Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/199

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RUGER


RUGGLES


defences of the approaches to New Orleans, La., 1854-55; resigned his commission in the U.S. army, April 1, 1855, and practised law in Janes- ville. Wis., 185.5-61. He was married, Oct. 6, 185T, to Helen Lydia, daughter of Henry Rice and Eliza (Gardner) Moore of Beloit, Wis. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 3d Wisconsin volunteers, June 29, 1861; colonel, Sept. 1, 1861; commanded his regiment in the operations in Mary- land and the Shenan- doah valley, 1861- 63; being engaged at Winchester, Va., May rf^ ^ k^ 25, 1862; Cedar Moun-

C/A^. ^- fX^^^-Cr^ tain, Autietam, and the march to Fal- mouth. Va.. 1862. He was promoted brigadier- general, U.S.V., Nov. 29, 1862; commanded the 3d brigade, 1st division, 12th army corps. Army of the Potomac, in the Rappahannock campaign, December, 1862-June, 1863, and in the Pennsyl- vania campaign, June-July, 1863, taking part in the battles of Chancellorsville, May 2-4, 1863. He succeeded Gen. Alplieus S. Williams in the com- mand of the 1st division, ]2tli army corps. Army of the Potomac, during the battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3. 1863; took part in the march to War- rentoii. Va.; was engaged in suppressing the draft riots m JNew YorK city, July-September, 1863; commanded the 2d brigade, 1st division, 20th army corps, Sherman's army, in the invasion of Georgia, May 4-Nov. 8, 1864; taking part in the battles of Resaca and New Hope Church; the ac- tion of Kiilp House and battle of Peach Tree Creek, and in the siege and occupation of Atlanta. He commanded a division of the 23d army corps in the Tennessee campaign; was bre vetted major-general, U.S.V., Nov. 30, 1864, " for gal- lant and meritorious services in the battle of Franklin, Tenn.; " was engaged in organizing the l:^t division, 23d army corps, at Nashville, Tenn., 1864-65; commanded the division in the opera- tions in North Carolina, February- June, 1865, taking part in the battle of Kinston (Wise's Fork), N.C., March 10. 1865, and commanded the ■department of North Carolina, 1865-66. He was honorably mustered out of volunteer service, ■Sept. 1, 1866, and was reappointed in the U S. army, with the rank of colonel, July 28, 1806. He commanded the 33d infantry regiment at Macon, Ga., 1866-67, and was brevetted brigadier- general, U.S.A., March 2, 1867, for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Gettysburg,


Pa. He was provisional governor of Georgia, January-July, 1868; was transferred to the 18th infantry, March 15, 1869; was superintendent of the U.S. Military academy, 1871-76; was in com- mand of the department of the South, 1876-78, and commanded posts in the south and west. He was in command of the U.S. Infantry and Cavalry school, July 1, 1885, to April 14,1886; was promoted brigadier-general, March 19, 1886; was in temporary command of the department of the Missouri, April-May, 1886, and later com- manded the department of Dakota, the division of the Pacific and the departments of California and of the East. He was promoted major-gen- eral, Feb. 8, 1895, and was retired, April 2, 1897. In 1903 he was residing in Stamford, Conn.

RUQER, William Crawford, jurist, was born at Bridgewater. N.Y., Jan. 30, 1824; son of John and Sophia (Brown) Ruger; grandson of Francis and Jane Ruger and of Oliver and Desire Brown, and a descendant of Fi-ancis Ruger, who is sup- posed to have been of Holland Dutch descent. He attended Bridgewater academy, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1845. He was a delegate to the Democratic state convention, known as the Hunker convention, in 1849. He removed to Syracuse in 1853, and was married on May 2, 1860, to Harriet, daughter of Erastus S. Prosser of Buffalo, N.Y. He was an unsuccessful Demo- cratic candidate for representative in congress in 1863 and 1805; was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1872, that endorsed the nomination of Greeley and Brown, and was a dele- gate to the Democratic state convention of 1877. He was first president of the Onondaga Bar asso- ciation in 1875, and in 1876 was first president of the State Bar association. He was counsel for the defendants in the " canal-ring " cases, and in 1882 was elected chief judge of the New York court of appeals, which position he held until his death in Syracuse, N.Y., Jan. 14, 1892.

RUGGLES, Benjamin, senator, was born in Windiiam county. Conn., 1783. He paid his school tuition by teaching; was admitted to the bar; removed to Ohio, and began practice in Marietta, afterward removing to St. Clairsville. He served as president judge of the court of com- mon pleas for the third judicial circuit of Ohio, 1810-15; was elected U.S. senator from Ohio as a Democrat, serving by re-election three terms, 1815-33, and was a presidential elector-at-large from Ohio, voting for William H. Harrison in 1837. He died in St. Clairsville. O., Sept. 2, 1857.

RUGGLES, Charles Herman, jurist, was born in New Milford, Conn., Feb. 10, 1789; son of Joseph (a Revolutionary soldier) and Mercy (Warner) Ruggles; grandson of Lazarus (an officer of the Revolutionary army) and Hannah (Bostwick) Ruggles, and a descendant of the