Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1898)
OV. L. S. ROSS was born ('-V at Renton's Rost, Iowa, September 27,1838. When about six months old his father moved to Waco, then a mere Indian village. Surround ed in early boyhood by the hos tile and fearless Commanches, young Ross grew up inured to privations and hardships as well as the dangers of frontier and Indian life. He early* gave evi dence of a bravery and devotion to the state, which has since characterized bis whole life. When nineteen years old at home on a vacation from college, he won his spurs and the sobriquet of “The Roy Captain’’ in a des perate encounter with Comman ches, killing 95 of their number, capturing 350 head of horses,and recovering a little white girl, whose jiarents could never be traced, but whom Ross brought up and educated with distinc tion. He immediately returned to Texas, and was at once placed in command of the frontier, at the earty age of twenty years,by the far-seeing Gov. Sam Houston. At once organizing a faithful and f arless baud of followers, in a heroic encounter with the Commanches, he defeated them with terrible slaughter, captur ing their principal village and stronghold, captured over 400head of horses and rescued Cyntha Ann Parker. In this battle Ross killed in a hand-to-hand combat the big chief Peta Nocona: and was soon afterwards, by special order from the war department at Washington, commended for his bravery and offered a commission in the United States army. Entering the Confederate army as a private, he rapidly rose to the rank of brigadier-general. His many deeds of valor throughout that war are too numerous to mention here, having participated in 135 engagements of vary ing importance. Perhaps the most memorable instance of his gallantry was at Corinth, in his famous charge on battery Robinett, where he lost 150 men of 350 in going a distance of 300 yards before the fort was reached and taken. He here won the distinction of ‘ ‘The hero of Corinth,” and was named by General Dabney A. Maurey.as displaying the most distinguished bravery on that memorable occasion. I After the war, left penniless, he went to farming, and in 1873 was elected sheriff of his county—thus inaugurating a brilliant era of public ser vice to the Slate, marked by fiimness, conservatism, honesty and patriotism A service so well known that it is here only necessary to mention it. Retiring from the Governor’s chair in 189^, he became President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College. He has met with the same success here as in other lines of public service; and his death which occurred on •Tanuary 3, has brought sorrow to the hearts of all who are connected with the College, for by his death we feel that Texas has lost one of her noblest heroes, and College her dearest friend. 131 Ifl i