Just a quick note about Dewayne Richardson. A member of this list is a relative, and it looks like we'll be able to match up Dewayne's kids with the proverbial long lost cousin. Thanks for playing, winners have been notified.... (That's an attempt at humor, but it's Richardson related, so I hope I won't offend anyone) Meanwhile, I have been invited by a Social Studies teacher at Franklin (Norfolk county) Massachusetts High school to speak with a class that is researching Franklin folks who were in the Civil War. Each student is assigned one person, and the results are published on a town website. One of the students wrote about Charles Richardson Adams, who died in a battle in VA. He was only able to determine that Charles had a father named Peter, and of course, that he had given up his life in the war. Turns out Peter married Clarissa Day Richardson, inherited one of the Richardson Homesteads, and the Adams family eventually sold that homestead to it's present owners, the Locke family. The house is still standing, albeit in somewhat modified condition, and the owners are well aware of the Adams and Richardson connection. I wrote to the teacher, a John Leighton, and told him that I could provide much more info about Charles Richardson Adams, including his ancestry back to the mid 1600's, as well as for other family members who fought in the Civil War. Perhaps the most famous Franklin Richardson was Albert Deane Richardson, who did not fight in the war, but spent a good deal of time "spying" on the South, for a newspaper that would publish his stories and letters, prior to the war breaking out. In the process, Albert was captured, and after months in a southern prison, managed to escape. There's more to the story, including Albert's eventual death at the hands of an ex-husband named McFarland, but I'll save that for the classroom. If any of you have memorabilia, stories, suggestions, etc. regarding Civil War Richardson's (or other families) who lived in Franklin, I'll be happy to share them with the class. My appt is set for May 24th, so don't delay! By the way, the town of Franklin (est 1778) is in Norfolk County, near Wrentham, Medway, Norfolk, to name a few. There is a MA County called Franklin County, which is further to the west, and includes all different towns. Franklin named itself after Ben Franklin, and I'm not sure if the County did likewise. Often leads to some confusion, as many people list Counties rather than towns, if they're not certain of the exact town. Even links to existing sites that would illustrate the topic are fine. I will prepare a handout with as much info as possible. It sounds like we may be able to make the job of researching "old dead people" a little more productive for that class, and classes to come. I'll be leaving them with a copy of "Lost Love", which details the entire life of Albert Deane Richardson. He's buried in a local cemetery (with a huge monument erected in his honor after his murder) and Albert lived in the same Homestead as Charles R Adams, so the students can even see both the house and the final resting place, right in their own hometown. Any ideas will be welcomed! Gary Allen Richardson