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EOUSSEAU, LOVELL H. 



churches had been examined, and at one time 

 it was almost decided to try a hall in the distant 

 Quirinal Palace. But, before doing so, the 

 architect tried other plans in the council-hall 

 itself, and finally succeeded in remedying the 

 evils complained of, so as to enable the Council 

 to open the discussion on the appointed day. 

 The presiding cardinal announced that the dis- 

 cussion on the first schema, would now com- 

 mence, and that fourteen prelates had already 

 given notice of their intention to speak. Seven 

 spoke that day, among whom were Cardinal 

 Kansder, of Vienna, Archbishop Kenrick, of 

 St. Louis, and Archbishop Connolly, of Hali- 

 fax. The discussion was continued on Decem- 

 ber 29th, on January 3d, 4th, 8th, and llth; 

 thirty-five speakers, in all, addressing the 

 Council. 



KOUSSEAU, LOVELL H., Brigadier-General 

 U. S. A., and late Major- General of Volunteers, 

 a lawyer, patriot, soldier, and political leader 

 of Kentucky, born in Lincoln County, Ky., in 

 August, 1818; died in New Orleans, La., Jan- 

 uary 7, 1869. He enjoyed but limited advan- 

 tages of education, and his schooling ceased 

 entirely before he was ten years of age. His 

 father died in 1833, leaving a large family of 

 small children in straitened circumstances. 

 When about fourteen, being the oldest of the 

 family at home, he worked as a day-laborer 

 at macadamizing the turnpike-road from Lex- 

 ington to Lancaster. Being engaged in the 

 study of the French language at this time, he 

 used to write out the conjugations of the verbs 

 at night, and, spreading the paper before him 

 as he beat rock by day, with a stone upon it 

 to prevent the wind blowing it away, commit 

 the exercise to memory. When he became of 

 age he relinquished all his interest in his fa- 

 ther's few negroes to his sisters, to prevent their 

 being sold apart. About the same time he re- 

 moved to the vicinity of Louisville, and began 

 the study of law. He was entirely without aid 

 or instruction, and never was asked a question 

 or had a conversation on the subject of his 

 studies until he went to be examined for license. 

 From March to August, 1840, he applied him- 

 self assiduously to preparing for his profession, 

 reading law fourteen hours and history two 

 hours per day. This close application pro- 

 duced a dangerous illness, which lasted some 

 months. On his recovery he resolved to re- 

 move to Bloomfield, Ind., where he continued 

 his studies till February, 1841, when he was 

 admitted to the bar, and, though but poorly 

 qualified, soon attained to respectable success 

 in it. In 1844 and 1845 he was elected to 

 the Indiana Legislature, and while there 

 rose to considerable influence. In 1846 he 

 raised a company for the Mexican War, 

 and entered the unfortunate 2d Indiana regi- 

 ment, which met with such an untoward fate 

 at Buena Vista. Captain Rousseau, however, 

 notwithstanding a loss of fourteen men out of 

 fifty-one, kept his company together and re- 

 treated to the ranche, where he did good ser- 



vice when the enemy attacked our wagon- 

 train, and was highly complimented by Colonel 

 Marshall, in his report of his operations on 

 that occasion. He was elected to the Indiana 

 Senate, four days after his return from Mexico, 

 by a heavy majority in a Democratic district, 

 he having always been a Whig. He removed 

 to Louisville in 1849, before his senatorial term 

 had expired; but his constituents would not 

 permit him to resign, and he continued to 

 serve them for one year after having resumed 

 his residence in his native State. He immedi- 

 ately took a prominent position at the Louis- 

 ville bar, strong as it was in talents and learn- 

 ing. Like nearly if not quite all the lawyers 

 who have taken conspicuous positions as suc- 

 cessful commanders in the recent war, his forte 

 was with the jury, and in the management of 

 difficult cases during the trial. In 1861, when 

 the storm of secession broke upon the country, 

 he labored assiduously to prevent his native 

 State from joining the South. When he saw 

 that actual hostilities could not be averted, 

 he resigned his position in the Senate, and at 

 once commenced the organization of troops for 

 the Union army. Recruiting for the war 

 was going on actively all around him, and to 

 such an extent did Kentuckians sympathize 

 with the secession movement, that a man who 

 actively supported the Government was in 

 hourly peril. General Rousseau was eventually 

 obliged to establish his camp on the Indiana 

 side of the river, and he was notified that his 

 marching of his regiment through the city of 

 Louisville would be a signal for the rising of 

 the enemy and the extermination of Union men. 

 He was at length ordered to join in the field the 

 forces he had organized, and, as their command- 

 er, did gallant service with the armies of the 

 South and Southwest. He participated in nearly 

 all the principal engagements which occurred in 

 Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. 

 He was early made a brigadier-general, and for 

 his bravery and gallant services at Perryville 

 won a major- general's commission. He was en- 

 gaged in the campaign and battle of Shiloh ; 

 was commandant of the district of Northern 

 Alabama, succeeding General Ormsby M. 

 Mitch el in command of the Third Division of 

 Buell's army, and followed Bragg through Ken- 

 tucky, and fought him "bravely at Perryville. 

 He distinguished himself at Stone River, and 

 in the campaign of Tullahoma, Ohickamauga, 

 and Chattanooga. During 1864, he command- 

 ed the district of Tennessee ; made his famous 

 raid into Alabama, destroying the Montgomery 

 and Atlanta lines of railroad, and in D.ecember, 

 1864, held the important position of Fort Rose- 

 crans, Nashville, against the siege of Hood. In 

 1865 he was elected as a Union man to the 

 House of Representatives, where he acted with 

 the Democrats. During the session he had a 

 personal encounter with Mr. Grinnell, of Iowa, 

 for which he received the censure of the House. 

 He immediately resigned, but was again re- 

 turned by his constituents. In 1867 he was 



