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James Wolfe Ripley

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132: 304:(1842–1854), regarded by some historians as "Ripley's Monument." Here he improved the buildings and grounds, increased production while reducing costs, and was instrumental in developing the 1855 model .58 caliber rifled musket which was later to be the principal weapon for Union infantrymen during the Civil War. He was unpopular in some quarters because of his insistence that Army regulations be followed and abuses in the workplace be curbed, but he received consistent support from his superiors because of his outstanding accomplishments. 141: 430: 641: 369:
residue would have made it impossible to maintain such high rates of fire under field conditions with the rifles of the time. Individual units later purchased such weapons privately, and they were used to considerable effect, but did indeed present problems in extended firefights; these units are not
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At the same time, Ripley refused to authorize the purchase of additional stocks of rifle-muskets for infantry use. The decision was based on the large existing stocks of smoothbore muskets in U.S. arsenals, which he argued could be re-rifled in the same manner as the Parrott guns (an assertion which
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Many historians have since decried this decision, arguing the lack of modern arms on the Union side, at a time when the Confederates were buying them in large numbers from France and the United Kingdom, lengthened the conflict by as much as two years. Others, however, counter that given the poor
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known to have had any trouble maintaining their ammunition supplies. Ripley was replaced as head of the Ordnance Department on September 15, 1863, principally because of his continuing opposition to the introduction of breech loading rifles, in disobedience to his orders from President Lincoln.
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logistics of the Union armies at the outbreak of the war, the increased supply train needed to maintain the improved rates of fire would have bogged down the armies and made maneuver impossible (a situation which did indeed later contribute to the development of
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proved incorrect). He also adamantly opposed the introduction of breech-loading repeating rifles, on the basis that they would encourage poor fire discipline and waste ammunition.
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as commandant of the facility, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Then he was chief of ordnance of the Pacific Coast Department and inspector of arsenals.
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ordnance. Additionally, Ripley also delayed the introduction of repeating firearms, particularly the
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From September 15, 1863, to the year of his death, he was inspector of fortifications on the
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confirmed the appointment on July 14, 1866. James Wolfe Ripley died on March 16, 1870, in
719: 378: 362: 282: 255: 749: 645: 600: 342: 223: 699: 366: 226:, into U.S. arsenals, an act that has been widely criticized by later historians. 393: 374: 219: 695: 425: 338: 199: 112: 194:(December 10, 1794 – March 16, 1870) was an American soldier who served as a 247: 214:. In the early days of the war, he was instrumental in not modernizing the 314:
With the outbreak of the Civil War in early 1861, Ripley was promoted to
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coast, having retired from active service. On March 8, 1866, President
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
497:. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Historical Studies. 273:
In 1832–1833, Ripley commanded the Federal forces in
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rifles, which were later resold at a tremendous profit to
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The Hall Carbine Affair: a study in contemporary folklore
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in World War I). It is also argued that fouling due to
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Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964.
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Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964.
163: 153: 126: 118: 102: 90: 74: 57: 37: 21: 781:United States Army personnel of the Seminole Wars 586:Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. 473:Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. 791:People of Connecticut in the American Civil War 776:United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 337:, he immediately ordered the conversion of old 324:5th Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army 8: 727:Chief of Ordnance of the United States Army 660:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography 573:Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. 535:Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. 523: 521: 519: 467: 465: 463: 461: 459: 444:List of American Civil War generals (Union) 707: 608:; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). 495:Serving the Line with Excellence 1775-1992 29: 18: 345:. He also ordered the sale of 5,000 old 766:People from Windham County, Connecticut 455: 392:, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the 16:American Union Army general (1794–1870) 677: 666: 628: 617: 212:United States Army Ordnance Department 771:United States Military Academy alumni 614:(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. 300:He then became superintendent of the 206:. In 1861, he was selected to be the 7: 796:Military personnel from Connecticut 353:, much to Ripley's consternation. 