Why Was General James B. Ricketts Passed Over So Often?

I think that some of it had to do with him being an average (at best) officer who was injured fairly often. In the Mexican War, he earned no brevets when they were being thrown around like confetti. At Bull Run, he commanded a battery and did pretty well but was wounded 4 times and captured, not being released until January 1862. He ends up commanding a division in the Third Corps (Army of Virginia) and does ok at Second Manassas. He's held in reserve at South Mountain and, again, his division does ok at Antietam but he's injured when his horse is killed under him and falls on him (it was the second horse that had been killed under him that day). He misses out at Fredericksburg and is next seen as a judge during Fitz-John Porter's court-martial. He doesn't take the field again until the Overland Campaign so one is left to wonder if his health was such that he could not actively command for over a year. He misses out on a bunch of opportunities for division command in the course of 1863.

As for the Sixth Corps, while his commission as brigadier general pre-dated Wright's, Wright was nominated as a major general just after Sedgwick was killed which gave him a leg-up in that respect.

I'm guessing that Ricketts just wasn't flashy enough to garner positive attention and the fact that he missed a lot of time hurt his chances for advancement.

Ryan

rpkennedy said:

I think that some of it had to do with him being an average (at best) officer who was injured fairly often. In the Mexican War, he earned no brevets when they were being thrown around like confetti. At Bull Run, he commanded a battery and did pretty well but was wounded 4 times and captured, not being released until January 1862. He ends up commanding a division in the Third Corps (Army of Virginia) and does ok at Second Manassas. He's held in reserve at South Mountain and, again, his division does ok at Antietam but he's injured when his horse is killed under him and falls on him (it was the second horse that had been killed under him that day). He misses out at Fredericksburg and is next seen as a judge during Fitz-John Porter's court-martial. He doesn't take the field again until the Overland Campaign so one is left to wonder if his health was such that he could not actively command for over a year. He misses out on a bunch of opportunities for division command in the course of 1863.

As for the Sixth Corps, while his commission as brigadier general pre-dated Wright's, Wright was nominated as a major general just after Sedgwick was killed which gave him a leg-up in that respect.

I'm guessing that Ricketts just wasn't flashy enough to garner positive attention and the fact that he missed a lot of time hurt his chances for advancement.

Ryan

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Thanks for the answer.

But wasn't seniority fairly important for the U.S. and Confederate armies? I know specific commanders who were passed over higher command because of one reason or another (Carter Stevenson, Abner Doubleday). I figured there was a more serious reason for Ricketts to have been passed over.

Is there any information on how Ricketts' peers thought of him?

J. Stanley said:

Thanks for the answer.

But wasn't seniority fairly important for the U.S. and Confederate armies? I know specific commanders who were passed over higher command because of one reason or another (Carter Stevenson, Abner Doubleday). I figured there was a more serious reason for Ricketts to have been passed over.

Is there any information on how Ricketts' peers thought of him?

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Seniority was important but there were times when it could be, and was, superceded by other considerations. Probably the best example is that when Meade was ordered to take command of the Army of the Potomac, among the orders was a statement saying that he could give command to any officer without regard to seniority if he deemed it necessary. During the battle, Meade used this permission pretty extensively. On July 1, he gave Winfield Scott Hancock, the second most junior corps commander (his commission date as a brigadier general was 1 week before George Sykes'), authority over the entire field after Reynolds' death (no matter how much Howard played it off as them sharing command that afternoon and evening) and also ordered Hancock to turn the Second Corps over to John Gibbon even though John Caldwell was senior. And that doesn't even touch on Hancock basically taking over command of the central and southern end of the field on July 2 even when more senior officers were available. Lastly, Meade ordered John Newton to take command of the First Corps from Abner Doubleday who was the senior of the two (interestingly, Newton's commission as a major general was never confirmed during the Civil War).

Grant definitely had this ability as well and when Sedgwick was killed, Grant (and Meade) made it clear that Wright should take command and Lincoln moved quickly to nominate him for a major general's commission which would end any potential talk about seniority.

Honestly, I think Ricketts' issue is that the high command didn't really know him all that well (he really only served with Meade as a division commander in the same corps for a couple weeks) and he didn't have a stellar reputation to stand on. He was kind of "meh" and others were just better picks for corps command. Now, I will argue all day that Alpheus Williams should have been both promoted to major general and given a corps command because his peers and superiors all thought very well of him and his reputation was excellent but he didn't have that West Point education and wasn't in the clique which held him back.

Ryan

According to Rhea's Spotsylvania book, Rickketts' told the 6th Corps Chief of Staff he preferred not to take command of the corps. His reason was that Sedgwick "had wanted Wright to succeed him."

I speculate there were other reasons too.

-Ricketts did not have a history of service with the 6th Corps that Wright had
-This was his return to the field after over a year of recuperation
-His division was not seen to have performed well in the Wilderess.

I wonder if Wright would have bene promoted to corps command anyways.

Ricketts seems to have been a competent division commander, but it was a role he grew into. The last five months of his record (June-October 1864) is a marked improvement. Cold Harbor, Monocacy, and in the Valley, he did a good job.

