Charles Albert Woodruff (April 26, 1845 – August 13, 1920) was a career officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. A veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonization of the Americas, European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States o ...

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, and

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, he attained the rank of brigadier general before retiring in 1903. A native of

Burke, Vermont Burke is a New England town, town in Caledonia County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,651 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town contains the villages of East Burke, Vermont, East Burke, We ...

, he attended

Lyndon Institute Lyndon Institute is a coeducational, nonprofit, independent, day and boarding comprehensive high school located on a campus in the village of Lyndon Center, in the town of Lyndon, Vermont. It provides education for grades 9 through 12 for bot ...

, St. Johnsbury Academy, and Bryant & Stratton Business College in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...

. He enlisted for the

, joining the Union Army's

10th Vermont Infantry Regiment The 10th Vermont Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 10th Vermont Infantry was organized at Brattleboro, Vermont, and mustered in for three years service on September 1, 1862, u ...

in 1862. He was promoted from

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

, was wounded at

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

in 1864, and convalesced in Vermont until being discharged at the end of the war. In 1867, Woodruff was appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

. He graduated in 1871, was commissioned as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

, and assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment. Woodruff was assigned to frontier duty and took part in the

, including the

Sioux Wars The Sioux Wars were a series of conflicts between the United States and various subgroups of the Sioux people which occurred in the later half of the 19th century. The earliest conflict came in 1854 when a fight broke out at Fort Laramie in Wy ...

and

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palouse'' tribe led by Red Echo (''Hahtalekin'') and ...

. He was severely wounded at the

Battle of Big Hole The Battle of the Big Hole was fought in Montana Territory, August 9–10, 1877, between the United States Army and the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans during the Nez Perce War. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Nez Perce withd ...

in 1877. After recovering, he transferred to the

Commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

department. He continued to serve in commissary and subsistence assignments, and had high-profile staff positions in the

and

. Woodruff was promoted to brigadier general in July 1903 and retired the following day. In retirement he was active in several business ventures and resided in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

before moving to

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

. He died in Berkeley on August 13, 1920, and was buried at

San Francisco National Cemetery San Francisco National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco, California. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with Golden Gate National Cemetery, a few miles south of the c ...

Early life

Woodruff was born in

on April 26, 1845, the son of Erastus Woodruff and Eliza (Quimby) Woodruff. He attended the elementary schools of Burke,

, and St. Johnsbury Academy. After graduating from the academy, Woodruff went on to graduate from Bryant & Stratton Business College in

Civil War

Woodruff volunteered for the Union Army during the

, enlisting as a

in Company A,

on June 5, 1862. He was promoted to

June 3, 1863. Woodruff was slightly wounded three times at the

on June 1, 1864. He was captured after being wounded, but escaped later the same night. On June 3, 1864, Woodruff was wounded again, this time severely. He had recently been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 117th Infantry Regiment,

United States Colored Troops United States Colored Troops (USCT) were Union Army regiments during the American Civil War that primarily comprised African Americans, with soldiers from other ethnic groups also serving in USCT units. Established in response to a demand fo ...

, but could not accept because of his need to convalesce. He convalesced at Sloan General Hospital in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat of Washington County, Vermont, Washington County. The site of Government of Vermont, Vermont's state government, it is the Lis ...

. As a result of his wounds, Woodruff was discharged from the Army on August 18, 1865.

Post-Civil War

In 1867, Woodruff passed a competitive examination to obtain appointment to the

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

. Among the other applicants for the appointment was Willie H. Johnston. Woodruff graduated in 1871 ranked 11th of 41 in overall standing, and first in military discipline. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant of

and assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment.

American Indian Wars

Woodruff served on frontier duty at

Fort Shaw, Montana Fort Shaw is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 280 at the 2010 census. Named for a former United States military outpost, it is part of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statist ...

from September 1871 to January 1872. From January to May 1872 he was posted to

Fort Benton, Montana Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. Fort Benton was the most upstream navigable port on the Miss ...

