July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
Civil War soldier Autograph Letter Signed, “F.M.G. Melton Co. B, 130th Regt. Ind. Vol. Inf.” 3pp. folio, Charlotte, North Carolina, September 2, 1865, and reads in part: “...I have been suffering for some time back with diarrehea and a violent cold...they are not treating us as they should at present for there was orders to muster us out but that mean, contempable, tyranical, red headed son of a ‘sea cook’ Gen. Tom Ruger would not let us be mustered out at our proper time...some of the boys say that as soon as they get their pay they are a going to go home anyhow...I believe I told you in my other letter that Col. Penny and I are getting up a Regimental Memorial like that company memorial of mine only about ten times as large...” VG. Thomas H. Ruger (1833-1907) 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. He participated in the Battle of Antietam, in which he was wounded while acting commander of a brigade in the 1st Division, XII Corps. 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 the division of Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams temporarily at Gettysburg. (Col. Silas Colgrove led the brigade in that battle, participating in the defense of Culp's Hill.) In the summer of 1863, Ruger was in New York City, where he aided in suppressing draft riots. Ruger led a brigade of XX Corps in Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign until November 1864, and with a division of XXIII Corps took part in the campaign against General John B. Hood's army in Tennessee. He was appointed a brevet 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, regular army, for his services at Gettysburg.
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