Daniel Henry Rucker (April 28, 1812 – January 6, 1910) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

. He was commissioned in 1837 and served for nearly 45 years, including during the

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 ...

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, and

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 ...

. He attained the rank of

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 ...

and was most notable for his service as Assistant

Quartermaster General of the United States Army The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily ...

, then Quartermaster General. Rucker received brevet promotions to

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 ...

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

and major general in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

in commendation of his Civil War service. Rucker was the father-in-law of General

Philip Sheridan General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...

Early life

Daniel H. Rucker was born in

Belleville, New Jersey Belleville (French: "Belle ville" meaning "Beautiful city / town") is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population wa ...

on April 28, 1812, a son of John Anthony Rucker and Sarah Jane (Dring) Macomb. Sarah Macomb Rucker (1789–1873) was the daughter of William Macomb. Her sister Catherine was the wife of General Alexander Macomb. Her sister Eliza was the wife of Brevet Brigadier General Henry Whiting. Her sister Anne was the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Aeneas MacKay, who served as the U.S. Army's Deputy Quartermaster General. Rucker's siblings included William Alexander Rucker, a career U.S. Army officer who attained the rank of

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 o ...

in the Paymaster department. The Rucker family moved to

Grosse Ile, Michigan Große or Grosse is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Demetrius Grosse *Maurice Grosse *Katharina Grosse *Ben Grosse *Hans-Werner Grosse *Heinz-Josef Große *Julius Grosse Julius Waldemar Grosse (25 April 1828 – 9 ...

soon after the close of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, and Rucker was raised and educated in Grosse Ile. His uncle Alexander Macomb was serving as

Commanding General of the United States Army The Commanding General of the United States Army was the title given to the service chief and highest-ranking officer of the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), prior to the establishment of the Chief of Staff of the ...

when Rucker applied for a commission in the

in 1837; he was accepted and received appointment as a second lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Dragoons in October of that year.

Start of career

Rucker's regiment was sent to

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

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 th ...

soon after he received his commission, and he took part in a campaign against the

Ute people Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries un ...

, during which he formed a friendship with

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and ...

that lasted until Carson's 1868 death. He served at several posts in the Midwest and Southwest United States during the 1840s, and 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 ...

in 1844 and captain in 1847. During the

, he served with his regiment and rose from command of Company E to command of a squadron. He received a brevet promotion to major in recognition of his gallantry at the

Battle of Buena Vista The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...

. In 1849, Rucker transferred to the

Quartermaster Corps Following is a list of Quartermaster Corps, military units, active and defunct, with logistics duties: * Egyptian Army Quartermaster Corps - see Structure of the Egyptian Army * Hellenic Army Quartermaster Corps (''Σώμα Φροντιστών ...

. He then began twelve years of assistant quartermaster appointments, mostly in the Southwest United States, and primarily in New Mexico Territory.

Civil War

At the start of the

in early 1861, Rucker declined appointment as a major in the 6th Cavalry so he could continue serving as a quartermaster. In August 1861, he was promoted to major in the Quartermaster Corps and assigned to command the Washington, D.C. Quartermaster Depot. In September 1861, he was promoted to

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

as an additional aide-de-camp to General

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

, an appointment he carried out while continuing to command Washington Depot. Rucker remained in command through the end of the war, during which Washington Depot handled the majority of food, equipment, and supplies provided to 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. In May 1863, he was promoted to

of Volunteers. When

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces threatened Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1864, Rucker participated in the

Civil War Defenses of Washington The Civil War Defenses of Washington were a group of Union Army fortifications that protected the federal capital city, Washington, D.C., from invasion by the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (see Washington, D.C., in the Am ...

by organizing available quartermaster soldiers as the First Brigade, which he commanded in and around Fort Stevens. In July 1864, Rucker received brevet promotions to lieutenant colonel,

, and brigadier general in the

. In March 1865, he received promotion to brevet

of Volunteers. After the war, Rucker oversaw the sale at auction of surplus animals and equipment that were no longer needed, the allocation of remaining supplies and equipment to various Army posts, and the downsizing of the Quartermaster Corps. Following the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, on April 15, 1865, Rucker procured a coffin and provided a contingent of soldiers so Lincoln's remains could be carried from the

Petersen House The Petersen House is a 19th-century federal style row house located at 516 10th Street NW in Washington, D.C. On April 15, 1865, United States President Abraham Lincoln died there after being shot the previous evening at Ford's Theatre, locat ...

