George D. Ruggles (September 11, 1833 – October 19, 1904) was an 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 ...

who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1893 to 1897.

Biography

He was born in Newburgh, New York. His parents died when he was young, and he was raised by his uncle,

Charles H. Ruggles Charles Herman Ruggles (February 10, 1789 – June 16, 1865) was an American lawyer and politician who was a U.S. Representative from New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Early life Ruggles was born on February 10, 1789, ...

, who was Chief Justice of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the State of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six Associate Judges who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by t ...

. He graduated from 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 ...

in 1855 and was appointed to the 2nd Infantry, in which he served until the outbreak 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 ...

. At the beginning of the war, he served in various staff positions, before becoming a

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 ...

and chief-of-staff of the Army of Virginia under General John Pope, where he saw action in the

Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate f ...

, the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, and the Battle of Chantilly. He later served as assistant chief-of-staff of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

, being engaged in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. In December 1862, he was assigned to staff duty in

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, ...

In February 1865, he was named adjutant general of the Army of the Potomac under General George Meade, and took part in the

Battle of Hatcher's Run The Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate ...

. Ruggles remained in the Adjutant General's Department following the end of the war, and from July 1865 through May 1888, served as adjutant general for various departments, including the

Department of the Platte The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho. With headquarters in Om ...

and the Department of Dakota. From January 1889 through July 1891 he served as adjutant general at the division level in the Division of the Pacific and the Division of the Atlantic. In December 1892 he returned to the Adjutant General's Department in Washington, and he was elevated to Adjutant General of the U. S. Army with 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 ...

in November 1893. He retired in September 1897. In April 1898, he was appointed governor of the Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C., where he served until January 1903. He died in October 1904, and 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 ...

Family

In 1868, Ruggles married Alma Hammond L'Hommedieu (1843-1921). They were the parents of four children, including Colden, Charles, Alma, and Francis.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruggles, George 1833 births 1904 deaths Adjutants general of the United States Army Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People from Newburgh, New York People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Army officers United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni