MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM STARKE ROSECRANS
Item #: CWB7744
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Rosecrans, William S., major-general, was born at
Kingston, Ohio, Sept. 6, 1819, and was graduated fifth in the
class of 1842, at the West Point military academy. He entered
the U. S. engineer corps, as second lieutenant by brevet,
serving for a year in the construction of fortifications at
Hampton Roads, Va. He was assistant professor of natural and
experimental philosophy, and then of engineering, for four
years, at the U. S. military academy. He was next the
superintending engineer at Fort Adams, Newport, R. I., and of
several surveys in eastern New England, and at the Washington
navy yard, until April 1, 1854. Having attained the rank of
first lieutenant, he resigned from the army and began business
life at Cincinnati, Ohio, as civil engineer and architect.
From 1855 to 1860 he was in charge of the Cannel coal company
in western Virginia, and in 1856 became the president of the
Coal river navigation company. In 1857 he organized the
Preston coal oil company for the manufacture of kerosene. At
the beginning of the Civil war he entered the service as
colonel of the 23d regiment U. S. Ohio volunteer infantry.
Within a month he was made brigadier-general in the U. S.
regular army, and ordered to accompany Gen. George B.
McClellan to West Virginia, where he commanded a provisional
brigade of three-months' volunteers until July 23, 1861, when
he succeeded Gen. McClellan in command of the Department of
the Ohio. In September, when the Confederates, Floyd and
Wise, sought to get possession of the Great Kanawha valley,
Gen. Rosecrans marched 110 miles, defeated Floyd at Carnifix
ferry and ultimately compelled their retreat through the
mountains to Dublin, on the Southwestern Virginia & Tennessee
railway. He received, shortly after, resolutions unanimously
framed by the legislatures of West Virginia and Ohio, thanking
him for his successful military operations and civil
administration. In April, 1862, he received the command of
Paine's and Stanley's divisions of the Mississippi army, and
took part in the siege of Corinth. With two divisions of the
Army of the Mississippi, on Sept. 19, he fought and won the
battle of Iuka, against the forces of Gen. Price, and on Oct.
3 and 4, with the remnants of those two divisions, and
McKean's and Davis's, he also routed the forces of Price and
Van Dorn at the battle of Corinth, and pursued them until he
was recalled by Gen. Grant. On Oct. 30 he assumed command of
the Department of the Cumberland, and on Dec. 31, following,
the sanguinary battle of Stone's river began. It was fought
on that day and on Jan. 1 and 2, 1863, and it ended with the
retreat of the Confederates along the line of Duck river. In
view of this victory the U. S. congress unanimously passed a
joint resolution of thanks, as did the legislatures of Ohio
and Indiana. On June 23 Gen. Rosecrans began his next
movement, drove the Confederates out of their camps at
Shelbyville and Tullahoma, and in fifteen days forced them to
retreat to the south side of the Tennessee river, with
headquarters at Chattanooga. Demonstrations toward Decatur,
Ala., deceived Bragg, and Rosecrans crossed the Tennessee,
threatened Bragg's communication with Atlanta, and compelled
him to withdraw from Chattanooga to Lafayette. Rosecrans then
got between Bragg and Chattanooga, concentrated his forces on
the roads leading to Chattanooga, and after the sanguinary
battle of Chickamauga held possession of the roads, and on
Sept. 21 took and held possession of Chattanooga. On Jan. 27,
1864, he was placed in command of the Department of the
Missouri, and although previous commanders had encountered
insuperable obstacles in administration, in the face of these
difficulties he so managed and concluded a campaign against
the Confederate Gen. Price, that his army was defeated and
driven out of the state. On Dec. 1O, 1864, he was placed on
waiting orders at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was mustered out of
the U. S. volunteer service, Jan. 15, 1866. He resigned from
the U. S. regular army, March 28, 1867, having been brevetted
major-general, U. S. A., on March 13, 1865, for gallant and
distinguished services at the battle of Stone's river, Tenn.
In the year 1868 Gen. Rosecrans was appointed U. S. minister
to Mexico, and reached that country in November. In 1880 he
was elected to the U. S. house of representatives from the
state of California, and served until March 4, 1885. In June,
1885, he was appointed register of the U. S. treasury, at
Washington, D. C., which office he held until 1893. On Feb.
27, 1889, by act of Congress he was re-appointed brigadier-
general, U. S. army, and was placed on the retired list on
March 2, following. Gen. Rosecrans died on March 11, 1898.
