William Starke Rosecrans

William S. Rosecrans 1819-1898
Born Delaware County, Ohio

Affectionately called Old Rosy by his troops, William S. Rosecrans proved to be one of the North's best strategists early in the war. In July 1861, Rosecrans's brigade won the Battle of Rich Mountain, Virginia, thus securing a Union foothold in territory that would ultimately become the state of West Virginia. His ability to maneuver the enemy was especially evident in the western theater, where he commanded the Army of the Cumberland in the Battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). At Chickamauga, Georgia, in September 1863, however, his army suffered disaster when one of his orders was misconstrued. This allowed the enemy to attack through a wide gap in the federal line. The mistake cost Rosecrans his command and virtually ended his active service in the war.