General JJ said:

According to Rhea's Spotsylvania book, Rickketts' told the 6th Corps Chief of Staff he preferred not to take command of the corps. His reason was that Sedgwick "had wanted Wright to succeed him."

I speculate there were other reasons too.

-Ricketts did not have a history of service with the 6th Corps that Wright had
-This was his return to the field after over a year of recuperation
-His division was not seen to have performed well in the Wilderess.

I wonder if Wright would have bene promoted to corps command anyways.

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And I forgot to mention, Wright had temporarily commanded the corps before on a couple of occasions. So he had that history as well.

Ryan

Thank you for all the responses.

I knew that Horatio G. Wright had been acting corps commander during the Rappahannock Station Campaign and did good work there. I had actually forgotten about Caldwell getting passed over II Corps command. But I should point out that Ricketts was temporary corps commander of VI Corps during 6-Apr-64 to 13-Apr-64.

Looking a bit deeper, Ricketts graduated 15th of 39 in the Class of 1839, which included Generals Armistead, E.R.S Canby, Henry W. Halleck, Henry W. Hunt. E.O.C. Ord and Isaac I. Stevens. So he graduated with plenty of Federal generals who rose high.

I did check the respective thoughts of the commanders who allowed this to happen.

Ricketts confronted McClellan over Meade being placed over him as I Corps commander. McClellan defend himself saying that it was Hooker's preference that Meade be in command. But apparently McClellan himself was not too enthused about Ricketts, especially with the reports of straggling in his command.

As for Meade, I found this on the Papers of Ulysses S. Grant.
"On the same day, USG telegraphed to Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. "Can you spare Gen Neill from your command? If so I want to order him to Gen Butler to command of a division" Telegram received, DNA, RG 94, War Records Office, Army of the Potomac; copies, ibid., RG 108, Letters Sent; DLC-USG, V, 45, 59; Meade Papers, PHi. Probably on April 5 (misdated April 4), Meade telegraphed to USG. "I should be very sorry to lose Genl. Neill, he is one of my best brigade Commanders-I would prefer to transfer Maj. Genl. Birney-or Brig Genls. Ricketts or Prince.-"

Could it perhaps be inferred that Meade also did not have confidence in Ricketts?

* shot 4 times at First Bull Run, July 1861, and captured.
* Didn't get back until January 1862, and went on medical leave until April, 1862.
* Sept. 1862 at Antietam he had 2 horses shot from under him, the second smashed down on top of him when it fell and he was hurt real bad.
* Served on Fitz-John Porter court martial Nov, 62-Jan, 63 and probably incurred the wrath of Edwin Stanton for his vote to acquit. Those who voted to convict were promoted…
* Did not get called back to field service until 1864… he got assigned one of the worst divisions in the army and it lived up to its reputation in the Wilderness. After that he improved the division so that it became effective in the rest of the Overland Campaign.
* July,1864 he joined Lew Wallace at the Monocacy where they delayed Jubal Early's attack towards Washington. Ricketts promoted.
* October, 1864 at Cedar Creek with Sheridan, he got shot in the chest, and he never recovered his health although he lived until 1887.
His tombstone (which I've seen, it is in Arlington Cemetery) says he was wounded five times, I guess they didn't count things like your shot horse falling on you and leaving you laid up for months.

Too much time off for constantly getting shot to ever get a lot of promotions

BetterAngels said:

* shot 4 times at First Bull Run, July 1861, and captured.
* Didn't get back until January 1862, and went on medical leave until April, 1862.
* Sept. 1862 at Antietam he had 2 horses shot from under him, the second smashed down on top of him when it fell and he was hurt real bad.
* Served on Fitz-John Porter court martial Nov, 62-Jan, 63 and probably incurred the wrath of Edwin Stanton for his vote to acquit. Those who voted to convict were promoted…
* Did not get called back to field service until 1864… he got assigned one of the worst divisions in the army and it lived up to its reputation in the Wilderness. After that he improved the division so that it became effective in the rest of the Overland Campaign.
* July,1864 he joined Lew Wallace at the Monocacy where they delayed Jubal Early's attack towards Washington. Ricketts promoted.
* October, 1864 at Cedar Creek with Sheridan, he got shot in the chest, and he never recovered his health although he lived until 1887.
His tombstone (which I've seen, it is in Arlington Cemetery) says he was wounded five times, I guess they didn't count things like your shot horse falling on you and leaving you laid up for months.

Too much time off for constantly getting shot to ever get a lot of promotions

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Fair point. The only fellow I can think of that got shot as often is probably T.E.G. Ransom of the Army of the Tennessee:

1) Wounded at Charlestown, Missouri - 20 Aug 61
2) Wounded at Fort Donelson - 14 Feb 62
3) Wounded severely on the head at Shiloh - 6 April 62
4) Wounded at Mansfield - 8 April 64

Unlike Ricketts, however, Ransom seemed to rally quickly from his injuries and caught the eye of Grant and Sherman at Vicksburg. The last wound probably did him in. He returned to the field too early to command the XVII Corps, fell ill and died.