry on 22 June. He was promoted to 3rd Corporal on 15 July 1862 and was 2nd Corporal by September.

He was slightly wounded in the hand in action at Sharpsburg on 17 September 1862.

He was again slightly wounded, in the Wilderness, VA on 5 May 1864 and more seriously at Spotsylvania Court House, VA on 10 May. He was promoted to 4th Sergeant on 6 August and returned to his company the next day. He was color bearer of the regiment for a year and "planted the first colors on the enemy's works at Ream's Station, Va" on 25 August 1864. He was 3rd Sergeant by December 1864 and was surrendered and paroled at Appomattox Court House, VA on 9 April 1865.

Basic casualty information from Wilson.1 His service from his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3 and J.A. Graham's Descriptive Book of the Orange Guards in his Papers.3 Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

His brother Hiram (1845-1863) was also in Company G, from April to December 1861, then age 16.

01/29/1843; Hillsborough, NC

08/21/1867; Hillsborough, NC; burial in Hillsborough Old Town Cemetery, Hillsborough, NC