Thomas H. Ruger

Thomas H. Ruger in the Civil War

Thomas Howard Ruger (April 2, 1833 – June 3, 1907) was an American soldier and lawyer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. After the war, he was a superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.

[edit] Early life

Ruger was born in Lima, New York, and moved to Janesville, Wisconsin in 1846. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1854, third in his class of 46, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He resigned in 1855 to become a lawyer in Wisconsin.

Ruger was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in June 1861, and promoted to colonel on August 20. Ruger commanded his regiment in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley campaigns. Commissioned brigadier general of volunteers in November 1862, Ruger led his brigade of the XII Corps, Army of the Potomac, in the Battle of Chancellorsville, and commanded a division at Gettysburg. In the summer of 1863, he was in New York City, where he aided in suppressing draft riots.

Brig. Gen. Ruger led a brigade in William T. Sherman's advance into Georgia until November 1864, and with a division of XXIII Corps took part in the campaign against General John B. Hood's army in Tennessee, brevetted major general of volunteers, November 30, 1864, for services at the Battle of Franklin. Ruger organized a division at Nashville and led his command to North Carolina in June 1865, and then had charge of the department of that state until June 1866. He was mustered out of his volunteer commission, accepting a regular army commission as colonel, July 28, 1866, and on March 2, 1867, was brevetted brigadier general, United States Army, for his services at Gettysburg.

Ruger participated in Reconstruction as the military governor of Georgia and in the Freedmen's Bureau in Alabama in 1868. He was the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, from 1871 to 1876, and retired, in 1897, with the rank of major general in the regular army. He died in Stamford, Connecticut, and is buried in West Point National Cemetery.

Preceded by Thomas Gamble Pitcher	Superintendents of the United States Military Academy 1871–1876	Succeeded by John McAllister Schofield
Preceded by Charles J. Jenkins	Governor of Georgia 1868	Succeeded by Rufus Bullock