Richard Newport

Richard “Hicks” Newport (1812 – July 12, 1864) was a Union soldier from Scott County who died during the Civil War.

See Also: Scott Countians killed in war

Biography

Born in Anderson County, Tenn. in 1812, Richard Newport was the son of Ezekiel Newport (1777-1852) and Rebecca Cecil (1787-1860). His father was originally from Virginia but migrated to present-day Scott County (where Richard was born) in the early 1800s, after his marriage to Rebecca in 1805.

Richard’s siblings included James W. “Jim” Newport (1807-1880), Malinda Parker (1808-1891), Calvin Newport (1810-1858), Samuel Newport (1816-1899), Lucinda Begley (~1822-1880), Sarah Elizabeth Newport (~1822-1860), William Newport (1824-1913), Joseph Cecil Newport (1825-1890) and Benjamin Solomon Newport (1826-1899), and Asa Newport (1831-1867).

Richard married Anna Goad (1815-1900), the daughter of Joshua Goad (1786-1880) and Sarah Smiddy (born 1787). The Goad family also migrated from Virginia to present-day Scott County early in the 1800s. Joshua’s father, Abraham Goad (Anna’s grandfather) was a Revolutionary War veteran who settled on what is now known as the Vanderpool Place south of Huntsville, along New River.

Richard and Anna’s children included: Calvin Newport (1840-1863), Sarah “Sally” Griffith (1840-1911), Phoenix Newport (1842-1899), James Thomas Newport (1844-1919), Solomon N. Newport (1851-1888), Thomas Newport (1842-1939) and Ezekiel Newport (1854-1925). Anna also had a son, Little Berry Goad (1833-1901) born before she and Richard were married.

Civil War

Richard and three of his sons — Calvin, Phoenix and James — all enlisted in the Union army. Richard and Calvin were both assigned to Co. C, 7th Tennessee Infantry, though Richard was later transferred to Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry. Phoenix, who enlisted on Nov. 8, 1864, was assigned to Co. F, 7th Tennessee Infantry. James enlisted in October 1861 and was assigned to Co. H, 12th Tennessee Infantry.

Calvin was killed at Warm Springs, N.C. and buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Richard was taken prisoner by the Confederate army and imprisoned at Andersonville, Ga., where he died of flux on July 12, 1864. He is buried at Andersonville National Cemetery, in Grave #3191.

Richard also had five brothers, Asa Newport, Joseph Cecil Newport, James W. Newport, Benjamin Solomon Newport, and William Newport, who served in the Union army during the Civil War. Asa enlisted on July 13, 1862 at Huntsville and was assigned to Co. C, 7th Tennessee Infantry. He rose to the rank of 1st lieutenant. Joseph was captain of Co. C, East Tennessee National Guard. He enlisted on Sept. 15, 1863. James “Jim” Newport also served in Co. C, East Tennessee National Guard. Benjamin Solomon Newport enlisted on Aug. 1, 1862 at Huntsville and also served in Co. C, East Tennessee National Guard. William Newport served as a corporal in Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry after enlisting on July 13, 1862 at Huntsville. He was later transferred to Co. H, 9th Tennessee Cavalry.

Jim’s son, Fielding Newport (1840-1880), served in three Union regiments during the war: Co. C, 7th Tennessee Infantry (enlisting on July 26, 1862 in Huntsville), Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry, and Co. H, 9th Tennessee Cavalry. He was wounded in Scott County in the fall of 1862.

Another of Jim’s sons, William A. Newport (1844-1928) served as a corporal in Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry. He was captured by Confederate forces in Lee County, Va. on Feb. 22, 1864 but escaped in Bristol, Tenn. on March 4, 1864.

Joseph Cecil’s son, James Mountville Newport (1844-1909) enlisted in the Union army in October 1861 and was assigned to Co. H, 12th Kentucky Infantry. He was wounded in the left arm and left thigh during the war, and also battled measles and chronic diarrhea during the war.

