Background
Richards, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg was born on August 16, 1848 in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of John William (Doctor of Divinity) and Andora (Garber) R.
Richards, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg was born on August 16, 1848 in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of John William (Doctor of Divinity) and Andora (Garber) R.
Graduate Reading (Pennsylvania) High School, 1864, United States Naval Academy, 1869. Doctor of Letters, Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania, 1910.
Henry Branson, Charles Matthias, Florence, Alice. Private Company A, 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment, 1863, in battle of Gettysburg, and its campaign. Private Company A, 195th Pennsylvania Regiment, 1864, in West Virginia, under Sheridan.
Midshipman United States Navy, July 21, 1865.
Ensign, July 12, 1870. Master, July 12, 1871.
Lieutenant (senior), November 1874. Resigned from service, December 1874.
Volunteered for and served through Spanish-American War, 1898, also for service in war against Germany, 1917.
Invented circuit-closing device for torpedoes adopted by United States Government, 1872. With Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company, 1875-1878. Served as officer during labor riots, 1877.
With J. H. Sternbergh & Son, iron manufacturers, Reading, Pennsylvania, 1881-1899, when consolidated with American Iron & Steel Manufacturing Company, of which was treasurer and director
Retired August 1916. Treasurer City of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 1918-1919.
Member commission appointed by Governor Pattison to locate frontier forts of Pennsylvania. Member of advisory commission for preservation of public records, Pennsylvania War History Commission.
Married Ella Van Leer (von Loehr), December 26, 1871. Children: Review.