The Age Of Liberty Established 1800 To 1824

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General Eleazar Wheelock Ripley

A biography of the General:  Eleazar Wheelock Ripley of the War of 1812..."  Also here.

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After protracted and severe suffering. General Ripley so far recovered as to be able to travel, and started for Albany, where he arrived in January, 1815. During his long prostration, he received the constant and unremitted attention of his wife to whom he was married in 1811, and who was the daughter of the Reverend Thomas Allen, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a distinguished Revolutionary patriot.

The announcement of peace, which soon followed, rendered his presence unnecessary upon the frontier, and as soon as returning health permitted, he demanded and put in motion a Court of Inquiry as to his military conduct, which had been missrepresented and traduced.

The current of public opinion flowed strongly in his favor. Congress voted him a gold medal, for his gallant conduct at Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie, testimonials of esteem on every hand reminded him that his countrymen appreciated his services and at last, even Brown himself, whatever may have been his mental reservations and secret animosity, felt constrained to contribute the following letter to his vindication:

Upon the return of peace, the army was reduced to a peace establishment and was re-organized. Two Major Generals, Jackson and Brown, and four Major Generals by brevet, Macomb, Gaines, Scott and Ripley were retained in the service. 

The Genealogy of the Ripley Family here.

General Ripley's Testimony...

...regarding the preliminary activities to the Battle of Crysler's Farm, from Memoirs of my own times, Volume 3,  By [General] James Wilkinson.


"That in September and October 1813 he [Eleazar W. Ripley] was colonel of the 21st regiment of infantry, stationed at Sackett's Harbour, and left that place on the 16th of October, to accompany the expedition, down the St Lawrence. Previous to this, he thinks, there had been no embarkation of his regiment; but a battalion of the 11th regiment of infantry, attached to his command, under Lieutenant-colonel Upham, had embarked a few days before, whether for the purpose, of proceeding on the expedition, or simply to change position, he cannot tell. They landed about a mile from their former position and encamped."

Due to "a sudden squall, many of his boats were dispersed and driven ashore, and three or four days elapsed before they reached Grenadier Island. ...they arrived at French Creek about the 2d or 3d of November.  Whether there was any unnecessary delay, at Sackett's Harbour, he could not answer without knowing the state, of the several staff departments of the army. But there was no delay at Grenadier Island, for which a commanding general could be accountable, owing to the variable and tempestuous state of the weather."

The Maj. Gardner Court Martial

The "Court martial : proceedings of a general court martial held at Fort Independence (Boston Harbor), for the trial of Major Charles K. Gardner of the Third Regiment Infantry, upon charges of misbehavior, cowardice in the fact of the enemy, &c. : preferred against him by Major General Ripley", convened on 4 October 1815 and included the following personnel:

Colonel M'NElL, President 

MEMBERS. 

Lieut. Col. Eustis, Lieut. Col. Walbach, Major Harris. Major Brooks, Capt. McDowell, Capt. Manigault*,
Capt. Bennett, Capt. Craig.

Major Crane and Capt. Irvine, Supernumeraries. 

Lieut. James L. Edwards, of the Corps of Artillery, Judge Advocate.

By Order of General Ripley

*Captain Thornton, of the Light Artillery, will sit as a member of the Court Martial in lieu of Captain Manigault.

Major Gardner was charged with Charge 1: "Misbehavior in the face of the enemy," at Chippeway on July 5, 1814; at Lundy's Lane on 25 July 1814; and at Fort Erie on September 17, 1814.Charge 2 was Cowardice and Charge 3 was Neglect of Duty, Charge 4 was Conduct Unbecoming An Officer and a Gentleman.

[Another format here]

The description of the Charles Kitchell Gardner Papers (seen here) indicated that "He was found guilty of being disrespectful to a superior, but not guilty of cowardice or neglect of duty."

Eleazer Ripley

Portrait originally posted on another blog post.

File of Brig. Gen'l E. W. Ripley at Fold3:  Publication Title: Letters Received By The Office Of The Adjutant General, 1805-1821:

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Also see the gravestone of General Ripley.

Portrait Of General Ripley

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General Ripley (1782-1839) died and was buried in Louisiana.

General Ripley Buried In Locust Grove

Gravestone of General Eleazer W. Ripley

Died March 29, 1839, aged 54 years

There was another famous person buried in Locust Grove Cemetery in West Feliciana Parish, Lousiana.  In fact, it was the grave of Sarah Knox (Taylor) Davis, daughter of President Zachary Taylor and first wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, that led us there.

General Ripley's second wife, Aurelia Smith, was the widow of Dr. Benjamin Davis (Jefferson Davis's brother).