Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/156

 R ODGERS

RODGERS

tions of the South Atlantic blockading squadron. He comtnantled the //-cx/ho/s until 1SG6. He wa-s promoted captain. July 2.1, 18G6; commanded the Franklin in the Mediterranean, 18G8-70; was promoted commodore, Aug. 28, 1870; served as chief of the bureau of yards and docks, 1872-74; wivs promoted rear-admiral, June 14, 1874; was sui>erintendent of the U.S. Naval academy, 1874- 78 and 1880-81, and commanded the naval forces on the Pacific, 1878-80. He was retired, Nov. 14, 1881. and presided over the international meridian conference at Wusliington in 1885. He died in Wa-^iiington. D.C.. Jan. 8. 1892.

RODGERS, Frederick, naval officer, was born in Maryland, Oct. 3, 1842; sou of Robert Smith and Sarah (Perry) Rodgers; grandson of Jolin (q.v.) and Minerva (Denison) Rodgers and of Matthew Calbi-aith an<l Jane Perry. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1861. and ap- pointed acting master in April, 1861. He served tliroughout the civil war on blockading service; was promoted lieutenant, July 16, 18G2; lieuten- ant-commander, July 25, ISGG; commander, Feb. 4, 1875; captain, Feb. 28, 1890; commodore, Dec. 6, 1898, and rear-admiral, March 3, 1899. He was president of the board of inspection and survej*, 1897-1900, and senior squadron commander, Asi- atic equadron, on board the U.S.S. Xeiv York. 1901-02. his date of retirement being Oct. 3. 1904. He married, Feb. 2. 1882, Sarah M., daugliter of Jolin C. and Jane (Creed) Fall of San Francisco.

RODGERS, George Washington, naval officer, was born in Harford county, Md., Feb. 22, 1787; a brother of Com. John Rodgers (q.v.). His father was an officer in the Revolution. He was warranted a midshipman in the U.S. navy, April 2, 1804; was promoted lieutenant, April 24, 1810, and assigned to duty on the sloopTra.sp. being pres- ent at the engagement between the Wasp a.nd the Frolic, Oct. 18, 1812. He was included in the vote of thanks passed by congress, and received a silver medal. He was married to Anna Maria, daugliter of Cliristopher Raymond and Sarah (Alexander) Perry. He was given command of the brig Fire- flij in the war with Algiers in 1815; was commis- sioned master-commandant, April 27, 1816, and assigned to the command of the ship Peacock in the Mediterranean, 1816-18. He was promoted captain, March 3, 1825; was a member of the board of examiners, 1828-30, and was promoted commodore and commanded the Brazil squadron, 1830-.32. He died in Buenos Ayres, May 21, 1832.

RODGERS, George Washington, naval officer, was born in Brooklyn. N.Y., Oct. 30, 1822; son of George Washington and Anna Maria (Perry) Rod- gers. He was warranted midshipman in the U.S. navy, April 30, 1836; promoted pas.sed midship- man, July 1, 1842, and served in the Mexican war, 1846-48, as acting master on the steamer Colonel

Harney and the frigate Jolui Adams. He was a member of the U.S. coast survey, 1849-50; was promoted lieutenant, June 4, 1850; was assigned to duty on the Germantown. 1851-53, and was commandant of the U.S. Military academy, 18G1- 62, where in April, 1861, he prevented the capture of the Co>i-

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secession- iMSi^:!^''/^- "^^

ists and transferred the naval academy to Newport, R.I. He ^ was pro- ^,

motedcom- "^ -'--"^=^^==^"— -n«?:^S!?^:^^irs*" mander, Jan. 16, 1862; commanded the moni- tor Catskill in the attacks on Charleston in October, 1862, and on April 7, 1863, steamed almost under the walls of Fort Sumter. He was appointed chief of .staff to Admiral Dahl- gren, July 4, 1863, and was di-stinguished for his bravery in the silencing of Fort Sumter and the batteries on Morris Island. He was killed by a shot that pierced the pilot-house of the Catskill in the attack on Fort Wagner, and died on board his ship, Charleston Harbor, S.C, Aug. 17, 1863.

RODGERS, James Webb, author, was born in Hillsborough, N.C., July 11, 1822. He was grad- uated from the College of New Jersey, A.B.. 1841, A.M., 1844: studied theology, and was ordained to the priesthood of the P.E. church. He was mar- ried in 1849 to Cornelia Harris of Tennessee; was rector of St. Paul's parish, Franklin, Tenn., and built Christ church. Holly Springs, Miss., St. Thomas', Somerviile, Tenn., and served under Bishop Leonidas P 'Ik in the Confederate army. He removed to England in 1865; joined the Roman Catholic ciiurch; resided in New York city, 1870-74: in Indianapolis, Ind., where he edited the Central Catliolic, 1874, and in Mem- phis, Tenn, 1874-7o. He practised law in Wash- ington, B.C., 1876-93; became a patent lawyer, and was connected with the Pan-Electric Tel.^- phone company. He is the author of: Lafittc. or the Greek Slave (1870); Madame Surratt, a Drama in Five Acts {ISl^); Arlington and Other Poems (1883), and Parthenon (1887). He died at Par- thenon Heiglits, Bladensburg, Md., Jan. 2, 1896.

RODGERS, John, clergyman, was born in Boston, Mass., Aug. 5, 1727; son of Thomas and Elizabeth Rodgers. who emigrated from London- derry, Ireland, to Boston, Ma.ss., in 1721, and from there to Piiiladelpliia, Pa., in 1728. John attend- ed an academy in Chester county. Pa., studied theology under the Rev. Samuel Blair of Fagg's Manor, and the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, and wa» licensed to preach b}' the presbytery of New-