Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/151

 itUBSON

ROCHE

ROBSON, Stuart, actor, was born in Annapo- lis, Md., March 4, 1836. On Jan. 5, 1853, he made his first appearance on the stage at the Baltimore Museum, Md., as one of a mob of boys in John E. Owen's "A Glance at New York." Having de- cided to make comedy his forte, he filled several desultory engagements, and subsequently ap- peared in various southern and western cities, playing at Laura Keene's theatre, 1863-63; at the Arch Street theatre. Philadelphia, Pa., with Mrs. John Drew, 1863-66, and at Selwyn's theatre, Bos- ton, Mass., 1868-70. His first pronounced success was in the role of Captain Crosstree in the bur- lesque " Black-Eyed Susan" in 1870, and in 1874 appeared in the Gaiety theatre, London, England, as Hector in " Led Astray." He was afterward associated with William H. Crane (q.v.) in " Our Boarding-House," " A Comedy of Errors," " Merry Wives of Windsor" and "The Henrietta." After separating from Mr. Crane in 1889, he starred in legitimate comedy, appearing in several new plays and reviving " The Rivals," " She Stoops to Conquer," " A Comedy of Errors," " Married Life," "The Henrietta," and others. He was married in 1894 to May Waldron of Hamilton, Ont., who had been a member of Augustin Daly's and Robson and Crane's companies, and who sub- sequently played the leading counter roles with Mr. Robson. In 1898 he produced Augustus Thomas's comedy, " The Meddler," with his own company, which scored a success in New York city and Boston. Mass. He died, April 39, 1908.

ROCHAMBEAU, Jean Baptiste, Donatien de Vimeure, count de. soldier, svas burn in Vendome, France. July 1, 172.1. He attended the Jesuit col- lege at Blois, having been intended for the church, but in 1742 he entered the French army as cornet in the regiment of St. Simon, serving with distinction in Germany, and in 1747 gaining promotion to the rank of colonel. He succeeded his father as governor of Vendome, June 1, 1749; was created a knight of St. Louis; was promoted brigadier-general, serving in Germany, 1758-61, and became inspector-general of cavalry in 1769, and lieutenant-general, March 1, 1780. He was appointed to the command of the army to sup- port the American patriots, increased it to 6000 men and embarked under the escort of Chevalier de Teruay, with five ships of the line, May 3, 1780. They arrived at Rhode Island, July 12, 1780, after having defeated a British fleet off Bermuda, and began at once to erect fortifications to prevent the concerted attack threatened by Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot. He established his head- quarters at Newport, R.I., and sent his son, Dona- tien, to Paris, to urge a reinforcement of money, supplies and troops. On June 18, 1781, he marched toward the Hudson river and defeated on Man- hattan Island a body of Clinton's army; made a

feint toward New Jersey, and joined Washing- ton's army at Phillipsburg, N.Y., thus obliging Clinton to abandon his reinforcement of Corn- wallis and compelling t.he latter to retire from Virginia. The siege of Yorktown was begun by the allied forces, Sept. 29, 1781, and Rochambeau led the two assaults, forcing Cornwallis to sur- render. In April, 1783, he marched against New York, but the plan being abandoned he embarked with his army at Delaware, Jan. 14, 1783, upon the frigate Ameraude, and arrived at Brest in March, 1783. He was deputy to the assembly of the notables in 1788; was engaged in repressing the riots in Alsace in 1790; was commissioned field marshal, Dec. 28, 1791; refused the office of secretary of war and was appointed to the com- mand of the Army of the North, but resigned, June 15, 1792. He was taken prisoner at Paris during the Reign of Terror in 1793, and in 1804 was created a grand officer of the Legion of Honor by Napoleon. He was created a knight of the Saint Esprit by Louis XVI,, and was appointed governor of Picardy and Artois. The U.S. con- gress presented him with two cannons, taken from the British at Yorktown, and bearing his escutcheon and an inscription, and also passed resolutions commending his bravery, the services he had rendered and the discipline he had main- tained in his arm}^ A bronze statue was dedi- cated to his memory. May 34, 1903. in Lafayette square, Washington, D.C., a replica of one dedi- cated at Vendome, France, in 1900. He died in Rochambeau castle, Thore, near Vendome, France. May 10. 1807.

ROCHE, James Jeffrey, editor and poet, was born in Mountmellick, county Queens, Ireland, May 31, 1847; son of Edward and Margaret (Doyle) Roche. He emigrated with his parents to Prince Edward Island in 1847, and attended St. Dunstan's college, Charlottetown. He came to the United States in May, 1866, and was employed in business in Boston, Mass. He contrib- uted to various news- papers and maga- zines, and in June, 1883, joined the staff of the Pilot as assist- ant editor under John Boyle O'Reilly. In August, 1890, he suc- ceeded Mr. O'Reilly as editor-in-chief. He

was a member of the Metropolitan Park commis- sion, Boston. Mass., in 1893. He was the poet at the unveiling of the '"high-water mark"monu-



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