Charles Albert Woodruff (April 26, 1845 – August 13, 1920) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. A veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, and

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, he attained the rank of brigadier general before retiring in 1903. A native of

Burke, Vermont Burke is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,651 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town contains the villages of East Burke, Vermont, East Burke, West Burke, Vermont, ...

, he attended

Lyndon Institute Lyndon Institute is a coeducational, nonprofit, independent, day and boarding comprehensive high school located on a campus in the village of Lyndon Center, in the town of Lyndon, Vermont. It provides education for grades 9 through 12 for both l ...

, St. Johnsbury Academy, and Bryant & Stratton Business College in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

. He enlisted for the

, joining the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

's 10th Vermont Infantry Regiment in 1862. He was promoted from

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

, was wounded at

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

in 1864, and convalesced in Vermont until being discharged at the end of the war. In 1867, Woodruff was appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. He graduated in 1871, was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

, and assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment. Woodruff was assigned to frontier duty and took part in the

, including the

Sioux Wars The Sioux Wars were a series of conflicts between the United States and various subgroups of the Sioux people which occurred in the later half of the 19th century. The earliest conflict came in 1854 when a fight broke out at Fort Laramie in Wyom ...

and

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palus people, Palo ...

. He was severely wounded at the

Battle of Big Hole The Battle of the Big Hole was fought in Montana Territory, August 9–10, 1877, between the United States Army and the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans during the Nez Perce War. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Nez Perce withd ...

in 1877. After recovering, he transferred to the

Commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

department. He continued to serve in commissary and subsistence assignments, and had high profile staff positions in the

and

. Woodruff was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in July 1903 and retired the following day. In retirement he was active in several business ventures and resided in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

before moving to

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

. He died in Berkeley on August 13, 1920 and was buried at

San Francisco National Cemetery San Francisco National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the ci ...

Early life

Woodruff was born in

on April 26, 1845, the son of Erastus Woodruff and Eliza (Quimby) Woodruff. He attended the elementary schools of Burke,

, and St. Johnsbury Academy. After graduating from the academy, Woodruff went on to graduate from Bryant & Stratton Business College in

Civil War

Woodruff volunteered for the

during the

, enlisting as a

in Company A, 10th Vermont Infantry Regiment on June 5, 1862. He was promoted to

June 3, 1863. Woodruff was slightly wounded three times at the

on June 1, 1864. He was captured after being wounded, but escaped later the same night. On June 3, 1864, Woodruff was wounded again, this time severely. He had recently been commissioned as a

in the 117th Infantry Regiment,

United States Colored Troops The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...

, but could not accept because of his need to convalesce. He convalesced at Sloan General Hospital in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population w ...

. As a result of his wounds, Woodruff was discharged from the Army on August 18, 1865.

Post-Civil War

In 1867, Woodruff passed a competitive examination to obtain appointment to the

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. Among the other applicants for the appointment was Willie H. Johnston. Woodruff graduated in 1871 ranked 11th of 41 in overall standing, and first in military discipline. He was commissioned as a

and assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment.

American Indian Wars

Woodruff served on frontier duty at

Fort Shaw, Montana Fort Shaw is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 280 at the 2010 census. Named for a former United States military outpost, it is part of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical ...

from September 1871 to January 1872. From January to May 1872 he was posted to

Fort Benton, Montana Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. The city's waterfront area, the most important aspect of its 1 ...

. He then returned to Fort Shaw where he was posted until March 1876, including participation in expeditions to explore the area around

Fort Colville Fort Colville was a United States Army, U.S. Army post in the Washington Territory located north of current Colville, Washington. During its existence from 1859 to 1882, it was called "Harney's Depot" and "Colville Depot" during the first two y ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

from August to October 1873 and Camp Lewis, Montana from June to October 1875. As part of the 7th Infantry, Woodruff took part in the

Great Sioux War of 1876 The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred in 1876 and 1877 in an alliance of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne against the United States. The cause of the war was the ...

, assigned as regimental adjutant and commander of a battery that consisted of one Napoleon gun and two

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyc ...

s. After the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

, Woodruff continued to be interested in the events surrounding the fight and the personalities involved. In addition to maintaining a correspondence with other participants in the campaign with whom he discussed his experiences, he also communicated with several writers and historians who researched the subject. In the summer of 1908,

Edward S. Curtis Edward Sherriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and on Native American people. Sometimes referred to as the "Shadow Catcher", Curtis travele ...

, an ethnologist and photographer of the American Indians, walked the Little Bighorn battlefield with three Crow scouts who had served with the U.S. Army during the 1876 campaign. Woodruff accompanied them so that Curtis could have the scouts' recollections of the fight considered by an experienced army officer who had knowledge of the battle. The accounts of the Crow scouts differed from the widely accepted version of events, placing more blame on

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

for the defeat that led to the deaths of Custer and most of his command. Curtis and Woodruff both thought the scouts were accurate, but Curtis decided the scouts' version of events was too controversial to publicize. As a result, Curtis left the account of the Crow scouts out of the volume of Sioux history he published later that year. Woodruff served as regimental adjutant during the

of 1877. On August 9, he was wounded three times at the

. After being treated locally until October, Woodruff took convalescent leave, and he remained in this status until May 1878. Woodruff was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

to rank from August 9, 1877. After recovering from his wounds, Woodruff transferred to the Army's

department. He received promotion to commissary

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

to date from March 28, 1877 and served in the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

office of the Commissary General from June to August 1878. He was assigned as chief commissary and acting assistant adjutant of the

Department of the Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

from August 22, 1878 to October 9, 1879. He was chief commissary of subsistence for the

District of New Mexico The District of New Mexico was a military district of the United States Army in the Territory of New Mexico that existed from 1865 to 1890. The District of Arizona and the District of New Mexico replaced the Department of New Mexico from June 27 ...

and the post at Fort Marcy,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

until October 31, 1884, and also served as acting assistant adjutant and acting engineer officer. From November 1884 to May 1889, Woodruff served as chief commissary of the

Department of the Columbia The Department of the Columbia was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army during the 19th century. Formation On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replacing the Dep ...

