FORTUNES OF WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 82, 5 March 1884, Page 3

FORTUNES OF WAR.

The termination of the American Civil War left several of its best generals stranded high, and dry on the; shore of jteace, and many were the! vicissitudes some of them had to submit to. the Washington itevald relatesthe following story of General T. L. Rosser, of Confederate cavalry fame; during 1 the war : — " He di ifted out to Minnesota, and got a position ou the Northern Pacific, m the humble capacity of section boss. One day General; ;Custer, : then lieutenant-colonel 7th! "Cavalry, 'was riding along 1 where 1 the: work v waS m, progress. He noticed among. . the overseers ; of the various gangs l of workmen a man who attracted his attention. "Gad,' said Ouster to 'an officer with him, v rUb(* — -' Cthe opposite to blessed) 'if .that doift look mighty like Tom Rosser^who was with me at West Point, and vrho afterwards fought me Hke the devil m yirginia; lam going to 'see. 1 ,So Caster rode up where Rosser was, and, after looking at him fera'muiute or two, said :"' Isn't, y'ouf "name Rosser ?'' Rosser looked pp and saw' who it wasi * Why, Custer, how are you V Thus they met alter twelve years' of' separation. ; Finding, what Rosser, was doing, Custer with that generous spirit that was part of him; Went; to the'chieif engineer of the liiae : and said : " , ' There is a man named Rosser , under you as 1 a consla'uctibn Ppss^' 1 , answered the engineer, 'trad " one of the best I ever haJ. /,f Anything wrong about him ?' ' 'No,' replied Custer, 'but he was at West Point with me, and afterwards a majorgeneral of Confederate cavalry, and I want you to give him something better than, the work he is doing.' 'Why* I have been looking for just .such a' man;' Maid the engineer. 'I never dreamed that my section boss h^id hseh 'a 'general.' So Custer sent for RoSaer, introduced him to Colonel W-'Mitner) i^bbeijts, thjenthe chief engineer of the /linej, and Colonel Roberts made Rosser second m command, at a salary of ,£,OOQ dols.^, a year, and when six months la ter r Colonel Roberts' resigned his position to go to Brazil, oh his recommendation Rosser was made chief engineer, which he retained until work on the road was stopped."