HAVERHILL — More than two centuries after his death, the physician, soldier, public servant and Revolutionary War leader who once called Haverhill home returned to the spotlight.
With a legacy that extended far beyond the battlefield, Brig. Gen. James Brickett was the center of attention at the City of Haverhill’s and the Daughters of the American Revolution’s commemorative ceremony Saturday morning at Pentucket Cemetery.
The weekend event was held at the Haverhill native’s gravesite for a program that included a presentation on his life, a wreath-laying ceremony, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and remarks from public officials.
Last Saturday marked the 250th anniversary of Brickett’s promotion to brigadier general on July 11, 1776, a commission he received one week after the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
DAR members stepped up to deliver the Pledge of Allegiance, The American’s Creed and took turns reading paragraphs from the Declaration of Independence.
Mayor Melinda Barrett was in attendance and gave greetings to those who joined her at the cemetery.
“Thanks to the DAR for hosting us today, for having this event, for recognizing such a prominent person in Gen. Brickett — a fascinating and obviously brave man,” Barrett said.
“He stepped up when he was a British citizen and fought in a war that was grueling and cold, very violent, in lands far away from here, and then he came home and did it again when the new nation was calling for help.”
Sheri Larsen, regent of the Newbury chapter of the DAR, said the timing made the commemoration especially meaningful as communities continue to recognize their nation’s founding figures in other 250th celebrations.
“It felt like exactly the right moment to bring his story back to the community that was his home,” Larsen said. “A ceremony like this returns a local figure to public memory.”
Although Brickett was born in Newbury in 1738, he established a medical practice in Haverhill in 1762 and remained a resident of the city for the rest of his life. His home at 136 Water St. served as both his residence and medical practice, including an apothecary shop, until his death in 1818.
Brickett began his military career as a surgeon’s mate during the French and Indian War before assuming more prominent roles as tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain escalated.
In 1774, Brickett became the first captain of the Haverhill Artillery Co. The following year, as a lieutenant colonel, he answered the first call of the American Revolution, leading 105 officers and men from Haverhill to Cambridge. He later commanded the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he was wounded in June 1775.
His promotion to brigadier general arrived a year later and placed him in command of the Massachusetts troops during a battle at Lake Champlain.
Off the battlefield, Brickett also served as a Haverhill selectman from 1779 to 1782, represented the town in the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, served on the board that authorized the Commonwealth’s constitution and helped establish Haverhill’s first fire company.
According to the Newbury chapter of the DAR, Brickett was “the most prominent officer in this region after the Revolutionary War.”
The DAR chapter has worked for years to preserve Brickett’s legacy, placing a headstone at his gravesite in 1996 and recently completing a yearslong effort to clean headstones throughout the historic section of Pentucket Cemetery.
Kaitlin Wright, vice regent of the chapter and Haverhill’s city clerk, said the organization hopes events like this encourages residents to reconnect with the history of their home.
“We hope our commemoration ceremony will help people in Haverhill learn more about Brickett’s commitment to our community and spark an interest in folks learning more about Haverhill’s early settlers,” Wright said.