Richard Tester

Richard Riley Tester, Jr (October 10, 1841 - July 8, 1926) served as a corporal in Company F, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry.



Personal life
Richard Tester was born October 10, 1841 in Johnson County, North Carolina to Richard and Rebecca (Jackson) Tester. He married Sarah Tester (1846-1915) with whom he had eleven children.

Civil War service
Tester enlisted as a private in Company F on September 22, 1863 in Johnson County, Tennessee for a period of three years and mustered in November 8, 1863 at Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. He was appointed bugler on December 31, 1863 by order of Colonel Miller. Tester was appointed corporal on May 25, 1865.

He is described as 20 years old, 5' 11" tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair, and by occupation a farmer.

Tester is listed as present for duty throughout his term of service for which muster roll records have survived.

Tester mustered out with the regiment on September 5, 1865 at Knoxville. He had last been paid to August 31, 1864, owed $8.08 to the government for clothing, had been paid a $25 bounty, and was owed a $75 bounty.

Post-war life
Tester applied for an invalid's pension on April 12, 1882. He died July 8, 1926 in Johnson City, Tennessee and is buried at Bakers Gap Baptist Church Cemetery in Butler, Tennessee. J. H. Smith, his "next friend", applied for hardship case pension on January 11, 1932.