William Y. W. Ripley

William Young Warren Ripley
Born	Template:Birth date Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.
Died	December 16, 1905(1905-12-16) (aged 72) Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Military officer, businessman, bank president, politician
Years active	1858–1900
Known for	Medal of Honor recipient for actions at the Battle of Malvern Hill; mayor of Rutland, Vermont

William Young Warren Ripley (December 31, 1832 – December 16, 1905) was an officer in the Union Army hailing from Vermont during the American Civil War. He earned the prestigious Medal of Honor for his courageous actions at the Battle of Malvern Hill.

Early life

Ripley was born in Middlebury, Vermont and received his education at Troy Conference Academy located in Poultney (presently known as Green Mountain College) as well as the Lima Institute in Lima, New York. He began his professional journey in Rutland, engaging in the family’s marble enterprise alongside involvement with the Rutland County National Bank.

Military service

Beginning in 1858, Ripley held the rank of lieutenant with the Rutland Light Guards, a volunteer militia unit commanded by Horace Henry Baxter, who later became adjutant general of Vermont’s militia forces. In May 1861, he was commissioned as captain and took command of the Rutland Light Guards when they were mustered into federal service as Company K of the 1st Vermont Infantry. His service during this initial three-month enlistment included assignments in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, with participation in the Battle of Big Bethel.

Later in 1861, Ripley accepted a position as lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 1st United States Sharpshooters. He engaged in multiple engagements, most notably sustaining severe wounds at the July 1862 Battle of Malvern Hill, which subsequently ended his active field duty.

Although offered command of the 10th Vermont Infantry with promotion to colonel in August 1862, he declined due to his injuries. In 1864, Ripley was appointed major general and placed in charge of the 1st Division of the Vermont Militia. Under his command, this division carried out patrols and security missions within Vermont and along its northern frontier following the October 1864 St. Albans Raid. He continued serving until a postwar restructuring led to the dissolution of division headquarters.

Medal of Honor

During the Battle of Malvern Hill, Ripley distinguished himself by directing two reserve regiments into combat and maintaining command despite being struck by a bullet that wounded his leg.

In recognition of these acts of valor, Ripley was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1893. The official citation notes:

Later life

After the war concluded, Ripley resumed leadership roles within his family’s marble business alongside his brother Edward under the firm Ripley Sons. Additionally, he held positions as president and board member at the Rutland County National Bank.

In 1867, he was elected president of the Reunion Society of Vermont Officers, taking over from its inaugural leader George J. Stannard. Ripley remained engaged with veteran groups such as the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Medal of Honor Legion.

The Ripleys sold their marble enterprise in 1889 to the Vermont Marble Company, headed by fellow Civil War veteran Redfield Proctor.

A dedicated member of the Republican Party, Ripley participated as a delegate at the 1868 Republican National Convention and served as a presidential elector in 1880, supporting Garfield and Arthur.

Following Rutland’s separation from its surrounding town during the late nineteenth century, Ripley served as mayor from 1899 to 1900, succeeding Percival W. Clement.

He authored Vermont Riflemen in the War for the Union (1883), chronicling his wartime experiences.

Death and burial

William Y. W. Ripley passed away in Rutland on December 16, 1905, and was interred at Evergreen Cemetery located in Rutland.

Family

William Y. W. Ripley was the sibling of Edward H. Ripley, a brevet brigadier general during the Civil War who led brigades within the XVIII and XXIV Corps, played a role in the troops entering Richmond following Lee’s withdrawal, and alerted President Lincoln to an assassination scheme during his visit to Virginia.

Their half-sister, Julia Caroline Dorr, was married to Seneca M. Dorr. William’s spouse was Cornelia Ann Thomas Ripley, and their offspring included Hastings Warren Ripley (born 1871), Mary Elizabeth Ripley Pease (1857–1936), William Thomas Ripley (1860–1893), Janet Warren Ripley Dorr (1863–1954), Thomas Emerson Ripley (1865–1956), and Charles Edward Ripley (1867–1893).

Thomas E. Ripley was the father of author and screenwriter Clements Ripley. William’s sister Helen gave birth to John Ripley Myers. Clements Ripley's son, William Y. W. Ripley (1921–2013), commonly known as Warren, gained recognition as a distinguished newspaper editor and historian based in South Carolina.

External links

• William Y. W. Ripley at Political Graveyard
• William Young Warren Ripley at Vermont in the Civil War