Jefferson County, West Virginia    Biography of Alexander Hamilton Stevens ROUSS, M. D.

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New 
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc. 
Chicago and New York, Volume II, 
Pg. 400 

ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEVENS ROUSS, M. D.  One of the prominent members of 
the medical profession in Jefferson County, Doctor Rouss was a medical 
officer during the war, seeing his chief service on army transports.  
His family is one of the old and substantial ones in the Valley of Virginia,
and their patriotism in time of war has been matched by the qualities that 
distinguish good citizenship in times of peace.

Doctor Rouss was born on a farm in Kable Town District of Jefferson County, 
son of Capt. Milton Rouss, who was born in Frederick County, Maryland, and 
grandson of Peter Hoke Rouss, a native of York, Pennsylvania, whose father 
was John Rouss and whose mother was a Hoke.  Peter Hoke Rouss from Pennsylvania
removed to Frederick County, Maryland, and from there came into the Valley of 
Virginia, living for several years in Berkeley County and spending the remainder 
of his life in Kable Town District of Jefferson County.  He married Belinda 
Baltzell, of Maryland, and both of them attained a good old age.

Capt. Milton Rouss was four years old when his parents came to Virginia and 
nine years of age when they settled in Jefferson County.  He was pursuing his
studies in the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington when the war broke out 
between the states, and at once he returned home and assisted in raising a 
company for the Confederate Army.  It was designated as Company B, and attached
to the Twelfth Regiment of Virginia Cavalry.  He was commissioned first lieutenant 
and later, upon the death of his captain, was promoted to captain.  He and the
company did some valiant service in the early campaigns of the war, and at the
battle of Brandy Station he was captured and was sent as a prisoner to Johnson's 
Island in Lake Erie and was held there until paroled at the close of the war. 
After the war he was in the general merchandise business at Lockport, New York,
some four or five years, and then returned to Jefferson County and soon settled
on the farm in Kable Town District.  This farm was his wife's inheritance, and 
it provided him the work of his years for nearly half a century, and he still 
lives there.  Captain Rouss married Mary Osburn, a native of Virginia and 
daughter of Logan and Margaret Osburn.  Captain Rouss and wife reared four sons,
Doctor Rouss being the youngest and the only one to take up a professional career. 
Milton C. is a farmer and orchardist, and was elected in 1916 to represent 
Jefferson County in the State Legislature.  George W. and Frank Hoke are also 
farmers and orchardists.

Doctor Rouss had rural school advantages when a boy and subsequently entered 
Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia.  He completed his literary 
education there and then entered the University of Pennsylvania for his medical
course, graduating M. D. in 1906.  Doctor Rouss first practiced in Frederick
County, Virginia, but after six years returned to Jefferson County, and has both
a town and country practice, maintaining an office in Charles Town, and he and
his family live at the county seat during the winter months.  The rest of the 
year they have their home in the Kable Town District.

In 1907 Doctor Rouss married Annie Stouch, who was born in York, Pennsylvania, 
daughter of George and Lulu Stouch.  The only daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Rouss 
is Mary Osburn.  The family are members of Zion Episcopal Church in St. Andrews 
Parish, and he is affiliated with the Jefferson County and West Virginia State 
Medical Associations.  

Doctor Rouss was one of the first medical men in this vicinity to offer his 
services to the Government at the beginning of the war with Germany.  He was
commissioned for duty in the Medical Corps in 1917, and for a time was assigned 
to the Base Hospital at Newport News, Virginia, with the rank of lieutenant.  
Three months later he was transferred to the transport service as ship's surgeon, 
and before the war was over he had made four round trips on transports overseas. 
He was in this service until May, 1919, when he was given his honorable discharge,
and since then he has been devoted to the rounds of his professional duties in his
old home community.