Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/201

 RUGGLES

RUGGLES

McClellan took command of the army after Pope's disastrous campaign, Colonel Ruggles became his assistant chief of stuff, and he served in that position throughout the Maryland campaign, in- cluding the battles of South Mountain and Antietam and the skirmish at Snicker's Gap. Shortly after the retirement of General McClellan from tlie army, Colonel Ruggles was ordered by Secretary Stanton to duty in his office at Wash- ington. Later he assisted in organizing the con- scription bureau, and was in the west on special duty. In the winter of 1864-65. upon the applica- tion of General ]\Ieade, he became adjutant-gen- eral of the Army of the Potomac, and remained in that position until the disbandment of the army, June 30, 1865. In this last campaign, he was in the three days' engagement at Hatcher's Run, siege of Petersburg, and the pursuit of Gen- eral R. E. Lee, and was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, at Appomat- tox. He received the brevets of lieutenant-colonel and colonel, U.S.A., March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war, of brigadier-general, U.S.A., " for gallant and meri- torious services during the campaign terminating with the surrender of the insurgent army of northern Virginia," and brigadier-general of volunteers, April 9, 1865, for gallant and merito- rious services in the events leading to the sur- render of Lee's army. For special service ren- dered March 25, 1865, he received the verbal thanks of General Meade and President Lincoln. After tho war, he served as adjutant-general of the divisions of the Atlantic and the Pacific and of the departments of the Lakes, the East, the Platte, Dakota, Texas and California. He was married, Jan. 8, 1868, to Alma Hammond, daughter of Stephen Satterlee and Alma (Hammond) L'Hom- medieu. Of his children : Capt. Colden L'Hom- msdieu was graduated at the U.S. Military academy, an honor man in the class of 1890 ; Charles Herman was graduated at the Rensselaer Polytechnic institute, Troy, N.Y., in 1893 ; Alma Hammond L'Hommedieu was graduated at Rad- cliffe college in 1900 ; and Francis Augustus was graduated at Sheffield Scientific school, Yale, in 1900 ; was commissioned in the army as lieutenant of cavalry, Feb. 3, 1901, and was ordered to duty in the Philippines. General Ruggles was promoted lieutenant-colonel, June 15, 1880, coloTiel, June 7, 1889, adjutant-general of the army with the rank of brigadier-general, Nov. 6, 1893, and was retired by operation of law, Sept. 11, 1897. His total actual services in the army covered, up to that time, a period of forty-six years. He was appointed in 1898, by President McKinley, to the command of the Soldiers' Home at Washington, D.C. His tour of duty there expired Jan. 10, 1903.

RUGGLES, John, senator, was born in West- borough, Mass., Oct. 8, 1789. He was graduated at Brown, 1813 ; taught school in Kentucky, 1813- 14 ; studied law ; was admitted to the bar, and practised in Skowhegan, 1815-17, and in Thomas- ton, 1817-74. He was a member of the lower house of the Maine legislature, 1823-31, serving as speaker, 1825-29 and 1831 ; was judge of the court of common pleas, succeeding Samuel E. Smith, resigned, 1831-34, and U.S. senator from Maine, elected as a Democrat to fill the unexpired term of Peleg Sprague, resigned, serving from Feb. 6, 1835, to March 3, 1841. While in congress he was the originator of a reorganization of the patent office, and after its reorganization was granted the first patent, July 28, 1836, for a loco- motive steam engine. He died in Thomaston, Maine. June 20, 1874.

RUGGLES, Nathaniel, representative, was born in Roxbury, Mass., Nov. 15, 1761 ; son of Capt. Joseph and Rebecca Ruggles. He was graduated from Harvard college, A. B., 1781, A.M., 1784, and practised law in Roxbury, where he became prominent in town affairs. He was appointed judge of the general sessions of the peace, 1807 ; cliief-justice, 1808, and was a Federalist repre- sentative from the Norfolk district in the 13th, 14th and 15th congresses, 1813-19. He served as past-master of the Washington Lodge of Free Masons. He died in Roxbury, Mass., Dec. 19, 1819.

RUGGLES, Samuel Bulkley, lawyer, was born at New Milford, Conn., April 11,1800; son of Philo and Ellen (Bulkley) Ruggles. and grandson of Capt. Lazarus and Hannali (Bostwick) Rug-

(Hubbell) Bulkley.

gles, and of Josepli and He was graduated from Yale in 1814 ; studied law with his father ; was admitted to the bar in 1821, and pi-actised in New York city. He was married to Mary Ro- salie, daughter of John Rathbone of New Y'ork city. He was a member of the assembly in 1838, serving as chairman of the committee on ways and means ; was influential in se- curing the enlargement of the Erie canal, being as prominent in that movement as DeWitt Clin- ton in its construction. He was a canal com- missioner, 1840-42 and 1858 ; an Erie railway commissioner, and a director of the road, 1833-39. He was a delegate from the United States to the International Statistical congresses held in Ber-