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James Brewerton Ricketts (June 21, 1817 – September 22, 1887) was a career officer in the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
, serving as a general in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

etts was born in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
. He graduated 16th in a class of 31 at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 in 1839 and was assigned to the 1st U.S. Artillery. He served during the Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 border disturbances on garrison duty and then was promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant

First Lieutenant is a military rank.The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank....
 in April 1846.






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James Brewerton Ricketts (June 21, 1817 – September 22, 1887) was a career officer in the United States Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
, serving as a general in the Eastern Theater
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
 during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

Early life and career

Ricketts was born in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
. He graduated 16th in a class of 31 at the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 in 1839 and was assigned to the 1st U.S. Artillery. He served during the Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 border disturbances on garrison duty and then was promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant

First Lieutenant is a military rank.The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank....
 in April 1846. Ricketts saw considerable action during the Mexican-American War, participating in the Battle of Monterrey
Battle of Monterrey

In the Battle of Monterrey during the Mexican-American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexico Army of the North was defeated by U.S. forces under the command of Zachary Taylor....
, and as commander of a gun, along with Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday

Abner Doubleday was a career United States Army officer and Union Army general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Battle of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg....
, held the Rinconada Pass during the Battle of Buena Vista
Battle of Buena Vista

The Battle of Buena Vista , also known as the Battle of Angostura, saw the United States United States Army use artillery to repulse the much larger Mexico army in the Mexican-American War....
. Despite his active service, he received no brevet promotions during the Mexican-American War, unlike many of his fellow officers.

Following his return from Mexico, Ricketts served in various army posts. He was promoted to captain in August 1853 and served in Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 against the Seminole Indians
Seminole

The Seminole are a Native Americans in the United States people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation was formed in the 18th century and was composed of Native Americans from Georgia , Mississippi, and Alabama, most significantly the Creek people, as well as African Americans who escap...
, and subsequently on frontier
Frontier

A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a Border....
 duty in Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
.

Civil War

At the beginning of the Civil War, Ricketts served in the defenses of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, and commanded an artillery battery
Artillery battery

In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortar s, or rockets, so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems....
 in the capture of Confederate-held
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 128,283....
, in early 1861. His battery was then attached to William B. Franklin
William B. Franklin

William Buel Franklin was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He rose to the rank of a corps commander in the Army of the Potomac, fighting in several notable early battles in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
's Brigade of Samuel Heintzelman's Division. He was shot four times and captured at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Battle of Manassas , was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, fought on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia....
 on July 21, when his battery was overrun by Confederate infantry. For his personal bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, on that same day Ricketts was brevetted
Brevet (military)

In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank....
 as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Major and just below the rank of Colonel ....
 in the Regular Army
Regular Army

In contemporary use, the term Regular Army refers to the full-time active component of the United States Army, as opposed to the United States Army Reserve or the Army National Guard....
, and made a brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, is a 1 star rank general officer, with the U.S....
 of U.S. volunteers. He was confined as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war is a combatant who is held in continuing custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict....
 in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
, although his wife Fannie was allowed to travel to Richmond and stay with him as his nurse. Ricketts was not paroled until January 1862, when he was placed on medical leave to recuperate.

He was assigned to command of a division in Irvin McDowell
Irvin McDowell

Irvin McDowell was a career United States United States Army, famous for his defeat during the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War....
's corps, which he commanded at the Battle of Cedar Mountain
Battle of Cedar Mountain

}|-||}The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War....
, where he covered Nathaniel P. Banks' withdrawal. At Second Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run, or, as it was called by the Confederate States of America, the Battle of Second Manassas, was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War....
, his division was thrown forward by McDowell into Thoroughfare Gap to bar the advance of James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
, who was seeking to unite his wing with that of Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E....
. Ricketts, who was being flanked and in danger of being cut off, withdrew. At the subsequent Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, he had two horses killed under him and he was badly injured when the second one fell on him. When he recovered sufficiently for duty, he was appointed to the Fitz John Porter
Fitz John Porter

