The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-04
= - 49,
"ROUSSEAU OR RABBIT
The Origin Of Story Which Once
Became Politically Famous.

The Origin Of Story Which once
Became Politically Famous.
"We are not in Murfreesboro, in
quarters" said Gen. Rosecrans, "and
one evening glee club OF splendid
singers came over from Sheridan's
division and gave us a serenade
| hustled my staff and servants
around andgot up a pretty nice lunch
con in the big dining-room of the bar
racks, and most of my division and
brigade commanders were there as
my guests.
"All of my division commanders
then were very popular with their
men-McCook, Crittenden, sheriden,
Rousseau and Negley, but most of all
was Rousseau rode through the camps,
whether of his own or other divisions,
he was cheered to the skies by the men,
and would almost invariably make
them happy speech that raised more
cheers. "
'"That night of the serenade and
lunch, Gen. jeff C. Davis now
sat at my table almost opposite
Rousseau is gone, too, Davis
spoke up and said: Rousseau, I've
got a joke on you, I won't tell it un-
less you promise beforehand not to 90
off the handle; you are apt to do that
on short order
"Amid the laughter at the SALLY,
Davis went on: A day or two ago T
was IN my quarters, busy on report,
When heard an awful row among the
troops camped near. It was SO pro-
longed that I fancied that a lot of
prisoners had been captured and
brought in, and sent Captain Davis,
my aide-de-camp, out to see what the
commotlon was about.
"Pretty soon he returned and re-
ported that he couldn't find out what
1t was all about. The troops were
wild over something, and it must be
either General Rousseau or rabbit"
"Any old soldier who has ever wit
messed the commOtion in camp &C.
casioned by the discovery of rabbit
will understand the situation and the
joke. We all laughed heartily, and
ROsseau as we'll as the rest.
"That is the way the Rosseau and
rabbit story originated, but in some
strange fashion it has fastened to me
as it's originator.
Rousseau heard from that story
afterward in a way that became his
torlcal. There was a representative
In Congress from Iowa named Grinnell,
who had conceived an intense dislike
to Gen. Rousseau, and who had heard
the Rousseau aud rabbit story with
out understanding it.
'"Ihese two were in Congress togeth-
er IN 1866, and one day, in a bitter
partisan speech, Grinnell, a. diminu-
tive man physically, contemptuously
referred to Gen. Rousseau as the man
that soldiers in the field could never
distinguish from rabbit.
"That was twisting things around
with such vengeance that Gen. Rous-
seau, who was of herculean build and
deeply imbued with the Kentucky
idea that a man of fragile physique
had an equal show on the field OF hon
or with another of larger build, took
occasion to overhaul Mr.. Grinnell
just at the east door of the rotunda
and pinched his ear, remarking at the
same time that the gentleman from
Iowa knew the address of the gentle
man from Kentucky.
''Mr. Grinnell did not align his life
on the rules of the code of honor, but
went back to the House of Represent
tatives, still in session, and laid the
facts OF the assault and the reason
thereof-words spoken in debate-be-
fore his conferees.
General Rousseau promptly tele-
graphed the Governor of Kentucky
his resignation as Representative in
Congress from the Louisville district,
and notified Speaker Colfax of the
fact. It was the first time the tele-
graph had been used in such case, and
the question was raised the next morn
ing when the resolution to expel came
up, but Mr.. Colfax held that General
Rosseau was no longer member OF
the House, and the resolution was
out of order
"And all that came about from Gen
eral Davis story of Rosseau or a rab.
bit. "-Washington Post.