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 Bost wick s
church in New York city. He built a new church
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. During 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, %vas 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
L liLsnnjente 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 captui-ed the Moorish ship Meshonda. 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 patrol duty, to prevent the
impressment of seamen by British 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 British
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 fight 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 the 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 office 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
RODGERS
RODMAN
schooner Wave, off the coast of Florida in 1839; was
promoted lieutenant, Jan. 22, 1840 ; was attach
ed to the schooner Jefferson, and took part in the
war with the Seminoles in Florida, 1840-4:3. He
was engaged in sur
veying duty, 1849-52,
and made charts and
sailing directions of
the coast of Flor
ida ; commanded the
steamer Jolt n Ha n-
cock in the U.S. ex
ploring and survey
ing expedition in the
North Pacific and
China seas in 1852-
55 ; commanded the
Vincennes in the
Arctic ocean in 1855 ;
was commissioned
commander, Sept. 14,
1855, and served on special exploring duty until
1861. He was ordered to superintend the con
struction of the ironclad Benton at Cairo, 111.,
and in November, 1861, joined Du Pout s ex
pedition to Port Royal and took part in the
capture of Fort Walker. He was in command of
the James river expedition in May, 1862 ; led the
attack on Fort Darling, May 15, 1862 ; was in
command of the Galena before Drewry s Bluff,
when two-thirds of her crew were killed ; was
commissioned captain, July 16, 1862, and com
manded the monitor Weehairken in 1863. He
engaged the Confederate ironclad Atlanta in
Warsaw Sound, Ga., June 17, 1863, and after a
fight that lasted fifteen minutes the Atlanta
struck her colors. He received a vote of thanks
from congress and was promoted commodore,
June 17, 1863 ; commanded the monitor Dictator
on special service, 1864-65, and in 1866 he was in
command of the monitor Monadnock, taking her
through the Straits of Magellan to San Francisco.
While stopping at Valparaiso, he strove to pre
vent the bombardment by the Spanish, proposing
armed interference to the British admiral, which
the latter refused. He was commandant of the
Boston navy yard, 1866-69 ; was commissioned
rear-admiral, Dec. 3. 1869, and commanded the
Asiatic squadron, 1870-72, landing a force in
Korea, and capturing five forts, after forty-eight
hours marching. He was in command of the
Mare Island navy yard, 1873-77, and was super
intendent of the U.S. naval observatory at Wash
ington, 1877-82. He was president of the transit
of Venus commission ; was a corporate member
of the National Academy of Sciences, and suc
ceeded Prof. Joseph Henry as chairman of the
lighthouse board in 1878. He died in Washing
ton, D.C., May 5, 1882.
RODMAN, Isaac Peace, soldier, was born in
South Kingstown, R. L. Aug. IS, 1822. son of
Samuel Rodman, a woolen manufacturer, from
whom Isaac, after attending the common schools,
learned the business,
subsequently becom
ing a partner of the
firm. He was mar
ried to Sally, daugh
ter of Gov. L. H. Ar
nold (q.v.) and Sally
(Lyman) Arnold. He
was colonel of militia;
a member of the state
legislature for several
years, and a state
senator in 1861, when
he resigned to raise a
company of volun
teers for the 2d
Rhode Island regi
ment, and of which he was chosen the captain.