. He then returned to Fort Shaw where he was posted until March 1876, including participation in expeditions to explore the area around

Fort Colville Fort Colville was a U.S. Army post in the Washington Territory located north of current Colville, Washington. During its existence from 1859 to 1882, it was called "Harney's Depot" and "Colville Depot" during the first two years, and finally "Fo ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

from August to October 1873 and Camp Lewis, Montana from June to October 1875. As part of the 7th Infantry, Woodruff took part in the

Great Sioux War of 1876 The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred in 1876 and 1877 in an alliance of Lakota people, Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne against the United States. The cause of t ...

, assigned as regimental adjutant and commander of a battery that consisted of one Napoleon gun and two

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling of North Carolina. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operatio ...

s. After the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota people, Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Si ...

, Woodruff continued to be interested in the events surrounding the fight and the personalities involved. In addition to maintaining a correspondence with other participants in the campaign with whom he discussed his experiences, he also communicated with several writers and historians who researched the subject. In the summer of 1908,

Edward S. Curtis Edward Sheriff Curtis (February 19, 1868 – October 19, 1952; sometimes given as Edward Sherriff Curtis) was an American photographer and ethnologist whose work focused on the American West and Native American people. Sometimes referred to a ...

, an ethnologist and photographer of the American Indians, walked the Little Bighorn battlefield with three Crow scouts who had served with the U.S. Army during the 1876 campaign. Woodruff accompanied them so that Curtis could have the scouts' recollections of the fight considered by an experienced army officer who had knowledge of the battle. The accounts of the Crow scouts differed from the widely accepted version of events, placing more blame on

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

for the defeat that led to the deaths of Custer and most of his command. Curtis and Woodruff both thought the scouts were accurate, but Curtis decided the scouts' version of events was too controversial to publicize. As a result, Curtis left the account of the Crow scouts out of the volume of Sioux history he published later that year. Woodruff served as regimental adjutant during the

of 1877. On August 9, he was wounded three times at the

. After being treated locally until October, Woodruff took convalescent leave, and he remained in this status until May 1878. Woodruff was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

to rank from August 9, 1877. After recovering from his wounds, Woodruff transferred to the Army's

department. He received promotion to commissary

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

to date from March 28, 1877, and served in the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

office of the Commissary General from June to August 1878. He was assigned as chief commissary and acting assistant adjutant of the

Department of the Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

from August 22, 1878, to October 9, 1879. He was chief commissary of subsistence for the

District of New Mexico The District of New Mexico was a military district of the United States Army in the Territory of New Mexico that existed from 1865 to 1890. The District of Arizona and the District of New Mexico replaced the Department of New Mexico from June 27 ...

and the post at Fort Marcy,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

until October 31, 1884, and also served as acting assistant adjutant and acting engineer officer. From November 1884 to May 1889, Woodruff served as chief commissary of the Department of the Columbia at

Vancouver Barracks The Vancouver Barracks was the first United States Army base located in the Pacific Northwest, established in 1849, in what is now contemporary Vancouver, Washington. It was built on a rise above the Fort Vancouver fur trading station establish ...

and performed several temporary staff assignments, including assistant adjutant, judge advocate, ordnance officer, and signal officer. While with the Department of the Columbia, Woodruff was part of the Army contingent that took part in responding to the

Seattle riot of 1886 The Seattle riot of 1886 occurred on February 6–9, 1886, in Seattle, Washington, amidst rising anti-Chinese sentiment caused by intense labor competition and in the context of an ongoing struggle between labor and capital in the Western Unite ...

Later career

Woodruff was purchasing and depot commissary of subsistence for the

Department of California The Department of California was an administrative department of the United States Army. The Department was created in 1858, replacing the original Department of the Pacific, and it was ended by the reorganizations of the Henry L. Stimson Plan ...

from August 1889 to April 1894. In 1890 he received a promotion to

by brevet to recognize his heroism at the Battle of Big Hole. In 1891, he delivered a speech during events commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was so well received that afterward, the GAR's George H. Thomas Post Number 2 in San Francisco paid to print and distribute 10,000 copies. In December 1892, he was promoted to temporary commissary

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. In April 1894, Woodruff was assigned as assistant to the Commissary General of Subsistence in Washington, D. C., and he served until May 1896. He was then assigned as chief commissary for the

Department of the East The Department of the East was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army several times in its history. The first was from 1853 to 1861, the second Department of the East, from 1863 to 1873, and the last from 1877 to 1913. ...

