The New York Herald-Tribune, 14 July 1887

OBITUARY
GENERAL RICHARD ROWETT
CHICAGO, July 13.—General Richard Rowett, one of the best known residents of Southern Illinois, and a man whose name is familiar in all parts of the country, in connection with the turf and the breeding of thoroughbred horses, dropped dead at the Washington Park race track this morning. A public sale of yearling thoroughbreds was an annual feature of General Rowett’s business life, and such an event was to have taken place at 1 o’clock this afternoon, had not death intervened. General Rowett’s home for many years was at Carlinville, Ill., near which place he had an extensive and beautiful farm known as “The Meadows.” It was here that he kept the notable stallions of which he was from time to time the owner, the horse at present at the head of the stud being Hyder Ali, a son of Leamington. General Rowett has been a daily attendant at the Washington Park races. He was at the track this morning making preparations for the sale of his colts at 1 o’clock, and while in the stall of one of the animals dropped dead, presumably from heart disease.
General Rowett was born in Cornwall, England, in 1830, and came to this country in 1851, establishing himself on a farm near Carlinville. When the war broke out he joined the 7th Illinois Infantry as captain of Company K, and was commissioned successively as major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel, being brevetted as Brigadier-General for “special gallantry at Allatoona” in 1884. General Rowett was wounded at the battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Allatoona. On retiring from the army he took an active interest in politics, being a warm friend and active supporter of General Logan. He was appointed Canal Commissioner, and in 1871 served as a member of the Board of Penitentiary Commissioners. In 1876 General Rowett was elected to the Legislature, and during President Arthur’s administration was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue at Quincy, Ill., serving in that capacity until the consolidation of that district with another under the present administration.

Contributed by Bob Bolitho