Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-10
Gen. Geo. D. Ruggles.

| to his having reached the age of sixty
four years. which is the limit for service
| on the active list.
Gen. Samuel Breck, the officer next in
line of promotion, who is now on duty at
headquarters of the army, has been select
| ed to succeed Gen. Ruggles as adjutant
general, and his commission will probably
be signed by the President today and be
| brought back to Washington by Secretary
Alger tonight. The appointment will be
announced on the retirement Of Gen. Rug
giles tomorrow.
Gen. Ruggles' Record.
Gen. Ruggles was born at Newburg, N
Y, September IL. 1S33 Having removed
| to- Poughkeepsie, N. Y, he was appointed
| to the Military Academy in 1851, and was
graduated in 1855. From that time till the
commencement Of the civil war he served
west Of the Mississippi river in Minnesota,
| Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota, among the
| Chippewa and Sioux Indians and at JEFF
| ferson barracks and st. Louis in the state
| OF Missouri On the 10th of September,
| 1857, he was appointed adjutant of his regi-
ment and continued in this office until his
promotion in 1861 to the position of assist
ant adjutant general He has thus been
for forty years and one day continuously
an adjutant. Called with his regiment
! from Fort Kearney on the plains for ser
vice in the east. at the time of the attack
upon Fort Sumter. the command passed
| through Kansas and Missouri border
| states in excitement, ard was finally as
| sigr ed to Gen. Patterson's army in Penn
| sylvania and northern Virginia. In that
command he served as acting adjutant gen.
eral of brigade. From Patterson's army
| the regiment was called by Gen Scott 8
| order to the defense of Washington.
| Ten days after arrival in this city he
was commissioned as assistant adjutant
general The day after the battle of Bull
| Run he was placed in charge of the or
ganization of volunteer troops. There was
| little precedent of law or regulation and
little of record at this time touching United
had often to improvise and to invent as he
preceded. The appropriations for the
army provided for support of soldiers only
from date of enlistment and for no single
| expense prior thereto. The Quartermas-
| ter's department and subsistence depart
| ment could not pay for necessary expense
| In advance of muster in. The several
! states did this as long as their funds held
| out When their money became exhausted
| 1t seemed that volunteering must be at a
standstill.
| Drilling Volunteers.
| At this juncture Gen. Ruggles, then Cant
| Ruggles, succeeded in obtaining from Con-
| gress an appropriation of 10000 600 for
collecting, organizing and drilling volun-
| teers With this money volunteer camps
and barracks were established at all i'm
| portant points in the loyal states: office
rooms and clerical service were provided,
| and transportation subsistence and cloth.
| ing were supplied and paid for from tho
| moment that the soldier signed his consent
| to enlist, and before he had reached the
| mastering officer to complete his enlist
| ment. The volunteer bureau being success
| fully organized, a year after Its inception
| he was assigned as chief of staff and adm
tant general OF the army Of Virginia, with
tne rank OF colonel. The campaign was a
| short and active one, and during its con-
| t1nuance he was engaged in the actions of
Cedar (or Slaughter's) Mountain, August
| >. 1852; the two days fight on the Rappa-
| tie Of Waterloo bridge August %. 1862:
| the battle of Gainesville, August 20. 1892
| and the battle of Groveton, August 30
tSS' tS these these Two p, last commonly known as
Chantiily, September 1, 1862.
| In the Maryland Campairu.
From the Army Of Virginia he was trans
ferred as assistant chief of stafr for Gen
Mcclellan to the Army of the Potomac
and served Herewith throughout the
Maryland campaign. In this campaign he
was engaged In the battles of South Noun
tain. September IA, 1862: Antietam, Sep
| tember IT, 1862 and the skirmish at
Smokers Gap. November 2. 1862
Shortly after the relief of Gen. Mcclellan
Il
| Secretary Stanton to duty in the Secre.
| tary's office. Later, under the Secretary's
| order, he assisted In the organization of
| the conscription bureau, and the following
year was sent on special duty by Secretary
Stanton. Returning from this service. he
| was ordered. upon the application of Cen
| Meade, to duty as adjutant general Of tho
Army of the Potomac, and continued with
| that army until after the taking OF Peters,
| burg and Richmond, the surrender at Ap-
| pomattox, the grand review in Washington
| and the disbandment Of the army in June
1 1865.
In this campaign he was engaged In the
| three days fighting at Hatcher's Run.
February 5. and Z, 1865: the assault and
capture Of Petersburg, Va, March 20 to
April 8. 1865: the pursuit Of Cen Lees
army. April 3 to April 8. 1896, and the sur
render at Appomattox Court House, April
Q, 1885,
Thanked BY the President.
For special services on the 25th Of March.
1865. he received that day the verbal thanks
of President Lincoln and Major General
Meade. commanding the army. He re-
ceived the brevets Of lieutenant colonel ana
colonel for gallant and naeritorious serv-
\ Ices during the rebellion" ana Of brevet