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. In February 1898, Woodruff was promoted to commissary lieutenant colonel, and in May he received promotion to commissary

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. During the

, Woodruff was purchasing and depot commissary in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

from May to December 1898. In December, he took charge of the Subsistence Branch of the

Army Transport Service The United States Army Transport Service (ATS) was established as a sea-going transport service that was independent of the Navy Department. ATS operated army transport ships for both troop transport and cargo service between United States ports ...

. He was assigned to inspect subsistence operations in Cuba from February to March 1899, after which he was assigned to inspect subsistence operations in San Francisco. Woodruff was assigned from July 1900 to August 1902 as chief commissary for the

Military Division of the Pacific The Military Division of the Pacific was a major command ( Department) of the United States Army during the late 19th century. Formation On July 27, 1865, the Military Division of the Pacific was created under Major General Henry W. Halleck, repl ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

during the

. He served as chief commissary for the Department of California from September 1902 to July 1903. He was simultaneously superintendent of the Subsistence Branch of the Army Transport Service in San Francisco (October 1902 to July 1903) and purchasing and depot commissary for the depot in San Francisco (October 1902 to July 1903). On July 27, 1903, Woodruff was promoted to brigadier general. On July 28, he retired from military service.

Later work

From December 1904 to May 1905, Woodruff worked in

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

as director of the Nicaragua Finance and Improvement Company, a company created to construct electricity plants and railroads in the Central American country. In 1905, he was a member of San Francisco's Fusion Campaign Committee, a coalition of Republicans and Democrats that sought to overthrow the corrupt government of

Abe Ruef Abraham Ruef (September 2, 1864 – February 29, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. He gained notoriety as the corrupt political boss behind the administration of Mayor Eugene Schmitz of San Francisco during the period before and after ...

and his

Union Labor Party The Union Labor Party or United Labor Party (ULP) was a labor party created in 1884 by labor activists in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was moderately successful, and key organizers within the party helped create the People's Party, into which the ULP ...

. Woodruff also served as a director of San Francisco's State Savings and Commercial Bank and in 1906 was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

. He was also active in veterans' organizations, including the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

, and

United Spanish War Veterans The United Spanish War Veterans was an American veterans' organization which consisted of veterans of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War and China Relief Expedition. Origins Soon after the Spanish–American War ended, in early ...

. From 1909 to 1914, Woodruff was commandant of the state veteran's home in

Yountville, California Yountville ( or ) is an incorporated town in Napa County, in the Wine Country of California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the population was 3,436 at the 2020 census. Almost a third of the town's populat ...

. After retiring as commandant, he was a resident of

. In the years prior to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and during the war, Woodruff engaged in high-profile activities to support the U.S. war effort, including leadership roles with the local

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

and the

American Protective League The American Protective League (1917–1919) was an organization of private citizens sponsored by the United States Department of Justice that worked with federal law enforcement agencies during the World War I era. Its mission was to identify sus ...

Death

Woodruff died in

on August 12, 1920. Organizations providing honors at his funeral included the Grand Army of the Republic, National Indian Wars Veterans, United Spanish War Veterans,

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

, and United Veterans of the Republic. He was buried at

Family

In 1874, Woodruff married Louise Virginia Duff (1854-1942). They were the parents of three sons and three daughters: *Mary (1875-1876) *

James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...

(1877-1969), U.S. Army major general *Edith (1878-1970), the wife of Roger Williams of

*Genevieve (1880-1941), the wife of General

Malin Craig Malin Craig (5 August 1875 – 25 July 1945) was a general in the United States Army who served as the 14th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939. He served in World War I and was recalled to active duty during World War II ...

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

(1884-1945), a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer who retired as a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

and joined the Canadian military for

. He later became a merchant ship captain, and committed suicide in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. *Edwin (1885-1970), a

veteran who attained the rank of

and later pursued a financial services career in California *Virginia (1890-1901)