Solon Zachariah Ruff

In 1860 he was a 30 year old mathematics teacher (probably at the Georgia Military Institute) in Marietta, GA. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment on it's organization, ranking from 25 April 1861.

He was in command of the Regiment on the Maryland Campaign of 1862, as Colonel Wofford was commanding the Brigade.

He was elected Colonel on 23 April 1863 (to rank from 17 January 1863) after the promotion of Brigadier General Wofford. He was killed in the assault on Fort Sanders at Knoxville, TN on 29 November 1863.

His photograph above courtesy of great-great granddaughter Lucile Woods Hardwick Lind, from a family collection. Basic service data is from Folsom, James M., Heroes and Martyrs of Georgia, 1864 and Henderson, Lillian, Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865, compiled 1959-64, published in 1984 by the Georgia Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1860. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

His burial location near Knoxville was documented in the diary of Assistant Surgeon Robert Pooler Myers (16th Georgia Infantry), now in the Eleanor S. Brockenbrough Library, the American Civil War Museum. Myers was present at Colonel Ruff's burial, and marked the location; thanks to Ron Jones for the pointer to that information.

Family genealogists disagree on his birth year - being either 1830 or 1837 - and his middle name, some having it as Zachery or Zackary.

He married Susan Lucille Varner (c. 1838-1859) in 1857 and they had a son Matthew Varner Ruff (1858-1928). He married again, Irene Elizabeth Arnold (1840-1904) in Morgan County, GA on 17 May 1860, and they had two children.

1830; Smyrna, GA

11/29/1863; Knoxville, TN; burial in Henry Lonas Cemetery, Knox County, TN