Richard Hanson Weightman

Richard Hanson Weightman (December 28, 1816 – August 10, 1861) was an American soldier, lawyer, editor, and politician who served as an antebellum delegate to the United States Congress from the Territory of New Mexico, holding office for one term from 1851 to 1853. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New Mexico during a significant period in American history, participating in the legislative process and advocating for the interests of his territorial constituents. During the American Civil War he became a district commander in the secessionist Missouri State Guard and was killed in action at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri.

Weightman was born in Washington, D.C., on December 28, 1816. He received his early education in the capital and later attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Although he did not complete the full course of study at West Point, his time there provided him with formal military training and connections that would shape his later career as a soldier and officer. After leaving the academy, he studied law and was admitted to the bar, beginning a legal career that he would pursue alongside various public and military roles.

In the 1840s, Weightman moved west and became involved in both military and civic affairs. He served in the Mexican–American War, where he gained further military experience that enhanced his reputation as a capable officer. Following the war and the incorporation of New Mexico into the United States, he settled in the Territory of New Mexico. There he practiced law and became active in territorial politics, aligning himself with the Democratic Party at a time when questions of territorial governance, slavery, and westward expansion dominated national debate.

Weightman was elected as a Democratic delegate to the Thirty-second Congress, representing the Territory of New Mexico from March 4, 1851, to March 3, 1853. As a non-voting delegate, he participated in debates, served on committees, and worked to secure federal attention and resources for the territory. His term coincided with the early years of New Mexico’s territorial status following the Compromise of 1850, and he was involved in efforts to organize civil government, address land claims, and improve infrastructure and security in the region. Although he served only one term, his tenure reflected the complex challenges of integrating a newly acquired and culturally diverse territory into the United States.

After leaving Congress, Weightman did not return to national office but remained engaged in public life. He continued his legal and editorial work and eventually relocated to Missouri, a border state where sectional tensions were particularly acute in the years leading up to the Civil War. His Democratic affiliation and Southern sympathies drew him into the orbit of pro-secession leaders as the national crisis deepened following the election of 1860 and the secession of Southern states.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Weightman joined the secessionist cause in Missouri. He became a district commander in the Missouri State Guard, the pro-Confederate militia organized under the authority of the secessionist state government. In this capacity he commanded troops in the field, drawing on his earlier military training and wartime experience. On August 10, 1861, during the Battle of Wilson’s Creek near Springfield, Missouri—one of the earliest major engagements in the Trans-Mississippi Theater—Weightman was killed in action while leading his command. His death on the battlefield ended a career that had spanned military service, territorial politics, and participation in the tumultuous sectional conflicts that preceded and accompanied the Civil War.