James Wolfe Ripley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 10, 1794 Windham County, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1870 (aged 75) Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1814–1863 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General Brevet Major General |
| Commands | 5th Chief of Ordnance (1861–1863) |
| Battles / wars | |
James Wolfe Ripley (December 10, 1794 – March 16, 1870) was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War. In 1861, he was selected to be the 5th Chief of Ordnance for the United States Army Ordnance Department. In the early days of the war, he was instrumental in not modernizing the artillery's ordnance. Additionally, Ripley also delayed the introduction of repeating firearms, particularly the Gatling gun and the Spencer rifle, into U.S. arsenals, an act that has been widely criticized by later historians.