Thomas Ruger was born on April 2,1833, in Lima, New York. He was a diligent student and was accepted to West Point Academy. He graduated from the U.S. Military academy ranking third in his class in 1846. After that he was an acting commander of the brigade in the 1st division. After the war, he was a superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. In November 1862, Ruger led his brigade of the Corps in the Battle of Chancellorsville. In the summer of 1863, Ruger was in New York, where he helped the suppressing draft riots. Ruger led a group of Corps in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign in which a division of his Corps took part in the campaign against General John’s army in the state of Tennessee. He was appointed a major
