Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/157

 RODGERS

RODGERS

castle, Oct. 14, 1747. He engaged in missionary work in Somerset county, Md., in 1748; was or- dained, March, 16, 1749, and was installed pastor at St. George's, March 16, 1749, preaching there and at Middletown, until 1865, when he succeeded to the pastorate of the Rev. David Bostwick's church in New York city. He built a new churcli edifice in 1767, and served until September, 1776, when he removed his family for safety to Green- field, Conn. He was chaplain to Gen. William Heath's brigade in April, 1776, and went to Savannah, Ga., to spend the winter of 1776-77. He was chaplain of the New York provincial congress, the council of safety and the first state legislature in 1777, all three of which convened at Esopus, N. Y.; preached in Esopus and Amenia, N.Y.; in Sharon and Danbury, Conn.; and in Lamington, N.J., during the war. and in 1783 returned to his congregation in New York city, where he found his house in ruins, and his churches demolished, having been used as bar- racks for soldiers. Daring the process of rebuild- ing he was invited to hold his services in St. Paul's and St. George's (Protestant Episcopal) churches. His health forced him to retire from active work in September, 1809. He was a trustee of the College of New Jersey, 1765-1807; received the degree D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1768; was vice-chancellor of the University of the State of New York, 1787-1811; moderator of the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian church at Philadelphia in 1789, and president of the Missionary society organized in 1 796. He was married, first, in September, 1752, to Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Peter Bayard of Cecil county, Md., and secondly, in 1764, to Mary, widow of Wil- liam Grant of Philadelphia. He published several sermons. He died in New York city, May 7, 1811. RODGERS, John, naval officer, was born in Harford county, Md., July 11, 1771; a brother of Com. George Washington Rodgers (q.v.). He entered the merchant marine service in 1784, and was made captain of a trading ship in 1789. He entered the U.S. navy as lieutenant, March 9, 1798; was assigned to the Constellation, Captain Truxton, and was present at the capture of Vlnsurgente off Nevis, W.I., Feb. 9, 1799. He was put in command of the prize with eleven men, and carried her successfully into port, sup- pressing an attempt made by the captured crew to regain the vessel. He obtained a leave of absence; purchased a vessel and went to Santo Dom- ingo, where he helped to suppress a slave insur- rection, saving many lives. He was promoted captain, U.S.N,, March 5, 1799; was sent on special dispatch duty to France in 1801; com- manded the John Adams off the coast of Tripoli, 1802-03, and in an attempt to run the blockade, he captured the Moorish ship Meshoncla. He co-

operated with the Enterprise in a battle with, nine Tripolitan gun-boats, and destroyed a Tri- politan corsair, July 21, 1803. On his return to the United States in December, 1803, he was given command of the Congress, and joined the squad- ron under Commodore Barron, off the Tripolitan coast. He succeeded Barron in command of the squadron. May 22, 1805, and on June 3, 1805, he obtained a treaty with Tripoli, and in December, 1805, procured a more favorable treaty with Tunis. He was married in 1806, to Minerva Denison (1784-1877). He was in command of the gun-boats at New York, 1806-09; was assign- ed to the frigate President, and commanded the home squadron on jjatrol duty, to prevent the impressment of seamen by Britisli vessels. While on the outlook for the British frigate Guerriere, in the evening of May 16, 1811, he overtook a vessel, which he supposed to be the Guerriere, but which proved to be the Little Belt, a sloop of war. In the encounter the British loss was 9 killed and 20 wounded, and the Little Belt was badly crippled. This action further strained the relations between the two countries, and Rodgers was tried by a regular court, but was acquitted. On June 18, 1812, war was declared against Great Britain, and on June 21, Rodgers sailed in the President in command of a squadron to intercept the fleet of 100 British merchantmen bound to England from Jamaica under convoy of Britisli men-of-war. On June 22, the fleet was discovered and chase given. Rodgers hailed the British frigate Belvidere, and after exchanging a broad- side, gave chase, but after a running figlit of eight hours the Belvidere escaped. Rodgers returned to Boston after a ten weeks' cruise, with six prizes. He made three other cruises, captur- ing in all twenty-three prizes. In June, 1814, he commanded tiie sailors and marines in the de- fence of Baltimore, and had charge of the water battery and the naval flotilla barges. He was offered the secretaryship of the navy by President Monroe in 1818, which oflSce he declined, but served as acting secretary of the navy in 1823. He was president of the board of naval commis- sioners, 1815-24 and 1827-37, and commanded the Mediterranean squadron, 1824-27. He was the senior officer of the U.S. navy at the time of his death at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 1, 1838.

RODGERS, John, naval officer, was born in Harford county, Md., Aug. 8, 1812; son of Com. John and Minerva (Denison) Rodgers. He was warranted midshipman in the U.S. navy, April, 1828; served on the Constellation, 1829-32; at- tended the naval school at Norfolk, Va., 1832-34; was promoted passed midshipman in June. 1834. and was a student at the University of Virginia, 1835-36. He was attached to the brig Dolphin, on the Brazilian coast, 1836-39; commanded the