March 20, 1863, The New York Herald
Brigadier General Leonard F. Ross, the military commander of the Yazoo river expedition, is a native of Illinois, in which State he was born in the year 1823. He is, therefore, about forty years of age. He was a first lieutenant of the Fourth Illinois Volunteers during the Mexican war, and commanded Company K during part of the term of that regiment service, which lasted from July, 1846, to May, 1847. At the commencement of the present rebellion he resided at Lewiston, Fulton county, and when the call was made for three years volunteers he raised the Fourth District or Seventeenth regiment of Illinois Volunteers, and was chosen the colonel of the same, with a commission dating from May 20, 1861. The regiment was stationed at Peoria, Ill., until the middle of June, 1861, when it was sent to Alton, on the Mississippi river. It stayed there for one month, when it was remove into Missouri, and after being stationed at St. Louis for a short time was sent to Warrenton, a station of the North Missouri Railroad, where the subject of our sketch had to contend with the guerillas and bridge burners of that portion of the State. They were next sent of Pilot Knob, to help protect that region from the ravages of the rebel forces under Jeff. Thompson. They next garrisoned the town of Frederickton, Southeast Missouri, for a short time, after which they were sent to Cape Girardeau, Mo., on the Mississippi river, where some powerful works were being erected by the Bissel engineers. They next, in September, 1861, garrisoned Jackson, Mo., and for some time operated in other parts of Southeastern Missouri, until about the beginning of December, when Colonel Ross was placed in command of the post at Cape Girardeau. It was about this time that General Grant prepared for his advance into Kentucky. In the following January Ross’ command garrisoned Fort Holt, Kentucky, and formed part of the reconnoitering force to the rear of Columbus, Ky. During the siege and capture of Fort Donelson, from February 13 to 16, his regiment formed part of the Third brigade (General Paine) of General McClernand division of General Grant’s army. It also participated in the battle of Shiloh, where Colonel Ross gained some distinction, and his regiment lost – in killed, wounded and missing – nearly one hundred and fifty men. On the 25th of April, 1862, he was made a brigadier general of volunteers, and during the siege of Corinth commanded the Third brigade of General Judah (formerly McClernand) division of General Grant’s army. During the summer and fall of 1862 his brigade formed a portion of the force under General McClernand that guarded the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. When General Grant reorganized the Department of the Tennessee, on the 22d of December, 1862, General Ross was placed in command of the Eighth division in the Sixteenth Army corps, then under General Hurlbut. On the 8th of February he was transferred to the command of the Fifteenth division of the same army, General J. E. Smith taking charge of the Eighth division. His newly appointed force was then stationed at Helena, of which post he was placed in command. From this position he was again removed to take charge of the Yazoo Pass expedition, of which he is now military commander.