The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-06
General ROsser.

The appointment OF Thomas Il. Ros-
ser to brigadier generalship in the
army is edited to President McKin-
ley's personal account. Some excel
lent stories have been published about
Tom, but as a rule they are not his
torically correct. He was four years
at West Point, graduating in 1861 in
the class that produced George Arm
strong Custer, Orville E. BabcocB, Da-
vid II. Buell., Judson Fitzpatrick and
Emory Upton. He and Custer we're
room mates. The latter was known
among the cadets as "Fanny," on &C.
count of bis fnicky ways. He had the
soft manners of giil and was excess
sively womanish in matters of dress.
When the war broke out, Custer,
who came from Ohio, remained with
the Northern army, while Rosser, ma
tive of North Carolina, joined the Con-
federacy. All through the long con-
nict they were doing their utmost to
capture each other. An unlimited cor
respondence, with human lives for
postage, was kept up. | mean by this
that it was at the expense OF numerous
brave soldiers that Toms hopes were
pressed and "Fanny's" desires urged
forward. Their missives would be in
teresting reading now. Toms love
notes and "Fanny's" billets-doux, in
return, were sent through the lines in
the face of desperate chances.
Custer commanded the crack cavalry
force of the Army of the Potomac, and
Rosser, when he succeeded to Ashby's
command, after the battle of Cross
KEYS, had the finest body of troopers
| -. Of Nartharn Viroinia
One day a Confederate officer cried out,
"There's Custerl" "Where2" asked
Rosser; and when the man had pointed
out group Of Yankees in road, half
a mile off, the General spurred forward
at gallop, dashed into the midst of
them, and, selling an imitation Custer
by the throat, jerked him off his horse.
Many young men in his command
dressed like Custer, whom they great
ly admired, and Rosser's disgust was
deep at finding only his former room
mates double.
His fortunes being at low ebb after
the war, Rosser travelled into the
boundless West in search of liveli-
hood, meeting with numerous adven-
lures. When Gutter discovered him,
in the early seventies, he was chain
man on the Northern Pacific railroad
at S35 month. Think of this for a
man whose commission as lieutenant
general had been signed few days
before the surrender at Appomattoy.
The meeting was affecting enough,
Tom dropping tear or two and Fan
ny" actually boohooing with happiness.
Custer and his cavalry were keeping
the Sioux Indians from scalping the
engineering corps, and for old times
sake Rosser's name was Immediately
placed on the army payroll.
When the War Department heard of
the ex Confederate's excellent fortune
the matter was laid before President
Grant, and in the politics of the army
80 strong pressure was brought to bear
that Custer was ordered to take his
friend off the roll. He wrote to Wash
ington: 81 will drop Rosser from the
payroll, but he shall remain with me
and will pay him out of my own peck
et." The effort TO ruin Custer result
ed in his suspension for time, and he
felt the Disgrace of this keenly when
he led his expedition against the Sioux
in 1876. He begged Rosser to go to
his aid, but the latter held back, saying
"Fanny, old fellow, refuse, not be-
cause don't want to go, but because
have already caused you too much
trouble" History tells the rest. Gus
ter and his whole force were lost at the
Little Big Horn.
Rosser rose to be division engineer
on the Northern Pacific, and, wher
forced out by some internal dissension
remained in possession of profile thai
was necessity to the company. Wher
efforts were made to deprive him Of
this he remarked: "The profile is my
own; ii you want it you must come t.
my terms" Some say that he sold it fol-
$3.50, 900; others for 5000, 900. At any
rate, he built $4,000 house in Mil
waukee, where he lived for while
with his wife; but her health failing
he removed to Charlottesville, Va.
where his home now is. He has beer
trying to 60 to Congress for man!
years, but was too early in the field o
Populism and got bad start.-Nev
/ York Press.