Fitz John Porter was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer during the American Civil War. He is most known for his performance at the Second Battle of Bull Run and his subsequent Court-martial of Fitz John Porter....
 court-martial
Court-martial of Fitz John Porter

The court-martial of Fitz John Porter was a major event of the American Civil War in which Major general Fitz John Porter was found guilty of disobeying a lawful order and misconduct in front of the enemy and removed from command based on internal political machinations of the Union Army....
. The trial was created to convict, with every judge beholden Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton

Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer, politician, United States Attorney General in 1860-61 and United States Secretary of War through most of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era of the United States era....
 for tenure or impending promotion except for Benjamin M. Prentiss. Ricketts probably voted for acquittal and was not promoted.

He did not return to the field until March 1864, when he was assigned to a division of John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
's VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, which he led through Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
's Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
. His men were considered as low quality, many of them being former members of Robert H. Milroy
Robert H. Milroy

Robert Huston Milroy was a lawyer, judge, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War, most noted for his defeat at the Battle of Winchester II in 1863....
’s maligned Winchester
Battle of Winchester II

The Second Battle of Winchester was fought between June 13 and June 15, 1863 in Frederick County, Virginia and Winchester, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War....
 command. The division performed poorly at the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
 and without note at Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
. However, Ricketts received the brevet of colonel
Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, Colonel is a senior field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and just below the rank of Brigadier General ....
, Regular Army, for gallant and meritorious services at Cold Harbor, Virginia
Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
, June 3, 1864, where he and his men performed well.

In July 1864, his command, numbering only 3,350 men, was hurried north to oppose Jubal Early's attack on Washington, D.C. He fought at battle of Monocacy
Battle of Monocacy

}|-||}The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War....
 under Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace

Lewis "Lew" Wallace was a lawyer, governor, Union Army general in the American Civil War, United States statesman, and author, best remembered for his historical novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ....
, suffering the heaviest losses while holding the Union left flank. For his service there, he was brevetted major general
Major general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a 2 star rank general officer rank, with the U.S....
 of Volunteers, August 1, 1864. He was engaged in Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to Major general and his close association with Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
's Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Valley Campaigns of 1864

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864....
. At the Battle of Cedar Creek
Battle of Cedar Creek

The Battle of Cedar Creek, or The Battle of Belle Grove, October 19, 1864, was one of the final, and most decisive, battles in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War....
, he commanded the VI Corps in the initial hours of the fighting but was wounded by a Minié ball
Minié ball

The Mini? ball is a type of muzzleloader rifle bullet named after co-developer, Claude Etienne Mini?, inventor of the Mini? rifle. It came to prominence in the Crimean War and American Civil War....
 through his chest that disabled him for life. On March 13, 1865, Ricketts was brevetted brigadier general, United States Army, for gallant services at Cedar Creek, and major general, United States Army, for "gallant and meritorious service in the field." Despite his poor health, he returned to command of his division two days before Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's surrender at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House

File:New Appomattox Court House.jpgFile:Appomattox Court House new and old marker.jpgThe Appomattox Court House is a courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892....
.

Postbellum career

In late July 1865, Ricketts was assigned to the command of a district in the Department of Virginia, a post he held until April 1866, when he was mustered out of the volunteer service. He was appointed lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, lieutenant colonel is a field officer United States Military Officer military rank just above the rank of Major and just below the rank of Colonel ....
, 21st U.S. Infantry in July 1866, but he declined the post. He retired from active service on January 3, 1867, due to disability from wounds received in battle, and served on various courts-martial until January 1869.

Never in good health due to his chest wound suffered while serving in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
, Ricketts retired from the army and lived in Washington, D.C., the rest of his life. He died there in his home and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia is a United States National Cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, The Robert E....
, along with his wife when she died in 1900. One of their sons, Basil Norris Ricketts, served in the Rough Riders
Rough Riders

The Rough Riders was the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the United States' war with Spain and the only one of the three to see action....
 under Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt , also known as T.R., and to the public as Teddy, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
 during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War

The Spanish?American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba....
 and is buried near them.

Ricketts' grave marker reads:

See also



External links

  • Retrieved on 2008-02-10