Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/120

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RIPLEY

Ostiiiflli. Henry D. Tlioreaii. Mrs. Abby Mor- ton Diaz, and J<.Iim S. Dwi^ht. Part of the youtliful days of George William Curtis, Nath- aniel Hawthorne, and Charles A. Dana were si)ent there. From 1841 to 1846 Ripley and his friends carried on their plan of brotherhood and co-operation, but finally public interest flagged, a fire consumed one of tlie largest buildings, the land proved unfertile and the sclieme failed. Ripley removed to Flatbush. L.I., where his wife taught school, and in 1848 lie went to New York city, where he was employed bj' Mr. Gree- ley as literai-y critic on the Tribmie, a position then unknown in the newspaper world, and which he held up to the time of his death. The hon- orary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Lawrence university. Wis., in 1874. and by the University of Michigan in 1875. He edited TJie Dial in conjunction with Ralph Waldo Emer.son and Margaret Fuller in 1840. He was manuscript reader for J. C. Derby & Co., 1853-.54, and for Harj>er «& Brothers, 1854-57; co-editor with Charles A. Dana of the "New American Cyclopedia" and the "American Cyclopedia," published b}' D. Appleton & Co., 1867-76; edited "Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature "' (15 vols., 1838), popularly known among booksellers in 1840 as " Ripley's Foreign Classics." His emolument as royalty from the sale of the American Cyclopedia is said to have aggregated §100,000. He is the author of : Latest Forms of Infidelity (1840), and with Bayard Taylor, of Handbook of Literature and Fine Arts (1852). He died in New York city, July 4, -[WO.

RIPLEY, James Wolfe, soldier, was born in Windham, Conn., Dec. 10, 1794. He was grad- iiated from the U.S. Military academy, and pro- moted 2d lieutenant of artillery, June 1, 1814; served during the war of 1812 ; in the defence of Sacket Harbor. N.Y., 1814-15; was on garrison duty, 181.5-16 ; in the Seminole war, 1817-18, and as quartermaster up to 1821. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, April 20, 1818, and was assigned to the 4tli artillery, on the re-organization of the army. June 1, 1821. He was boundary commis- sioner of the Florida Indians reservation, 1823- 24 ; on duty at the artillery school for practice. Fort Monroe, Va., 1826-28 ; was promoted captain of ordnance. May 30, 1832 ; was stationed in forts inCharleslou harbor, S.C, 1832-33; in command of Kennebec arsenal, Maine, 1833-42, and was pro- moted major of ordnance, July 7, 1838. He was superintendent of the Springfield armory, Mass., 1841-54, and a memljer of the board of ordnance, Feb. 10 to March 6, 1847. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, May 30, 1848, for meritorious conduct, particularly in the performance of his duty in the prosecution of the war with Mexico ; was promoted lieutenant-colonel of ordnance,

Dec. 31, 1854 ; was in command of the Water- town arsenal, Mass., 1854-55; chief of ordnance of the Pacific department, 1855-57 ; inspector of arsenals, 1857-60, and absent on special duty to Japan, 1860-61. He was promoted colonel and chief of ordnance, U.S.A., April 3, 1861 ; was brevetted brigadier-general, July 2, 1861; pro- moted brigadier-general and chief of ordnance, Aug. 3, 1801, and was chief of ordnance at Wash- ington, D.C., 1861-63. He was retired from active service, Sept. 15, 1863, serving as inspector of the armament of fortifications on the New Eng- land coast, 1863-70. He was brevetted major- general, March 13, 1865, for long and faithful ser- vices. He died in Hartford, Conn., March 16, 1^70. RIPLEY, Rosweil Sabine, soldier, was born in WortJiiugton, Oliio, March 14. 1823. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy, and was brevetted 2d lieutenant of 3d artillery, July 1, 1843, serving on garrison duty, 1843-45. and as assistant professor of mathematics at the U.S. Military academy, 1845-46 ; was promoted 2nd lieutenant and assigned to the 2nd artillery, March 26, 1846 ; served on the coast survey, January-May, 1846 ; in the war with Mexico,. 1846—48, taking part in tlie battle of Monterey, September 21-26, 1846 ; was promoted 1st lieuten- ant, March 3, 1847 ; took part in the siege of Vera Cruz, March 9-29, 1847; was brevetted captain, April 8, 1817, for gallant and meritorious conduct at the battle of Cerro Gordo; took part in tiie battles of Contreras, Aug. 19-20, 1847 ; Ciiuiu- busco, Aug. 20, 1847 ; Molino Del Rey, Sept. 8, 1847, and in the assault and capture of the City of Mexico, Sept. 13-14, 1847. He was brevetted major, Sept. 13, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Chapultepec, Mex., and was aide-de-camp to Gen. G. J. Pillow, 1847-48. He took part in the Florida campaign against the Seminole Indians, 1849-.50 ; was on garri.son duty, 1850-53. and resigned his commission in the army. March 2, 1853. He entered the Confeder- ate army in 1861, was commissioned lieutenant- colonel, commanded the artillery on Sullivan's Island, and directed the fire on Fort Sumter, April 13, 1861. He was appointed brigadier- general in April, 1861 ; was given command of the Department of South Carolina and its coast defences ; was in charge of the 2d militarj- dis- trict of South Carolina, December, 1801-May, 1862 ; commanded the 5th brigade, Hill's division, army of Northern Virginia, under Gen. Robert E. Lee, in the seven days' battles before Rich- mond, in the battles of Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill and Malvern Hill, June 26-July 1,1862; commanded a brigade. Hill's division, Jackson's comniaml. in the ]\Iaryland campaign, and was wounded at Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862. He com- manded the first militai V district of South Caro-