Thomas L. Rosser
Thomas Lafayette "Tex" Rosser (October 15, 1836 – March 29, 1910) was a
Early life and career
Rosser was born on a farm called "Catalpa Hill", in Campbell County, Virginia, the son of John and Martha Melvina (Johnson) Rosser. In 1849, the family relocated to a 640-acre (2.6 km2) farm in Panola County, Texas, some forty miles west of Shreveport, Louisiana. The 13-year-old Tom Rosser led the wagon train bearing his mother and younger siblings westward, as business considerations compelled his father to remain in Virginia for a short time. Texas Congressman Lemuel D. Evans appointed Rosser to the United States Military Academy in 1856. However, Rosser did not complete the required five-year course of study, as Rosser, a supporter of Texas secession, resigned when Texas left the Union on April 22, 1861, two weeks before the scheduled graduation. Rosser traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, to enlist in the Confederate States Army. Thomas Rosser's roommate at the academy, George Armstrong Custer was a close friend and despite being on opposing sides this friendship continued both during and after the Civil War ended. He was known for his "hit and run" raids.
Civil War
He commanded the advance of
He was again badly wounded at the
Rosser was yet again wounded at
Dear Fanny,
You may have made me take a few steps back today, but I will be even with you tomorrow. Please accept my good wishes and this little gift—a pair of your draws captured at Trevillian Station.
Tex,
Custer shipped Rosser's gold-laced Confederate grey coat to his wife with a reply.
Dear friend,
Thanks for setting me up in so many new things, but would you please direct your tailor to make the coat tails of your next uniform a trifle shorter.
Best regards,G.A.C.
Rosser became known in the Southern press as the "Saviour of the Valley," and was promoted to
Rosser commanded a cavalry division during the Siege of Petersburg in the spring, fighting near Five Forks. It was here that Rosser hosted the "infamous" shad bake (fish feast) 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the battle lines preceding and during the primary Federal assault. Guests at this small affair included George Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee. Shelby Foote states that "Pickett only made it back to his division after over half his troops had been shot or captured..". It is said that Lee never forgave Pickett for his absence from his post when the Federals broke the Confederate lines and carried the day at Five Forks.
Rosser was conspicuous during the
Postbellum activities
Rosser was superintendent of the National Express Company, working for fellow ex-Confederate general
Rosser engaged in efforts to honor the Confederacy after the war. He worked to have Confederate monuments constructed despite having been explicitly discouraged from doing so in a now famous 1866 personal letter from Robert E. Lee.[4] When Custer was defeated at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Rosser wrote an article in the Chicago Tribune placing the blame on Custer's subordinates. Rosser later retracted his claims when Major Reno threatened a lawsuit.[5]
In 1886, he bought a plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia, and became a gentleman farmer. On June 10, 1898, President William McKinley appointed Rosser a brigadier general of United States volunteers during the Spanish–American War. His first task was training young cavalry recruits in a camp near the old Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga in northern Georgia. He was honorably discharged on October 31, 1898, and returned home. He died at Charlottesville and is buried at Riverview Cemetery, Charlottesville. Biographers describe Rosser as a man driven by a desire for financial gain, and a person who could be “arrogant, aggressive, racist, and proud to a fault.”[6]
Rosser Avenue in Brandon, Manitoba is named in his honor, as well as the village and Rural Municipality of Rosser near Winnipeg.[7] There is also a Rosser Avenue in Bismarck, North Dakota. This was platted before Custer's arrival in the area, and so likely is related to Rosser's time with the railroad (Northern Pacific) rather than his friendship with Custer, or his military career. There is also a Rosser Avenue in Waynesboro, Virginia. In Charlottesville, Virginia there are both Rosser Avenue and Rosser Lane.
See also
References
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
- Rosser, Major Thomas L. and Keller, S. Roger (editor), Riding with Rosser: Memoirs of Gen. Thomas L. Rosser, C.S.A., Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Burd Street Press, 1997. ISBN 1-57249-066-7
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
- ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.
- Manitoba Historical Society: Thomas Lafayette Rosser (1836-1910)
Notes
- ^ Snell, Mark A., West Virginia and the Civil War, History Press, 2011, pg. 167
- ^ Cruise, David; Griffiths, Alison (1988). Lords of the Line. Viking. p. 129.
- ^ Berton, Pierre (2001). The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885. Anchor Canada. p. 113.
- ^ "Sender: Robert E. Lee, Recipient: Thomas L. Rosser". Lee Family Digital Archive: Papers of the Lee Family. December 13, 1866. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ Rosser, Thomas (July 8, 1876). "A Word for Custer". Chicago Tribune. p. 5. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ Beane, T.O. (1957). Thomas Lafayette Rosser, soldier, railroad builder, politician, businessman (1836-1910). University of Virginia, M.A. Thesis. p. 23.
- ^ "Memorable Manitobans: Thomas Lafayette Rosser (1836-1910)".