Richard Rowett
Encyclopedia
Richard Rowett was a leading figure of nineteenth-century Illinois and American history. The English-born Rowett was a Civil War hero who entered service as captain of Company K of the Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which is considered the first unit from Illinois to answer President Abraham Lincoln
's call for volunteers.
Rowett fought with distinction at the battles of Fort Donelson
, Shiloh
, and Corinth
and proved himself a thorn in the side of Confederate guerillas in northern Alabama at war's mid-point. However, his greatest moment came at the battle of Allatoona, Ga. on Oct. 5, 1864, when he spearheaded the defense of a pivotal Union supply depot.
After the war, Rowett returned to his adopted home of Carlinville, Illinois
and established himself as a nationally recognized breeder of thoroughbred horses at his farm, The Meadows, one mile north of town. The Rowett colors of orange jacket and blue cap were known across Western and Southern tracks, but his outstanding production at The Meadows was Spokane, the winner of the 1889 Kentucky Derby.
Rowett is also credited by many as the first to introduce the true-bred beagle
hound to America from his native England. The Rowett strain of beagles was recognized as a leader in the field of beagling around the turn of the century. Rowett was also one of three men who drafted the first-ever beagle standard for bench and show judging in 1884.
A one-term member of the Illinois House, Rowett held several statewide appointive posts and was a vocal member of the Illinois Republican party. But his health began to fail in his later years, and he died suddenly at Washington Park (Chicago) on July 13, 1887.
As a measure of his national stature, news of his death was reported on page one of the New York Times the following day.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's call for volunteers.
Rowett fought with distinction at the battles of Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson was a fortress built by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River leading to the heart of Tennessee, and the heart of the Confederacy.-History:...
, Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, and Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
and proved himself a thorn in the side of Confederate guerillas in northern Alabama at war's mid-point. However, his greatest moment came at the battle of Allatoona, Ga. on Oct. 5, 1864, when he spearheaded the defense of a pivotal Union supply depot.
After the war, Rowett returned to his adopted home of Carlinville, Illinois
Carlinville, Illinois
Carlinville is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 5,685, and 5,912 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Macoupin County, and so it is an outlying part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St...
and established himself as a nationally recognized breeder of thoroughbred horses at his farm, The Meadows, one mile north of town. The Rowett colors of orange jacket and blue cap were known across Western and Southern tracks, but his outstanding production at The Meadows was Spokane, the winner of the 1889 Kentucky Derby.
Rowett is also credited by many as the first to introduce the true-bred beagle
Beagle
The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...
hound to America from his native England. The Rowett strain of beagles was recognized as a leader in the field of beagling around the turn of the century. Rowett was also one of three men who drafted the first-ever beagle standard for bench and show judging in 1884.
A one-term member of the Illinois House, Rowett held several statewide appointive posts and was a vocal member of the Illinois Republican party. But his health began to fail in his later years, and he died suddenly at Washington Park (Chicago) on July 13, 1887.
As a measure of his national stature, news of his death was reported on page one of the New York Times the following day.