Richard Boone Cheatham

Richard Boone Cheatham (December 8, 1824 – May 7, 1877) was an American politician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He was serving as the mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, during the opening years of the Civil War. After the war he served as alderman of the city, and later as a representative to the State House, 1869-1871. Early life Cheatham was born in Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1824. He had two brothers, Edward Saunders Cheatham and Boyd M. Cheatham. Their father Richard Cheatham was a Whig politician and was elected in 1836 to the U.S. House of Representatives. Richard's two brothers, Edward Saunders Cheatham (1818-1878) and Boyd M. Cheatham, both served in the Tennessee state legislature. Cheatham graduated from the University of Nashville. Politics Cheatham entered politics after college, serving as the clerk of the Tennessee House of Representatives.