New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-09
OBITUARY.
CEN. /. IL. ROUSsEAU.

scene of some Of the latest Of them yesterday.
Lowell II. Rousseau, Brigadier-General in the Army
of the United States. Major-General of Volunteers,
Brevet MajOr-Genera of Regulars Commander OF
the Department Of the South, died at the headquar
tiers Of his department. in New-Orleans. yesterday,
after brief and painful illness. He Is to DO buried
in that city to-day.
Gen. Rousseau was born in Lincoln County, Ky,
near Logans celebrated station in the year 1870. He
was descended from a HuguenOt family Who fed
from France to America Immediately after the repeal
of the Edct of Nantes. His ancestors for many gen.
eraions have resided in Virginia and formed wide
and honorable connections His father was first
cousin to Gen. William Henry Harrison and he was
related, through his mother 10 the Gaineses aud Fen
dletOns of Virginia. Young Rousseau enjoyed but
limited advantages of education and his schooling
ceased entirely before lie 10 years of age. HIS
father died III 1888, leaving large family OF small
children in straitened circumstances. When about
H. being the oldest of the family at home, he worked
as a day-laborer at maeadamizing on the turnpike
road from Lexington to Lancaster. Being en-
gagged in the study of the French language at
this time, he used TO wrlte out the conlugatlons
of the verb at night, and, spreading the paper
before him he beat rock by day, with stone upon
it to prevent the wind blowing it away, commit the
exercise 10 memory. When he became of age he re-
nquished all his interest in his fathers few negroes
to his sisters. TO prevent their being sold apart:
AbOnt the same time be removed TO the vicinity OF
Louisville, and began the study of law Up to this
time his mind had laid almost perfectly fallow. Ills
reading had comprised only such light works as in
clinatiOn prompted He studied law without aid or
instruction, and never was asked question or had
conversation the subject of his studies until he
went to be examined for license. From March TO
August. 1870 he applied himself assiduously TO the
study of his profession. reading law Il hours, and
history two hours per day. This close application pro-
duccd dangerous illness, which lasted some months:
He arose from his sick bed late IN the Fall of 1870 and
found that he had just s. 20 in the whole world and
no place 10 look for more. He now concluded TO go
to Indiana, thinking he could there combine study
with practice much better than in Kentucky. Hay
ing selected Bloomfield his future location. he
started 10 walk to that p ace To begin the practice
without knowing man in the state. On arriving
there he walked INTO the town with his earthly all
tied up in his cloak. and swung over his shoulder.
He stopped at the principal hotel. and told the land
lord frankly that he had no money but would have
plenty day, and asked If hc could obtain board
ing. The landlord responded IN the affirmative, and
conducted himself so generously then and i'm the fu
ture as to win the lasting gratitude of his new
bOarder. Here lie continued To read laysmtll Feb
ruary. when he applied TO Judge tMcDonald for
license. After long and critical examination, the
Judges decision was, sir. you not lawyer, but
you will make one will give you license, though
YOU do not deserve one" The good Judges assertion
perfectly accurate but his prediction was less
So Rousseau never became a lawyer III the high
sense of tho word although he soon attained quite
respectable success IN the practice OF the profession
In 1874 and lS5 no elected to the Indiana Legis
aure and while there rose to considerable influence
In 1916 he raised company for the Mexican war, and
entered the unfortunate 2d Indiana regiment which
met with such an untoward tate at Buena VISTA
Capt Rousseau, however, Notwithstanding loss
Of IL men ont of 81, kept his company together
and retreated to the rancho where he did good SER
vice when the enemy attacked our wagOn-train, and
was highly complmented by Col. Marshall, in his
report of his operations on that occasion. He was
elected to the Indiana Senate, four days after his
turn from Mexico, by heavy majority in Demo-
cratic district he having always been Wing. He
removed to Louisville in 1S49. before his Senatorial
term had expired; but his constituents would not
permit him to resign, and he confined 10 serve them
for year after having resumed his residence in
his native State. He Immediately took prominent
position at the Louisville bar, strong as it was in
talents and learning. Like nearly if not quite all the
lawyers who have taken conspicuous positions as
successful commanders in the recent war; his forte
was with the jury and in the management of diff
cult cases during the trial There never was more
fearless lawyer, and many the times that
hs courageous defense of the weak er and unpopular
side has exposed him to dangers from which more
prudent members Of the profession sffanss. There
are several instances Of this kind which are memoir
able episodes in the history of the Louisville bar.
His defense of the Joyce negroes for murder was u
striking case OF this character and he bore in his
body 10 the grave the lead received in the profess
siona support of hunted and hawked-at weakness.
II was fact that he was always on the side of any
party who happened to be peculiarly defenseless
and unpopular and it is moro to his honor than all
the aurels he won in the war, that he more than
once, by determined and courageous defense
against every odds vindicated the innocent victim
or popular clamOr
up'to this time Rousseau had been prominent only
as men Of mediocre abilities, with fine presence
courage, and energy may rise to prominence in tho
rough contests of the West. and particularly in
community like that Of Kentucky. The approach
of the war opened to him the field on which ho was
TO win an enduring fame
BY singular fortune no was chosen at the eau
cuses of both the parties in Louisville for their
representative in the State Senate. lie an out
spoken Union man, and was yet as loud rs the
oudest in maintaining the rights of the Southern
States and denouncng the Abolitionists. In fact he
was fair type of the party that traced all our diff
entities to the Joint parenage of Southern Seces-
sionsts and Puritan Abolitionsts" TO his high
honor let MS not fail TO remember that, when the
Union was at last found to be in danger his instnc
LOYALTY rose superior to every prejudice OF pOl-
cal training and every tie of Southern blood. In the
history of that disgraceful Kentucky Legislature
the name of Rousseau stands ont conspicuous
MS that OF HE one prominent man who looked upon
neutrality between the Government and insur-
gents little better than treason Had his counses
prevailed his native State might have been spared
the shame that attaches intellectually TO her history
Kentucky, he was at least able to. prove his own
utle To the name of II hentuckian OF
the 0lden schOol--the school OF which Henry
Clay, rather than Simon Bolivar Buckner
or Ieriah Magofin. is the type. When the Legisla-
ture adjourned he hastened TO Washington and OBJ
tanned authority To raise troops IN Kentucky. But
when he got ready 10 begin putting his recruits into
camp, the leading, men OF the state held a secret
20 encamp on kentucky's soil. Thus was he i'm his
loyalty as once before in his honest poverty com
pCled to turn to the noble State beyond the Falls
and To rendezvous his recruits ut Camp Joe Holt,
Ind. Almost every hand IN Kentucky was raised to
oppose him IN recruiting lie was denounced as n
renegade traitor to his State. n tool of the Abo-
litionists n disgrace 80 Kentucky He often said
aftcrward that the months which he spent at Camp
Holt were the most trying Of his life. But his re-
yenge was not far to seek and II was revenge worthy
of a noble nature Buckner Invaded the State from
which he had trcacherolsy fled little while before
He seized the Nashville road, occupied the Green
River country, entered Bowling Green. crossed Nolin
Creek. took Mullaugls Hill, and threw out his
ulchets to the Ohio River The metropolis Of Ken