307:In 1854 he was transferred to the 250:, and took part in the defense of 14: 381:nominated Ripley to the grade of 262:and the invasion of Florida as a 158:5th Chief of Ordnance (1861–1863) 639: 428: 139: 130: 611:New International Encyclopedia 322:(August) and appointed as the 254:. In 1817–18 he served under 1: 236:Windham County, Connecticut 51:Windham County, Connecticut 812: 508:Wasson, R. Gordon (1943). 402:Springfield, Massachusetts 293:in 1838. He commanded the 242:in 1814, was commissioned 84:Springfield, Massachusetts 733: 724: 715: 710: 436:American Civil War portal 330:forces then had no heavy 28: 663:. New York: D. Appleton. 571:Civil War High Commands. 533:Civil War High Commands. 493:Sterling, Keir (1992). 341:and the manufacture of 297:between 1833 and 1842. 552:Eicher, 2001, page 708 418:during the Civil War. 279:nullification movement 565:Eicher, John H., and 527:Eicher, John H., and 398:Hartford, Connecticut 285:. He was promoted to 266:. He was promoted to 208:5th Chief of Ordnance 119:Years of service 68:Hartford, Connecticut 176:Nullification Crisis 80:Springfield Cemetery 786:Union Army generals 277:at the time of the 234:Ripley was born in 736:Brigadier General 696:James Wolfe Ripley 400:. He is buried in 302:Springfield Armory 238:. He graduated at 192:James Wolfe Ripley 181:American Civil War 171:First Seminole War 109:United States Army 23:James Wolfe Ripley 744: 743: 734:Succeeded by 711:Military offices 676:Missing or empty 669:cite encyclopedia 627:Missing or empty 620:cite encyclopedia 416:brigadier general 409:Roswell S. Ripley 320:brigadier general 309:Watertown Arsenal 275:Charleston harbor 244:second lieutenant 196:brigadier general 189: 188: 136:Brigadier General 48:December 10, 1794 803: 738:George D. Ramsay 716:Preceded by 708: 685: 679: 674: 672: 664: 643: 642: 636: 630: 625: 623: 615: 584:Warner, Ezra J. 553: 550: 544: 525: 514: 513: 512:. Pandick Press. 505: 499: 498: 490: 484: 471:Warner, Ezra J. 469: 438: 433: 432: 431: 295:Kennebec Arsenal 264:first lieutenant 143: 134: 104: 64: 47: 45: 33: 19: 811: 810: 806: 805: 804: 802: 801: 800: 746: 745: 740: 730: 722: 705: 692: 675: 665: 657:, eds. (1891). 649: 640: 626: 616: 604: 567:David J. Eicher 562: 557: 556: 551: 547: 529:David J. Eicher 526: 517: 507: 506: 502: 492: 491: 487: 483:. pages 404–405 470: 457: 452: 434: 429: 427: 424: 351:John C. Frémont 252:Sacketts Harbor 232: 185: 138: 111: 95: 86: 75:Place of burial 66: 62: 49: 43: 41: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 809: 807: 799: 798: 793: 788: 783: 778: 773: 768: 763: 758: 748: 747: 742: 741: 735: 732: 723: 720:Henry K. Craig 717: 713: 712: 703: 702: 691: 690:External links 688: 687: 686: 637: 597: 582: 561: 558: 555: 554: 545: 515: 500: 485: 454: 453: 451: 448: 447: 446: 440: 439: 423: 420: 379:Andrew Johnson 363:trench warfare 347:Hall's carbine 283:South Carolina 231: 228: 187: 186: 184: 183: 178: 173: 167: 165: 161: 160: 155: 151: 150: 128: 124: 123: 120: 116: 115: 106: 100: 99: 92: 88: 87: 78: 76: 72: 71: 65:(aged 75) 61:March 16, 1870 59: 55: 54: 39: 35: 34: 26: 25: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 808: 797: 794: 792: 789: 787: 784: 782: 779: 777: 774: 772: 769: 767: 764: 762: 759: 757: 754: 753: 751: 739: 729: 728: 721: 714: 709: 706: 701: 697: 694: 693: 689: 683: 670: 662: 661: 656: 652: 651:Wilson, J. G. 647: 646:public domain 638: 634: 621: 613: 612: 607: 606:Gilman, D. C. 602: 601:public domain 598: 595: 594:0-8071-0822-7 591: 587: 583: 580: 579:0-8047-3641-3 576: 572: 568: 564: 563: 559: 549: 546: 542: 541:0-8047-3641-3 538: 534: 530: 524: 522: 520: 516: 511: 504: 501: 496: 489: 486: 482: 481:0-8071-0822-7 478: 474: 468: 466: 464: 462: 460: 456: 449: 445: 442: 441: 437: 426: 421: 419: 417: 414: 410: 405: 403: 399: 395: 391: 387: 386:major general 384: 380: 376: 371: 368: 364: 358: 354: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 333: 329: 325: 321: 317: 312: 310: 305: 303: 298: 296: 292: 288: 284: 280: 276: 271: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 245: 241: 237: 229: 227: 225: 224:Spencer rifle 221: 217: 213: 209: 205: 201: 197: 193: 182: 179: 177: 174: 172: 169: 168: 166: 162: 159: 156: 152: 149: 148:Major General 146: 142: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 114: 110: 107: 101: 98: 94:United States 93: 89: 85: 81: 77: 73: 69: 60: 56: 52: 40: 36: 32: 27: 20: 725: 704: 700:Find a Grave 678:|title= 658: 629:|title= 609: 585: 570: 548: 532: 509: 503: 494: 488: 472: 407:His nephew, 406: 390:regular army 372: 367:black powder 359: 355: 343:Parrott guns 318:(April) and 313: 306: 299: 272: 260:Seminole War 233: 191: 190: 164:Battles/wars 63:(1870-03-16) 761:1870 deaths 756:1794 births 413:Confederate 394:U.S. Senate 375:New England 339:smoothbores 258:during the 220:Gatling gun 216:artillery's 202:during the 750:Categories 731:1861–1863 560:References 543:. page 454 240:West Point 200:Union Army 113:Union Army 91:Allegiance 44:1794-12-10 655:Fiske, J. 326:. As the 270:in 1825. 248:artillery 230:Biography 204:Civil War 122:1814–1863 718:Colonel 422:See also 411:, was a 291:ordnance 222:and the 210:for the 154:Commands 103:Service/ 648::  603::  388:in the 328:Federal 316:colonel 268:captain 256:Jackson 198:in the 592:  577:  539:  479:  383:brevet 335:cannon 332:rifled 145:Brevet 105:branch 70:, U.S. 53:, U.S. 450:Notes 287:major 97:Union 682:help 633:help 590:ISBN 575:ISBN 537:ISBN 477:ISBN 127:Rank 58:Died 38:Born 698:at 289:of 281:in 246:of 82:in 752:: 673:: 671:}} 667:{{ 653:; 624:: 622:}} 618:{{ 569:, 531:, 518:^ 458:^ 404:. 684:) 680:( 635:) 631:( 596:. 581:. 46:) 42:(

Index


Windham County, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Springfield Cemetery
Springfield, Massachusetts
Union
United States Army
Union Army

Brigadier General

Brevet
Major General
5th Chief of Ordnance (1861–1863)
First Seminole War
Nullification Crisis
American Civil War
brigadier general
Union Army
Civil War
5th Chief of Ordnance
United States Army Ordnance Department
artillery's
Gatling gun
Spencer rifle
Windham County, Connecticut
West Point
second lieutenant
artillery
Sacketts Harbor

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