Dr. Richard R. Dashiell, postmaster of Jackson, Tenn., was born in Baltimore, Md., August 18, 1816. He is a son of Alfred H. and Ann (Ridgely) Dashiell, both natives of Maryland. The father emigrated West in 1837, locating first in Nashville, where he accepted the presidency of the Nashville Female College, being also a minister in the Presbyterian Church, and later officiated in his clerical capacity at Franklin and Shelbyville, and still later was president of the Rogersville College, of East Tennessee, until 1858, when he returned East and died in Brooklyn, N.Y., about 1882. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native city, securing a collegiate education at Amherst College, Mass. Early in life he began the study of medicine, with a view to making it a profession, and accordingly entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1837. He commenced practice in the same year in Nashville, and continued until 1839, when he took charge of several large iron works in and below Clarksville, which he managed successfully eight years. In 1846 the Doctor removed to Jackson and entered regularly in the practice of his profession, in which he continued until the war, when he went out in 1861 as surgeon of the Sixth Regiment, Tennessee Confederate Infantry, serving in his professional capacity until 1863, when he resigned on account of failing health. After the war he resumed his practice here, in which he met with good and well deserved success until December, 1885, when he received the appointment to the postmastership at Jackson, and is now discharging the duties of this important position in a highly efficient and faithful manner. In 1841 the Doctor married Miss Louisa J. Kizer, of Stewart County, Tenn., who died in 1848, leaving one daughter, now living, named Emily E. January 15, 1850, the Doctor was married to his present wife, Miss Eliza J. Taylor, of Pittsboro, N.C. The following are their children: George T., agent for the Texas Central Railroad at Kaufman, Tex.; Annie Ridgely and Richard H., assistant postmaster at Jackson. The Doctor has been a Democrat in politics since the war, but was originally an old line Whig, and edited the West Tennessee Whig two years during 1850 and 1852. He also owned an interest in the paper. He is an ancient I.O.O.F. and Mason, and member of the G. R. Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, with which he has been connected thirty-eight years.

Goodspeeds History of Tennessee