The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1891-06-18
"RoUSSEAU OR A RABBIT"

Gen. R"srcrans' story of the Origin of n
pucc Famous Remark.
E'Nr. William :. RoSccrans. the rcris-
Yer Of the treasury and brigadicr-gcn-
rral ON the retired list of the regular
army. has fully recovered from his re-
cent severe wrcstlc with the grip and
has resumed his official labOrs. When
You want a good story get hold of the
former commander Of the Army of the
Cumberland When he is IN 'rcminis-
cent luood
Every one has heard the story of a
crmmutiun in camp as being either
Cen Rousseau or Il rabbit" and most
readers who know of the story have
heard ii charged to Gen. Rosccrans. lie
was asked the other day how he came
to make the rcmark and he said:
"lhc fact is never made the remark,
lut the saying came about one evening
nj ny headquarters.
I'VE were ut M~urirccshoro. in quar-
tiers, and one evening Il glrc club of
splendid singers came over from Shcri-
dams division and gave us a screnadc.
! hustled my stan and servants around
ana got mp u pretty nice lunch in the
big dining room of the barracks. and
most of my division and brigade com
maudcrS were there Us my guests.
".All Of my division commanders then
were very popular with their mcn-Mc-
Cook, trittondcu. sheridan. Stanley.
Rousseau. and Ncglcy: hut most of all
was Rousseau. Whenever Gen. Rou~-
Scau rode througl fine ,ainps, whether
OF ms oiNn ~ u'",F' l,I,iru~. nr was
c@llecrcd to the Skies by the mon, and
would almost invariably make them n
happy speech that raised moro cheers.
That night of the scrcnade and
lunch, Gen. Jeff. c. Davis-drad now
sat at my table almost opposite Rous-
sean h IS gone too Davis spoke up
and said; 'Euu>srau, I've got II dcvilish
good Joke on You, but ! won't tell it I'M
less You will promise beforehand not to
60 Of the handle: you know you are
apt to do that on short order
amid the laughter cf the sally, Da-
Wis went on: a day or two ago | was
in my quarters busy on a report, when
! heard an awful row among the troops
cainped near 1t vas SO prolonged that
| fancird a lot of prisoners had been
captured and brought in, and sent Capt.
Davis, my aid-de-camp. out to see what
the cOmmOtion was about
Pretty soOn he returned and report
ed that he couldn't find out what it was
all about. The troops were wild over
something, and it must be either Gen.
Rousseau or a rabbit
Any old soldier who has ever wit
messed the colnmotion in camp occa.
stoned by the discovery of a rabbit will
understand the situation and the joke.
We all laughed heartily, and Rousseau
as well as the rest.
That is the way the Rousseau and
rabbit story originated, but in some
strange fashion it has fastened to me as
its originator.
Rousseau heard from that story af-
tcrward in a way that became historic
al There was n representative in con-
gr"ss from Iowa named Grinnell, who
had conceived an intense dislike to
Gen. Rousseau and who had heard the
Rousseau and rabbit story, withou,
understanding it.
These two were in congress together
80 'r' "''' NV 'hN Va u 'ihNNi pa ohi
speech Grinncll, a diminutive man ply
sically, contemptuously referred tc
Gen. Rousseau as the man that soldiers
in the field could never distinguish from
a rabbit,
THAT was twisting things around
with such a vengeance that Gen. Rous
scau, who was of hurculean build, anC
deeply imbued with the Kentucky idea
that a man of fragile physique had ar
equal show on the field of honor with
another of larger build, took occasion
to overhaul Mr.. Grinnell just at the
east door of the rotunda and pinched hi;
ear, remarliing at the same time thai
the gentleman from Iowa knew thu
address of the gentleman from Ken
lucky.
"Mr. Grinnell did not align his lif,
on the rules of the code of honor, bu
went back to the house of representa-
tives, still in session, and laid the fact
of the assault and the reason therefor