Background
James Brewerton Ricketts, the son of George R. A. and Mary (Brewerton) Ricketts, was born on June 21, 1817 in New York City. An ancestor, William Ricketts, member of an old English family, settled in the Jerseys in early colonial days.
James Brewerton Ricketts, the son of George R. A. and Mary (Brewerton) Ricketts, was born on June 21, 1817 in New York City. An ancestor, William Ricketts, member of an old English family, settled in the Jerseys in early colonial days.
James was appointed a cadet to the United States Military Academy from New York on September 1, 1835, and was graduated on July 1, 1839.
He was commissioned second lieutenant, 16t Artillery, and assigned to duty on the Canadian frontier.
He served at various stations in New York and Maine until the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846, when he was transferred with his regiment to General Taylor's army in Mexico; he took part in the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista.
From 1847 to 1861 he served at different stations throughout the United States and participated in hostilities against the Seminole Indians in Florida in 1852.
He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant on April 21, 1846, and to captain on August 3, 1852. At the beginning of the Civil War he commanded a battery in General McDowell's army. At Bull Run, on July 21, 1861, he was dangerously wounded and taken prisoner, being exchanged after six months for a Confederate officer. For his distinguished service at Bull Run he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers.
He recovered sufficiently from his wounds to return to duty on May 8, 1862, and was assigned to command a division in General McDowell's corps with which he fought at Cedar Mountain and Manassas.
In September 1862, his division became part of General Hooker's corps and participated in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam where he was again seriously wounded.
He remained with his division until October when his injuries compelled him to leave the field, and he served on court martial duty until March 1864. He now took command of a division in General Sedgwick's corps and fought in the battle of the Wilderness, at Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg until July 6, 1864, when his corps was hurried towards Washington to intercept General Early's advance on that city. In the battle of Monocacy which followed, Ricketts was conspicuous for his gallantry.
With his division Ricketts now joined General Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley. At the decisive battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, he was temporarily in command of the VI Corps, which he was ably conducting when he was wounded for the sixth time by a bullet that passed through his chest. Even this wound did not dispirit the heroic general. By April 1865, he was again able to command his division. After the war he commanded a district in Virginia until he was discharged as a brigadier-general of volunteers on April 30, 1866, reverting to the grade of major in the regular army.
In January 1867 he was retired as a major-general for wounds received while in command of a corps.
After his retirement he made his home in Washington, D. C. , where he died after much suffering from his old wounds.
Quotes from others about the person
Gen. Lew Wallace, the Union commander said: "the splendid behavior of Ricketts and his men inspired me with confidence".
He was twice married, first, in 1840, to Harriet Josephine Pierce, daughter of Col. B. K. Pierce, who died, leaving one child, and in 1856, to Frances Lawrence, daughter of J. T. Lawrence, of Jamaica, of which union two of five children survived.
