| The Ruedger Family |
| The original spelling of the surname was "Ruediger". However, the military misspelled John F. Ruediger's name when he enlisted in the Civil War. If you look for his records, they misspelled it further; he is listed in the Adjutant General's report as John F. Rendgers. According to his son, John, J. F. Ruediger was a properous merchant at the outset of the Civil War. While he was in the Cavalry, however, people who owed him money reniged on their loans. He lost his store, and was forced to move to a farm in Ford County, Illinois, which had been put up as collateral by one of the people to whom he'd loaned money. According to his pension records, he moved from Cook County, Illinios, to Cincinatti, Ohio, before moving to Ford County, Illinois. If he did, it was before 1874, when his son John was born in Ford County. |