Colden L’Hommedieu Ruggles – Brigadier General, United States Army

Colden L’Hommedieu Ruggles
Appointed from New York, Cadet, United States Military Academy, 1 July 1886 (5)
Additional Second Lieutenant, 1st U. S. Artillery, 12 June 1890
Second Lieutenant, 3rd U. S. Artillery, 7 Janury 1891
First Lieutenant, Ordnance Department, 18 December 1893
Captain, 29 April 1899

Born at Omaha, Nebraska, March 18, 1869, the son of George David and Anna L’Hommedieu Ruggles. He graduated from West Point in 1890; received an EE degree from Lehigh University, 1903; graduated from the Army War College, 1922. He married Mary Appleton, daughter of Brigadier General Miller, November 28, 1894.

He was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Artillery, June 12, 1890 and promoted through the ranks to Colonel, May 15, 1917, Brigadier General (temporary), August 8, 1918-Mach 10, 1919. He was on duty at Governors Island, New York, Fort Monroe, Virginia, Sandy Hook Proving Grounds and the Franklin Arsenal until 1900. He was an Inspector or Ordnance, Bethlehem Steel Company, 1900-03; at Watertown, Arsenal, Massachusetts, 1903-08; Professor of Ordnance and Science of Gunnery, West Point, 1908-11; Commanding the Benicia, California, Arsenal and Ordnance Officer, Western Department, 1911-13; Commanding, Manila Ordnance Depot and Ordnance Officer, Philippine Department, 1913-15; Commanding, Sandy Hook Proving Grounds, 1915-16; commanding the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, 1917-18. He was with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France, October-December 1918.

He then served as Chief, Inspection Division, Ordnance Department, 1919-21; duty as Student Officer, Army War College, August 15, 1921-June 30, 1922; Chief of the Technical Staff, Ordnance Department, September 4, 1922-August 27, 1923; appointed Assistant to the Chief of Ordnance with the rank of Brigadier General, March 28, 1923. He became Assistant Chief Ordnance Officer and Chief of Manufacture, Ordnance Department, 1923. He was a Delegate to the Conference for Supervision of International Trade in Arms and Ammunition, Geneva, Switzerland, and in Implements of War, May 4-June 17, 1925. He was the builder of the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. He received the Distinguished Service Medal for his long ordnance service to the Army.

He died on April 2, 1933 and was buried among other family members in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery.

RUGGLES, COLDEN LH
BGEN, USA
DATE OF DEATH: 04/02/1933
BURIED AT: SECTION 3  SITE 1857 WH

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard