Sylvanus Tunning Rugg (1834 – May 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army who commanded an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

during 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 ...

, as well as in other leading battles of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

. He also served in the Western Theater late in his career.

Biography

Rugg was born in

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in and the county seat of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River, which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. As of the 2020 United States ...

in 1834. Early in the war, he became a brevet second lieutenant in the 2nd U. S. Artillery, a promotion dated October 22, 1862. He received permanent promotion to that rank in the 4th U. S. Artillery on the same date. There is no record of Rugg's having attended a military school, suggesting he was promoted from the ranks. Rugg commanded Battery F, 4th U.S. Artillery in the artillery

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of the

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ( ...

at Gettysburg. Lt. Edward D. Muhlenberg, who had commanded the battery, was in charge of the brigade by seniority. Battery F reached Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, and advanced to a position near the Hanover Road to support the advance of the 1st Division under Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams to Benner's Hill. The battery arrived with 120 men and 6 Napoleons, 12-pounder smoothbore guns; see

Field artillery in the American Civil War Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Field Artillery Branch (United States), artillery branch to support Infantry in the American Civil War, infantry and Cavalry in the ...

. On July 2 it covered a gap in the Union lines, but on July 3 it was posted near the Baltimore Pike to bombard the portion of

Culp's Hill Culp's Hill,. The modern U.S. Geographic Names System refers to "Culps Hill". which is about south of the center of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated b ...

the Confederates had captured on the previous day. It participated in a bombardment of the Confederates that helped drive them from their advanced position. One man was wounded by an artillery round from the bombardment preceding

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. T ...

that flew over the Union lines on

Cemetery Ridge Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park, south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for t ...

. The battery's monument stands at the intersection of Hunt Avenue and the Baltimore Pike on the battlefield. Rugg continued to serve in the Union army through the autumn 1863 campaigns in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

when the XII Corps was reassigned to the Western Theater. He was dismissed from the service on July 22, 1864. Rugg died of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine. It was frequently accompanied ...

on May 4, 1881, at Cottage Hospital in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. He was buried at the Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery.Friends of the Cemetery website
/ref>

References

* Pfanz, Harry W., ''Gettysburg: Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill'', University of North Carolina Press, 1993, . * ''Officers of the 4th U. S. Artillery'

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugg, Sylvanus T. 1834 births 1881 deaths People from Taunton, Massachusetts Union army officers People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Deaths from nephritis