Kingston, Ohio, Sept. 6, 1819, and was graduated fifth in the
class of 1842, at the West Point military academy. He entered
the U. S. engineer corps, as second lieutenant by brevet,
serving for a year in the construction of fortifications at
Hampton Roads, Va. He was assistant professor of natural and
experimental philosophy, and then of engineering, for four
years, at the U. S. military academy. He was next the
superintending engineer at Fort Adams, Newport, R. I., and of
several surveys in eastern New England, and at the Washington
navy yard, until April 1, 1854. Having attained the rank of
first lieutenant, he resigned from the army and began business
life at Cincinnati, Ohio, as civil engineer and architect.
From 1855 to 1860 he was in charge of the Cannel coal company
in western Virginia, and in 1856 became the president of the
Coal river navigation company. In 1857 he organized the
Preston coal oil company for the manufacture of kerosene. At
the beginning of the Civil war he entered the service as
colonel of the 23d regiment U. S. Ohio volunteer infantry.
Within a month he was made brigadier-general in the U. S.
regular army, and ordered to accompany Gen. George B.
McClellan to West Virginia, where he commanded a provisional
brigade of three-months' volunteers until July 23, 1861, when
he succeeded Gen. McClellan in command of the Department of
the Ohio. In September, when the Confederates, Floyd and
Wise, sought to get possession of the Great Kanawha valley,
Gen. Rosecrans marched 110 miles, defeated Floyd at Carnifix
ferry and ultimately compelled their retreat through the
mountains to Dublin, on the Southwestern Virginia & Tennessee
railway. He received, shortly after, resolutions unanimously
framed by the legislatures of West Virginia and Ohio, thanking
him for his successful military operations and civil
administration. In April, 1862, he received the command of
Paine's and Stanley's divisions of the Mississippi army, and
took part in the siege of Corinth. With two divisions of the
Army of the Mississippi, on Sept. 19, he fought and won the
battle of Iuka, against the forces of Gen. Price, and on Oct.
3 and 4, with the remnants of those two divisions, and
McKean's and Davis's, he also routed the forces of Price and
Van Dorn at the battle of Corinth, and pursued them until he
was recalled by Gen. Grant. On Oct. 30 he assumed command of
the Department of the Cumberland, and on Dec. 31, following,
the sanguinary battle of Stone's river began. It was fought
on that day and on Jan. 1 and 2, 1863, and it ended with the
retreat of the Confederates along the line of Duck river. In
view of this victory the U. S. congress unanimously passed a
joint resolution of thanks, as did the legislatures of Ohio
and Indiana. On June 23 Gen. Rosecrans began his next
movement, drove the Confederates out of their camps at
Shelbyville and Tullahoma, and in fifteen days forced them to
retreat to the south side of the Tennessee river, with
headquarters at Chattanooga. Demonstrations toward Decatur,
Ala., deceived Bragg, and Rosecrans crossed the Tennessee,
threatened Bragg's communication with Atlanta, and compelled
him to withdraw from Chattanooga to Lafayette. Rosecrans then
got between Bragg and Chattanooga, concentrated his forces on
the roads leading to Chattanooga, and after the sanguinary
battle of Chickamauga held possession of the roads, and on
Sept. 21 took and held possession of Chattanooga. On Jan. 27,
1864, he was placed in command of the Department of the
Missouri, and although previous commanders had encountered
insuperable obstacles in administration, in the face of these
difficulties he so managed and concluded a campaign against
the Confederate Gen. Price, that his army was defeated and
driven out of the state. On Dec. 1O, 1864, he was placed on
waiting orders at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was mustered out of
the U. S. volunteer service, Jan. 15, 1866. He resigned from
the U. S. regular army, March 28, 1867, having been brevetted
major-general, U. S. A., on March 13, 1865, for gallant and
distinguished services at the battle of Stone's river, Tenn.
In the year 1868 Gen. Rosecrans was appointed U. S. minister
to Mexico, and reached that country in November. In 1880 he
was elected to the U. S. house of representatives from the
state of California, and served until March 4, 1885. In June,
1885, he was appointed register of the U. S. treasury, at
Washington, D. C., which office he held until 1893. On Feb.
27, 1889, by act of Congress he was re-appointed brigadier-
general, U. S. army, and was placed on the retired list on
March 2, following. Gen. Rosecrans died on March 11, 1898.
Shipping Weight:
0.75 lb
Item # CWB7744
$125.00 USD