Date: October 29, 1872.

Biography:

William Starke Rosecrans (1819-1898) had a varied career before serving as a Union general. He was a construction supervisor in New England; a teacher at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York; and a civil engineer, architect, and coal and oil refiner. Although a successful commander in many Civil War battles, Rosecrans is probably most famous for losing the battle of Chickamauga. He resigned his military commission in 1867.

After serving as United States ambassador to Mexico from July 1868 to June 1869, Rosecrans moved to California and was engaged in engineering, mining, and ranching. At the invitation of Mexican President Benito Juarez, Rosecrans lobbied the Mexican Congress in 1872 and 1873 to construct a narrow-gauge railway system throughout the country. Rosecrans also worked on behalf of the Mexican government to persuade American railway companies to construct a railroad from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. He then lobbied the United States Congress to develop Mexican commerce, gaining support from both American and British railway builders.

Rosecrans was elected as a United States Representative from California in 1881, an office he held for four years. He was appointed registrar of the United States Treasury in 1885, a post he held until 1893. Rosecrans was commissioned a brigadier general on the retired list in 1889. He died in Redondo, California, on March 11, 1898.

Scope and Content:

While living in Mexico, Rosecrans wrote this letter to Rosa Kingsley, care of her father, the Reverend Charles G. Kingsley, [s.l.], on October 29, 1872. The letter discusses the health and business interests of a mutual acquaintance and summarizes Rosecrans's progress in furthering personal business interests with the Mexican Congress.

Series Identification:

Series 1: Letter. October 29, 1872. 0.10 cubic ft.