Biography of R. E. Wright
This article provides a biographical sketch of Capt. R. E. Wright, a planter in Barbour County, Alabama, who was born in Taliaferro County, Georgia, in 1838. The article notes that Capt. Wright’s father, John Wright, was a planter and a Freemason who opposed secession but nonetheless contributed five sons to the Confederate army during the Civil War. Capt. Wright himself fought in the war as a second-lieutenant in the Fifteenth regiment of Alabama infantry, was promoted to captain, and was wounded at the second Battle of Manassas. After the war, he worked as a teacher and farmer before embarking on a successful career as a planter and merchant. Capt. Wright was also active in local politics, serving as a justice of the peace and as a representative in the state legislature. He was married with four children and was a devout Methodist.
