General William Rosecrans' Headquarters (Alston-Rosser House, "Little Brick")

General William Rosecrans' Headquarters (Alston-Rosser House, "Little Brick")

Stevenson, Jackson County, Civil War, William Rosecrans, James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, National Register of Historic Places

The structure known locally as "Little Brick" was built about 1855 during the railroad construction boom in Stevenson, Alabama. The property was purchased prior to the Civil War by Michigan native Walter Rosser who was in Stevenson working as a railroad engineer. The nature of design indicates that Rosser may have built the structure himself. It is believed that a man named Thomas Osbourne lived in the home until it was commandeered by General William Rosecrans to be used as a headquarters during the Civil War. Little Brick's location on a side street, away from the bustling depot and downtown area fit with the general's needs. It was here that Rosecrans worked diligently on plans for the Chattanooga campaign from his arrival on August 8, 1863 until his September 4, 1863 departure. At Little Brick, Rosecrans met with two men who would become President of the United States, his Chief of Staff James A. Garfield and General Ulysses S. Grant. General William T. Sherman was in the area at the time and it is possible he came to Little Brick, as well. After the war Rosser returned to Stevenson and reclaimed his property, and it remained in the Rosser family for over a century. The structure has fallen into ruins and the property is now owned by the city of Stevenson.

Blake Wilhelm

Secrist, Phil.  "The General's Headquarters (Rosecrans' Headquarters)."  National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form.  Jackson County Historical Society, Marietta, Georgia, February 1, 1978.
http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=ae9c19b8-578e-4c8e-90e4-c5e464f41768

"Union Army Headquarters" Historical Marker.  Alabama Historical Association.  Myrtle Place, Stevenson, Alabama.

Northeast Alabama Community College Archives and Special Collections

built c. 1855, occupied by Rosecrans August 18 - September 4, 1863

photo by Jimmy Emerson

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