Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1887 — The Rebel Rosser. [ARTICLE]

The Rebel Rosser.

The Southern Democratic newspapers are commenting in genuine Southern fashion upon the Sheridan-Rpsser incident. They have very little to say about the “savior of the valley.” or the pumpkin vine which the people of that section ad--sised him to wear as being a better runner than the laurel, but confine themselves to insulting epithets and innuendoes directed against Gen. Sheridan, which come with a bad grace from Mr. Grady’s New South. The Charleston News and Courier denounces Sheridan as a “Federal BashiBazouk,” and the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph suggests it might be prudent for the Virginians to “bury their silver, double the insurance "n their barns, and drive the cows into th ■ mountains” on his approach. All this eo use there was no child’s play about Liiue Phil’s method of making war, or Gen. Grant’s either. But how about pumpkin-vine Rosser? W. H. H. Lancaster, who was, the military telegraph operator at New Creek Station, Va., when it was captured by Rosser in November, 1864, thus describes his experiences: “I was taken in with quite a number of other Unionists, soldiers and civilians, and “was completely robbed of money, watches, clothing, and all other valuables, stripped from head to foot, marched across the country to Staunton almost naked, barefooted, and hungry. We lay out nights on the cold, wet ground, were three and onehalf months in Castle Thunder, and under their care still, yet suffering from neuralgia and rheumatism. We were captured by Rosser’s advance guard, who styled themselves the Baltimore plugs. They were experts in the robbing business, as they went through the whole lot of us in less than one-half hour. I lost about SI,OO0 — in money valuables, and clothing.” Rossdr proposes to run for Congress. If he succeeds in getting to Washington would it not be well for the people of that city to hide their watches and lock up their money and valuables? Phil Sheridan was making war in thorough and open fashion. Rosser and his Baltimore plugs were engaged in brigandage and highway robbery.—Chicago Tribune. «