Thomas L. Rosser
Thomas Lafayette “Tex” Rosser (1836–1910) was a Confederate general in the Civil War who later became a railroad engineer and briefly a U.S. general in the Spanish–American War. He grew up in Virginia and Texas, and his life blended military action with later work in railroads and business.
Rosser was born on a Virginia farm on October 15, 1836. In 1849 his family moved to Texas, where 13-year-old Tom helped lead a wagon train carrying his mother and siblings westward. In 1856 he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy, but he resigned in 1861 when Texas left the Union. He then joined the Confederate Army in Alabama. He was a close friend of George Armstrong Custer from the academy, a friendship that persisted even though they fought on opposite sides.
Rosser became known for fast, “hit-and-run” cavalry raids. He commanded the Washington Artillery’s Second Company at the First Battle of Manassas and earned praise for shooting down an enemy observation balloon. He rose quickly in rank, becoming colonel of the 5th Virginia Cavalry. In battle he helped delay Union advances at South Mountain and screened Lee’s army at Antietam. He was wounded at Mechanicsville and again at Kelly’s Ford.
At Gettysburg he fought in Hanover and on the East Cavalry Field, and he earned promotion to brigadier general of the Laurel Brigade. During the 1864 Overland Campaign he stood out at the Battle of the Wilderness and was wounded again at Trevilian Station, where his forces captured some of Custer’s troops. His men fought in the Shenandoah Valley, and at Cedar Creek he helped secure the Confederate lines. A famous moment came at Tom’s Brook, when Custer defeated Rosser’s riders in a chase later nicknamed the Woodstock Races by Union soldiers. Rosser continued to command, and he was promoted to major general in November 1864.
In the final months of the war, Rosser’s cavalry fought near Petersburg and at Five Forks. He hosted a small shad bake near the fighting lines. During the Appomattox Campaign he even captured a Union general and rescued a wagon train. He led a bold early morning charge at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, and escaped with his command as Lee surrendered. He surrendered himself on May 4, 1865, at Staunton, Virginia, and was paroled soon afterward.
After the war, Rosser worked in railroads. He held positions with the National Express Company and several railroad companies, including the Pittsburgh & Connellsville Railroad, the Northern Pacific, and the Canadian Pacific. He made a fortune through various business ventures but was later accused of corruption. He also supported Confederate memorials, contrary to some of his former leaders, and he briefly wrote about Civil War events, sometimes retracting his claims.
In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, Rosser was appointed a brigadier general of U.S. volunteers. He trained young cavalry near Chickamauga, Georgia, and was honorably discharged later that year.
Rosser died on March 29, 1910, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is buried at Riverview Cemetery there. He left a controversial legacy: some admired his military skill, while others criticized his ambition and conduct after the war. Several places are named for Rosser, including Rosser Avenue in Brandon, Manitoba, Rosser in North Dakota, and Rosser avenues and lanes in Virginia.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:19 (CET).