Another nephew, Ezekiel Newport (son of Calvin Newport) served in Co. C, 7th Tennessee Infantry and later transferred to Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry. Ezekiel’s sister, Mary “Polly” Newport married John Michael Robbins (1834-1869), who also fought in the war. He enrolled at Chitwood (Winfield) on Sept. 15, 1863, and served in Co. C of the East Tennessee National Guard.

Ezekiel’s brother, John Newport, served as captain of Co. E, 11th Tennessee Cavalry, after earlier serving as a first lieutenant in the 7th Tennessee Infantry. He was shot in the groin during a skirmish near Jonesville, Va. on Jan. 28, 1864 and died as a result of the wound.

Aftermath

Phoenix and James survived the war and returned to Scott County. Anna did not remarry. She died on May 4, 1900 and is buried at Goad Cemetery near West Robbins.

The last of the Newport children, Thomas Newport, died in 1939 in Somerset, Ky. and is buried at Robbins Cemetery.

Asahel “Asa” Newport married Rosannah Greer in 1855. Their children included Rebecca Emeline Dew, Mary Jane Elkins, John Marion Newport, Sarah Colanzia Earle and Margaret Violett. He was shot to death on April 24, 1867 by Mark Pennington in Huntsville.

Joseph Cecil Newport married Lucretia “Creacy” Begley (1831-~1900) and they had eight children: James M. Newport (1844-1909), Annaliza Buttram (1854-1905), Christopher Columbus Newport (1859-1885), Millard Fillmore Newport (1861-1945) and four more.

James W. Newport married Elizabeth O’Daniel (1806-1896) and they had at least seven children (Rebecca Gosnell (1828-1900), Ezekiel Newport (1836-1904), Sarah Jeffers (1838-1889), Fielding Newport (1840-1880), Elizabeth Jeffers (1842-1926), William Newport (1844-1928) and Julia Ann Sexton (1851-1912).

Benjamin Solomon Newport married Elizabeth “Betsy” Goad (1827-1899). She was a sister to Richard’s wife, Anna Goad. Their children included Lucinda Newport and Priscilla Newport.

William Newport married Elizabeth Griffith in 1843. He later married Sereptia Brown. His children included Louisa Newport, Lucinda Brown, Samuel Newport, Sarah Jeffers, Esau Newport, Rosey Newport, Farazina Newport, Martha Jane Sexton and Tennessee Phillips.

Fielding Newport married Margaret Jeffers (1841-1920). Their children included Marion Dealus Newport (1861-1913), William Cleve Newport (1863-1947), Ezekiel Newport (1866-1948), John Riley Newport (1868-1890), Martin Bailey Newport (1873-1959), Elmira Brown (1876-1897) and Louvania Jeffers (1879-1962).

William A. Newport married Kizzia Anne Phillips (1840-1888) in 1867. He later married Mary Sue Ammons (1862-1924) and, in 1927, married Mary Teague (1860-1929). His children included John Freeman Newport (1868-1933), Martha N. Provins (1873-1968), Margaret Newport (1876-1877) and Daniel Newport (1879-1905).

James Mountville Newport married Elizabeth Sharp (1856-1932) in 1972. Their children included Joseph Marion Newport (1874-1933), Elswick Washington Newport (1878-1935), Lettie Walters (1886-1971), Mae Paul (1890-1977) and Franz Sigle Newport (1891-1980).

Ezekiel Newport married Nancy Smith (1837-1883) in 1860. Their children included John Critton Newport (1860-1951), Cal Newport (1864-1903), Minnesota Strunk (1866-1950), Ulissis S. Newport (1869-1889), William Wyatt Newport (1872-1924), Augusta Newport (1874-1887), Genira Newport (1877-1897), Conna Ada Newport (1881-1882), Alvin Newport (1884-1966) and Sarah Yarbrough (1884-1970).

John and Polly Robbins had seven children: Calvin Robbins (1856-1927), Elizabeth Phillips (1858-1930), Melvin Cox Robbins (1861-1932), William M. Robbins (1863-1940), Melton James “Mitt” Robbins (1865-1953), Almira Walker (1866-1903) and Samuel Richard Moore (1868-1931). John was murdered by James Mountville Newport — his wife’s first cousin — in 1869. Their son, Mitt Robbins, later served as Scott County Judge and in the state legislature.