Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-10
GENERAL RossER.

the President yesterday sent W the cen-
ate the nomination Of Gen. Thomas l..
Rssser to be postmaster at Charlottes-
Vile, thereby setting aside the recon-
mendaiion OF the patronage committee
and making the appointment purely
personal enc.
The other candidates for the position
were the incumbent of the office, Post
master w. g. -Saltesmanformerly of New
York, who was appointed originally
upon recommendation of Representative
J. S. Sherman, OF New York--and @. w.
Hulfsb, of Charlottesville. Mr. Saltes.
man was recommended by Mr.. Slemp,
the only republican Representative from
Virginia, and by Representative Sher-
mao. Mr. Hulfish was Endorsed as the
candidate of the patronage committee OF
the congressional district in which
Charlottesville is located.
A peculiar phase Of the case is that
General Rosser, who is the personal
selection of the President, also Endorsed
Postmaster Statesman for reappointment
and was very anxious to have the Presi-
dent appoint the latter. The President
has known General ROsser for some
time and admires him greatly. He has
been DESTROYS Of giving him federal
appointment in Virginia, and when
he suggested the Charlottesville post
mastership to General Rosser the lat
ter was averse to accepting, because he
had Endorsed Mr.. Statesman for reappoiut-
ment. General Rosser has been DESTROYS,
il is SSH, Of succeeding Asa Rogers as
Collector for the Eastern District of Vir-
ginia. After conference with Mr.. Rog-
ers il was iutimated that the President
preferred not to disturb his incumbency
rs Collector for the present. aud that be
was particularly DESTROYS of following his
original intention of appointing General
Rosser postmaster at Charlottesville.
Colonel Slemp knew ofthe Presidents
desire to make personal appointment at
Charlottesville and consented to stand
aside, but several days ago General Rosser
was quoted as having said he would not
accept the postmastership even if he were
appointed. Representative Sherman, of
New York, who has been urging the can
didacy of Postmaster Statesman, knowing
the Presidents general policy with re-
spect to federal appointments in Virginia
ia be to follow the recommendations OF
the patronage committees recently Sc
lected for the 10 congressional districts
of Virginia, urged the President not to
follow this policy with respect to the
Charlottesville position and asked him to
investigate the merits Of the respective
candidates before forming judgment.
The President frankly told Mr.
Sherman that, aside from a few
cases where he desired to make
personal appointments the will of
the patronage committees would be
carried out unless conditions warranted
independents action. The President was
aware that General ROsser had said he
would not accept the postmastershiP, but
decided to send in the nomination any
how.
General Resser is distinguished ex-
Confederate soldier and retired civil
engineer and lives on his splendid
estate Just outside of Charlottesville.
He is in his sixty-ninth year and enter
ed West Point in 1856. He WAS in the
class of 1861, and when it was ordered
into the army at the time that Fort
Sumter was fred on he resigned and
went to Montgomery, Ala, whore he re-
csivod an appointment as first lieutenant
ofartillery in the Confederate army. Soon
sfterward he became captain of Com
pany d of the Washington Artillery, Of
New Orleans. He was severely wounded
at Mechanicyille, Va, in 1862, and was
wounded in battle three other times
during the war. He was promoted to a
lieutenant. colonelcy Of artillery and a
few days later was made colonel Of the
Fifth Virginia Calvary in the brigade of
j. E. B. Stuart. He became brigadier-
general of calvary in 1868 and in the
following year was made major-general
of calvary. General Rosser served in
all the campaigns of the Army of
Northern Virginia and refused to sur
render with Lee at Appomattoy, but
through the lines and escaped.
While endeavoring to reorganiEe the
scattered troops of the army after the
surrender he was captured and made a
prisoner Of war. During the civil war
General Rosser married Betty B. Win
ston, of Hanover county, Virginia.
After the war he studied law, but did
not enter the profession. He was one
Of the superintendent Of the National
Express Company under Gen. Joseph E.
Johnston. He was chief engineer of the
Northern and Canadian Pacific Railways
from 1870 until 1886, when he retired
to his estate in Virginia. He was APP
pointed brigadier-genersl Of United
States volunteers in June, 1898, and
commanded the Third Brigade of the
Second Division ofthe First Army Corps
in Cuba during the war with Spain,
where he was thrown in contact ire
quently with Mr.. Roosevelt, who was
then a colonel of Rough Riders.
WAR IN THE EAST.
The Russian grand ducal party is
reported to have reached the conclusion