Born in Wurtemberg,
Germany, September 21st, 1847. Came to the
United States in the early winter of 1852 and
settled in Jerome Township, Union County. Ohio.
Attended the common schools of Jerome Township
and from Septem-
John H.
Robinson
32nd O. V. I. |
Samuel H.
Robinson
40th O. V. I. |
Delmore Robinson
66th O. V. I. |
Sergeant Chester L. Robinson
129th O. V. I. |
Heber
Woodburn
187th O. V. I. |
Sergeant
Andrew J. Smith
96th O. V. I. |
David H. Woodburn
96th O. V. I. |
Dunallen M. Woodburn
Drum Major,
47th U. S. C. T. |
Pg. 169 -
ber, 1863, to June, 1866, the Central High
School of Columbus, Ohio, from which he was
graduated in June, 1866.
He then entered the law office of Mr. James W. Robinson
in Marysville, Ohio, as a student, in the summer
of 1867. Entered the United States
Military Academy at West Point, New York, under
an appointment received through Hon. John
Beatty, M. C, in June, 1868, and was
graduated at that institution number 16 in a
class of 56 members, June, 14th, 1872.
He was appointed Second Lieutenant in the I7th U. S.
Infantry and joined his company, which was then
stationed at the Cheyenne River Indian Agency,
on the Missouri River in South Dakota.
Served at that post on the Indian frontier among
the Sioux and Minnecoujoix Indians until the
spring of 1877, when he was detached from his
command and sent with an expedition to the
junction of the Big Horn and Little Big Horn
Rivers in Montana, where he served as
quartermaster in charge of the construction of
the military post, Fort Custer, remaining on
that duty until June, 1878, when he was
transferred to the Black Hill country in South
Dakota and as quartermaster had charge of the
construction of the military post, Fort Meade,
near Deadwood, South Dakota, until the spring of
1879, when he again joined his company at Fort
Sisseton, Minnesota, and remained with it until
June, 1881, when he was appointed Professor of
Military Science and Tactics at the Ohio State
University at Columbus, Ohio, at which place he
served until July, 1884.
Returned to duty with his company, then stationed at
Fort Totten, North Dakota, in September, 1884,
and went with the company to Fort D. A. Russell,
near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Appointed
Adjutant of the 17th Infantry in September,
1889, and transferred to the Quartermaster's
Department as Captain and Assistant
Quartermaster, in August, 1890. As
Quartermaster he took part in the Pine Ridge
Indian uprising and campaign from December.
1890, to February, 1891. Was transferred
in the spring of 1891 to El Paso, Texas, to take
charge of construction of the new post. Fort
Bliss. Transferred to Detroit. Mich., for
construction work at Fort Wayne,
Pg. 170 -
thence to Fort Riley, Kansas, and from there, in
the winter of 1897-98, to Southeastern Alaska,
as Quartermaster of the Alaska Relief
Expedition.
At the outbreak of the Spanish war, in the spring of
1898, Captain Ruehlen was at Dyea,
Alaska, and in May, 1898, was sent to San
Francisco, Cal., where he was assigned to duty
in connection with the preparation of transports
carrying troops and supplies to the Philippine
Islands. Was transferred to Honolulu,
Hawaii, in August, 1898, as Depot Quartermaster
and in charge of the transport service there,
where he remained until September, 1900, when he
was sent to Seattle, Washington, for duty as
Depot Quartermaster there. On duty in the
office of the Quartermaster General in
Washington, D. C, in charge of the Department of
Construction and Repair, from March, 1902, to
May, 1908, Depot Quartermaster at
Jeffersonville, Ind., May, 1908, to May, 1909.
In the Quartermaster General's office,
Washington. D. C, from May, 1909, to June, 1911.
Retired from active service, having reached the limit
of age established by law, in September, 1911.
His successive promotions in the Regular Army were:
Second Lieutenant, 17th Infantry, June 14th.
1872; First Lieutenant, 17th Infantry,
September, 1876; Captain-Assistant
Quartermaster, August, 1890; Major and
Quartermaster, January, 1900; Lieutenant
Colonel, August, 1903; Colonel and Assistant
Quartermaster General. February, 1908. |