Richard M. Edwards, raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, pursued a legal career after attending Oak Grove Academy and studying law. He gained early military experience during the Mexican-American War, serving as a hospital steward and corporal. Transitioning to the political sphere, Edwards was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, where he remained until the Union Army captured Nashville. Post-war, he advocated for lenient measures toward former Confederates and opposed Radical Republican policies, running for governor twice on the Greenback ticket. Edwards authored several memoirs, including accounts of his wartime experiences.

Richard M. Edwards's political identity is marked by a complex blend of Union loyalty and economic conservatism, combined with a surprising leniency towards former Confederates. His wartime Unionist stance contrasts sharply with his postwar advocacy for lenient measures toward ex-Confederates, revealing a nuanced approach to reconciliation. Edwards's economic policy critiques, particularly his opposition to state debt from railroad construction and his call to invalidate railroad bonds, suggest a highly localized focus on regional financial stability. His rhetorical style, marked by a willingness to challenge Radical Republican policies and advocate for armed resistance against disenfranchisement laws, underscores a readiness to engage in direct action for his principles.