. After the soldiers brought Lincoln's body from the house to a waiting cart, Rucker led a detachment of infantry and cavalry as they escorted the coffin to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

. Afterwards, Rucker was among those who remained in the second-floor guest room when surgeon

Joseph Janvier Woodward Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Janvier Woodward (1833–1884), commonly known as J. J. Woodward, was an American surgeon. Biography Woodward served in the U.S. Civil War as Army Assistant Surgeon and produced several publications on war-related d ...

conducted an autopsy.

Post–Civil War

In July 1866, Rucker was promoted to colonel in the Regular Army and assigned as the Army's Assistant Quartermaster General. In September of that year, he received brevet promotions to brigadier general and major general in the Regular Army in recognition of his performance during the Civil War. Rucker was assigned as Chief Quartermaster of 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 ...

in 1868. In 1869, he was assigned as Chief Quartermaster for the

Military Division of the Missouri The Military Division of the Missouri was an administrative formation of the United States Army that functioned through the end of the American Civil War and the Indian Wars that continued after its conclusion. It was created by the War Departmen ...

, with headquarters in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In 1875, Rucker was assigned to command of the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, and he served in this post until 1882. On February 13, 1882, Rucker was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as

. At the same time, he applied for retirement. His request was approved, and he retired due to age on February 23.

Later life

In retirement, Rucker lived in Washington, D.C. and continued to take an active interest in Army affairs. He was a member of the Aztec Club of 1847,

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

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 ...

. Rucker died in Washington on January 6, 1910. He was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Legacy

The U.S. Army ship ''General D. H. Rucker'', a concrete-hulled steamer, was launched in 1921. It was used as a personnel transport between military bases near Newport News, Virginia and Fort Caswell,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. ''Rucker'' remained in service for nearly twenty years, until a fire destroyed her wooden superstructure. ''Ruckers hulk was subsequently sunk to create a breakwater off

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

Family

In February 1839, Rucker married Flora Coody (or Coodey) (1824–1845) at

Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Fort Gibson is a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 4,154 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.5 percent over the figure of 4,054 recorded in 2000. It is the location of Fort Gibson Histori ...

, which was then

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

. Flora Coody was of

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

ancestry and was a niece of Chief John Ross. Daniel and Flora Rucker were the parents of four children— Ross, Louisa, and Henry, and another son who died young. Ross Rucker was born in 1841 and died at age 16. Henry Rucker was born in 1845 and died soon afterwards. Louisa Rucker was born in 1843 and died in 1924. In April 1850, Rucker married Irene Curtis (1819–1902). They were the parents of five children— John Anthony (1851–1878), Irene (1856–1938), Sarah (1857–1955), William A. (1858–1870), and Francis Dring (1860–1893). John A. Rucker was a

in the

6th Cavalry Regiment The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviatio ...

when he died in an accidental drowning while attempting to save the life of another soldier. Fort Rucker, Arizona and

Rucker Canyon Rucker Canyon is a major canyon draining the western central-south of the Chiricahua Mountains, the central landform of the eastern third of Cochise County, Arizona's extreme southeast, bordering southwest New Mexico. It is famous for historic Ca ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

were named in his honor. Francis D. Rucker was a first lieutenant in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment when he died from an accidental fall off his horse while hunting. Irene Rucker was the wife of General

References

External links

Daniel H. Rucker
at Arlington National Cemetery
D. H. Rucker Papers
at New Mexico Archives Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Rucker, Daniel H. 1812 births 1910 deaths People from Belleville, New Jersey People from Grosse Ile, Michigan Military personnel from Washington, D.C. United States Army personnel of the Indian Wars American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Union Army colonels Quartermasters General of the United States Army Burials at Arlington National Cemetery