Tag: LeDuc (William G.)

On Gen. Hooker’s staff.

Wikipedia says: William Gates LeDuc (March 29, 1823 – October 30, 1917) was an American politician from Minnesota who served as the fourth United States Commissioner of Agriculture from July 1, 1877, to 1881. He also served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was a prominent figure in the early development of Minnesota.

…LeDuc served in the American Civil War beginning in 1862, when he was made a lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. He aided George McClellan during the peninsular campaign. His service in building corduroy roads in the retreat before the Seven Days Battles was credited by the Minnesota Historical Society as having helped save “a considerable portion of the artillery”. LeDuc continued to serve in the Army of the Potomac until after the Battle of Gettysburg, when he was transferred to the Western Army. In the Western Army, LeDuc was involved in the Chattanooga campaign, initially in command of the supplies at Bridgeport, Alabama. However, he soon realized that it would be difficult to efficiently transport supplies and organized the construction of a steamboat to transport supplies up the Tennessee River.

LeDuc also was present during the Atlanta campaign and the battle and capture of Atlanta. He was responsible for evacuating people from the city while Sherman razed it. He was then temporarily attached to the staff of George Henry Thomas and repaired a bridge during the Battle of Franklin. During the Battle of Nashville he accompanied John Schofield. When the Civil War ended in 1865, LeDuc was discharged at the rank of brevet brigadier general and returned to Hastings.