North Mountain Historical Society

June, 2003

MONDAY, JULY 21, 2003

The Northen Columbia County History Buffs met at the Brass Pelican on Monday, July 21. There were 85 present, the largest attendance to date. Jim Vance chaired the meeting. Zane Hartman returned thanks for those present and for the food we received.

Jim then introduced Mr. Jim Long who in turn introduced Terry and Micky Gallegher who spoke to us on the life of Colonel Robert Bruce Rickett's and especially
his exploits during the time he served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Terry started out the presentation by telling us that Robert was born in 1839 in the
stone house still standing in Orangeville. There were five boys in the family. Robert read law in a local law office. He was twenty-one years old when the Civil War broke out in 1861. He immediately enlisted as a private. Because of his education and leadership ability he was soon promoted to Lieutenant and in May 1863 he was promoted to Captain in charge of a six cannon battery.

Mickey then took up the story from his brother. He started out by saying that at this point the war was not going well for the Union Army. They had just experienced a major defeat at Chancellorsville. The General in charge all the Union Forces had resigned and was replaced by General Meade. General Meade's orders, directly from President Lincoln were to protect Washington, D.C. at all costs and to attack the Confederate army.

Soon it was plain that the confrontation of the two armies would take place at the small town of Gettysburg, PA. Col. Ricketts orders were to move up to prevent the Baltimore Pike from being cut off by Confederate forces. At the end of the first day the Union Army was for all practical purposes defeated.
But reinforcements were coming up rapidly. Col. Ricketts and his contingents arrived about 4:00 PM on the second day of the battle. The Union Forces on his left retreated but Col. Ricketts and his battery of six cannons held. Col. Ricketts with great bravery rallied his troops and was a major force in turning the tide of the battle.

Both the Gallagher brothers felt that Col. Ricketts was never given credit for the part he played in the Union Army's victory at Gettysburg. Col. Ricketts died in 1918 from the Spanish Influenza, which was rampant throughout the country at that time. His wife died just a few weeks later. At the time of his death Col. Ricketts owned up 50,000 acres or more of woodland on North Mountain. Following the presentation on Col. Ricketts the group was entertained with old
time country songs by Elmer Hunter. Our thanks to all or a most informative and enjoyable program.

The next meeting will be August 18 at the Brass Pelican. The speaker will be Professor George Turner who will speak on the Orangeville Orphanage that later became the Orangeville Academy.

	Chuck Chapman, guest lecturer at the North Mountiain Historical Society June meeting at the Brass Pelican Restaurant, Elk Grove.