Vancouver Barracks Established in 1849, the Vancouver Barracks was the first U.S. Army base located in the Pacific Northwest. Built on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading station Fort Vancouver. Its buildings were formed in a line adjac ...

and performed several temporary staff assignments, including assistant adjutant, judge advocate, ordnance officer, and signal officer. While with the Department of the Columbia, Woodruff was part of the Army contingent that took part in responding to the

Seattle riot of 1886 The Seattle riot of 1886 occurred on February 6–9, 1886, in Seattle, Washington, amidst rising anti-Chinese sentiment caused by intense labor competition and in the context of an ongoing struggle between labor and capital in the Western United S ...

Later career

Woodruff was purchasing and depot commissary of subsistence for the

Department of California The Department of California was an administrative department of the United States Army. The Department was created in 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific, and it was ended by the reorganizations of the Henry L. Stimson Plan i ...

from August 1889 to April 1894. In 1890 he received a promotion to

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

to recognize his heroism at the Battle of Big Hole. In 1891, he delivered a speech during events commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was so well received that afterward, the GAR's

George H. Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...

Post Number 2 in San Francisco paid to print and distribute 10,000 copies. In December 1892, he was promoted to temporary commissary

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. In April 1894, Woodruff was assigned as assistant to the Commissary General of Subsistence in Washington, D. C., and he served until May 1896. He was then assigned as chief commissary for the

Department of the East The Department of the East was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army several times in its history. The first was from 1853 to 1861, the second Department of the East, from 1863 to 1873, and the last from 1877 to 1913. H ...

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk Channel. The National Park ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. In February 1898, Woodruff was promoted to commissary

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

, and in May he received promotion to commissary

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. During the

, Woodruff was purchasing and depot commissary in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

from May to December 1898. In December, he took charge of the Subsistence Branch of the

Army Transport Service The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) was established as a sea-going transport service that was independent of the Navy Department. ATS operated army transport ships for both troop transport and cargo service between United States ports ...

. He was assigned to inspect subsistence operations in Cuba from February to March 1899, after which he was assigned to inspect subsistence operations in San Francisco. Woodruff was assigned from July 1900 to August 1902 as chief commissary for the

Military Division of the Pacific The Military Division of the Pacific was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army during the late 19th century. Formation On July 27, 1865 the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, replaci ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

during the

. He served as chief commissary for the Department of California from September 1902 to July 1903. He was simultaneously superintendent of the Subsistence Branch of the Army Transport Service in San Francisco (October 1902 to July 1903) and purchasing and depot commissary for the depot in San Francisco (October 1902 to July 1903). On July 27, 1903, Woodruff was promoted to

. On July 28, he retired from military service.

Later work

From December 1904 to May 1905, Woodruff worked in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

as director of the Nicaragua Finance and Improvement Company, a company created to construct electricity plants and railroads in the Central American country. In 1905, he was a member of San Francisco's Fusion Campaign Committee, a coalition of Republicans and Democrats that sought to overthrow the corrupt government of

Abe Ruef Abraham Ruef (September 2, 1864 – February 29, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. He gained notoriety as the corrupt political boss behind the administration of Mayor Eugene Schmitz of San Francisco during the period before and after t ...

and his Union Labor Party. Woodruff also served as a director of San Francisco's State Savings and Commercial Bank and in 1906 was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

. He was also active in veterans' organizations, including the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

, and

United Spanish War Veterans The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition. Origins Soon after the Spanish–American War ended, in earl ...

. From 1909 to 1914, Woodruff was commandant of the state veteran's home in

Yountville, California Yountville ( or ) is a city in Napa County, in the Wine Country of California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the population was 3,436 at the 2020 census. Almost a third of the town's population lives at the Ve ...

. After retiring as commandant, he was a resident of

. In the years prior to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and during the war, Woodruff engaged in high-profile activities to support the U.S. war effort, including leadership roles with the local

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

and the

American Protective League The American Protective League (1917-1919) was an organization of private citizens sponsored by the United States Department of Justice that worked with Federal law enforcement agencies during the World War I era. Its mission to identify suspected ...

Death

Woodruff died in

on August 12, 1920. Organizations providing honors at his funeral included the Grand Army of the Republic, National Indian Wars Veterans, United Spanish War Veterans,

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

, and United Veterans of the Republic. He was buried at

Family

In 1874, Woodruff married Louise Virginia Duff (1854-1942). They were the parents of three sons and three daughters: *Mary (1875-1876) *

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

(1877-1969), U.S. Army

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

*Edith (1878-1970), the wife of Roger Williams of

*Genevieve (1880-1941), the wife of General

Malin Craig Malin Craig (August 5, 1875 – July 25, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who served as the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939. He served in World War I and was recalled to active duty during World War II ...

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

(1884-1945), a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

officer who retired as a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

and joined the Canadian military for

. He later became a merchant ship captain, and committed suicide in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. *Edwin (1885-1970), a

veteran who attained the rank of

and later pursued a financial services career in California *Virginia (1890-1901)