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ROZIER, WILLIAM, son of a lawyer in Ohio and Kansas, cadet at the United States military academy, artillery officer in the Indian country, instructor at West Point, ordnance officer in Washington, joint inventor of the United States disappearing gun-carriage, inventor of a wire- wrapped rifle, inspector of seacoast fortifications, 1898, member of the Peace Conference at the Hague, 1899, staff officer in the Philippine campaign, 1899-1900, chief ordnance officer Peking Relief expedition, 1900, chief of ordnance United States army from November 22, 1901, was born in Carrollton, Ohio, February 19, 1855. His father, Robert Crozier, born 1824, was a lawyer noted for intellectual ability, uprightness and decision of character, who removed with his family to Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1857, where he established the "Leavenworth Times," practised law, served on the territorial council, 1857-58, was United States district attorney, 1861-63, chief justice of the State Supreme court, 1863-66, United States senator by appointment of Governor Osborn as successor to Alexander Caldwell from November, 1873, to January, 1874, judge of the first district of Kansas, 1876. He died at Leavenworth, October 2, 1895.

His mother was Margaret, daughter of Isaac and Hester Atkinson, who died when he was quite young. His earliest known ancestor in America, Wilton Atkinson, was an officer in the Revolutionary war. He received a good school training at Saunders institute, Philadelphia, and at the high school, Ann Arbor, Michigan; was graduated at the United States military academy, 1876, and was assigned to the 4th United States artillery. He served under Generals Crook and Howard in Indian warfare against the Sioux and Bannocks; was instructor in mathematics at West Point, 1879-84; was transferred to the ordnance department on competitive examination in 1881, in accordance with the law. He was occupied with experimental work in connection with wire gun manufacture at Watertown arsenal, Massachusetts, 1884-87; on duty in the office of the chief of ordnance, Washington, District of Columbia, 1887-88.