Raised the "Louisville Legion" in 1861

Colonel of the 3rd Kentucky Infantry

As a brigade and division commander, Rousseau gallantly led his troops in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Tullahoma, and Stones River!

United States Congressman from Kentucky

(1818-69) Born near Stanford, Kentucky, he studied law, passed the Indiana bar in 1841, and began practicing law with his brother, Richard H. Rousseau, as junior partners in a firm led by James I. Dozier, in Bloomfield, Indiana. He was elected to the Indiana State Legislature in 1844, and served with distinction during the Mexican War as a captain of the 2nd Indiana Volunteers, which he led at the Battle of Buena Vista, where he helped rally the Indiana troops at a key point in the battle. He was a member of the Indiana State Senate from 1847 to 1849. He then went to Louisville, Kentucky, to practice law, and in 1860 was elected to the Kentucky State Senate. A dedicated opponent of secession, as the Civil War was becoming more and more likely, Rousseau decided in favor of maintaining state government in Kentucky and helped keep it from seceding from the Union. He resigned from his seat in the senate in June 1861, and applied for a commission to raise volunteers. Against the opposition of many prominent figures in Kentucky, he succeeded in raising two regiments composed entirely of Kentuckians at Camp Joe Holt, across the Ohio River from Louisville in Jeffersonville, Indiana. They were known as the "Louisville Legion." With the help of a battalion of the "Louisville Home Guard," the regiments saved Louisville from being captured by Confederate troops. On September 9, 1861, he was mustered in as colonel of the 3rd Kentucky Infantry. Promoted to brigadier general on October 1st, and major general on October 22, 1862, he commanded a brigade at the bloody battle of Shiloh, and gallantly led a division at the battle of Perryville, Ky. He also served with distinction as a division commander at Murfreesboro, and in the Tullahoma campaign. He afterwards commanded the districts of Nashville and of Tennessee. On the orders of General William T. Sherman, Rousseau carried out a very successful raid on the Montgomery and West Point Railroad in July 1864. Rousseau was elected as an "Unconditional Unionist" to the United States Congress serving from 1865-1866. As a former military officer, he served on the Committee on Military Affairs. In June 1866, relations between Rousseau and Iowa Congressman Josiah Bushnell Grinnell became very tense. The two had a series of debates over a bill intended to give more power to the Freedman's Bureau. Rousseau opposed it having seen and heard about rebellious and illegal actions by agents working for the bureau, whereas Grinnell strongly supported the bill as a former active abolitionist, and aide to runaway slaves. The debates eventually turned into mudslinging, Grinnell questioning General Rousseau's military record and insulting his performance in battle as well as a few comments on his state of Kentucky. On June 14, 1866, Rousseau approached Grinnell in the east portico of the capitol building after a session of congress. He told Grinnell that he wanted an apology from him for the insults he made about him before the House. Grinnell pretended not to know what Rousseau was talking about, enraging Rousseau who struck him repeatedly with the iron handle of his cane until it broke. He struck him mainly in the face, but a few blows hit Grinnell's hand and shoulder. A committee was organized to investigate the incident which was composed of Nathaniel P. Banks, Henry J. Raymond, Rufus P. Spalding, M. Russell Thayer and John Hogan. General Rousseau was reprimanded for his actions and later resigned. He was elected back the same year to fill the vacancy caused by himself and continued to serve until 1867. After leaving the United States Congress, Rousseau was appointed brigadier general in the U.S. Army with the brevet rank of major general, and was assigned to duty in Alaska on March 27, 1867. General Rousseau played a key role in the transfer of Alaska from the Russian Empire to the United States on October 18, 1867, today celebrated as Alaska Day. On July 28, 1868, he was placed in command of the Department of Louisiana. He died in this capacity in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 7, 1869. He was interred in Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1892, his wife had his body removed from Cave Hill, and re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia. His monument at Cave Hill remains.

Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Bust view in uniform with rank of major general. Back mark: Philadelphia Photographic Co. There is a 2 cents orange, George Washington, U.S. Internal Revenue Bank Check stamp on the reverse which partially covers the photographic company's imprint. Very fine.