For his gallantry at the battle of Bull Run,
July 21, 1861, he was promoted lieutenant col
onel, Oct. 25, and assigned to the 4th Rhode
Island volunteers, in which most of the 2d Rhode
Island re-enlisted. At the capture of Roanoke
Island, Feb. 8, 1862, he was colonel of the regi
ment in General Parke s brigade, and followed
the 25th and 27th Massachusetts regiments, mak
ing a demonstration through the swamp on the
enemy s left. At the battle of Newbern, March
14, Colonel Rodman s offer to charge through
an opening left in intrenchments for the railroad
to pass through, was accepted ; and the Nth Con
necticut and 5th Rhode Island regiments having
been ordered to his support, he passed the rifle-
pits, entered the intrenchments, moving toward
the right, and captured nine brass guns, driving
the enemy from his intrenched position between
the railroad and the river. For this brilliant
action, which was the culminating point of the
battle, and for his honorable part in the siege and
capture of Fort Macon, April 11-26, 1862, lie was
promoted brigadier-general, April 28. 1862. lie
was an invalid at his home, South Kingstown,
until September ; commanded the 4th division in
Reno s 9th army corps, in the Maryland campaign,
and on the morning of Sept. 13, 1862, he was
ordered to support Pleasanton s cavalry recon-
noitering the passes of Catoctin mountain, but
through some misunderstanding his division was
the last to arrive upon the summit on the after
noon of the 14th, and was straightway sent to
the support of Sturgis and Wilcox, who were beat
ing back the enemy on the left. At the battle
of Antietam immediately following, his division
being exposed to the direct fire of the Confeder
ate guns, he crossed the ford and, joined by
[524]
RODMAN
Scammon s brigade, resisted the struggle made
by Toombs, who held the bridge. When the
general movement began, he went forward to
ward Sharpsburg, where he found the enemy
occupying ridges on his left front, so that he was
unable to keep his connection with Wilcox,
although he made good progress against stubborn
resistance, his movement becoming practically
bv column of brigades. He directed Colonel
Harland to lead the right against A. P. Hill s
division, disguised in Federal uniforms and
hidden in the cornfield, while he himself at
tempted to bring the left into position. In per
forming this duty, he fell mortally wounded by
a ininie rifle-ball, Sept. 17, 1862. He was conveyed
to the hospital near Sharpsburg, Va., and his wife,
ffither, and the family physician reached his bed
side before his death. He died. Sept, 29, 1863.
RODMAN, Thomas Jefferson, ordnance offi
cer, was born in Salem, Ind., July 30, 1813. He
was graduated from the U. S. Military academy
in 1841 and was breveted 2d lieutenant, and as
signed to the ordnance department. July 1, 1841.
He served at the Allegheny , Pa. , arsenal. 1841-48;
was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 3, 1847. and
supervised the manufacture of cannon at Fort
Pitt foundry. Pittsburg, Pa., in 1847. He was ord
nance officer stationed at the depots at Camargo
and Point Isabel, Mexico. 1847 : at Allegheny ar
senal, 1848 14 : was in command of the Allegheny
arsenal, 1854-55 ; of Baton Rouge arsenal, La,,
180.5-56, and was promoted captain July 1, 1855,
for fourteen years continuous service. He was
stationed at Allegheny arsenal, 1857 - 59 ; com
manded the Watertown arsenal, Mass., 1859-03;
superintended the casting of the first 15-inch Co-
lumbiad, the 13-inch rifled Rodman gun, and the
20- inch smooth bore, and supervised the casting
of all projectiles and ordnance, after an invention
of his own, 1864-05. He was promoted major,
June 1, 1803. and brevetted lieutenant-colonel,
colonel and brigadier general. U.S.A., March 13,
1865, for faithful, meritorious and distinguished
services in the ordnance department. He was in
command of Rock Island arsenal. 111., of which
he superintended the construction, 1865-71 ; was
promoted lieutenant-colonel, May 7, 1867, and
was a member of ordnance and artillery boards,
1865-67. He died in Rock Island, 111., June 7, 1871.
RODNEY, Csesar, signer, was born at St. Jones s
Xeok, Kent county, Del., Oct. 7, 1728; son of
C;esar and (Crawford) Rodney, and grandson
of William and Alice (Caesar) Rodney, who emi
grated from Bristol, England, settled first in
Philadelphia, and then in Dover. Del., William
held local offices, becoming justice of Newcastle
in 1707, and speaker of the first house of assembly,
lie died in 1708. Caesar Rodney, the younger,
inherited a large estate, was sheriff of Kent
RODNEY
county, 1755-58 ; a justice of the peace, and judge
of the lower courts in 1758. He superintended
the printing of Delaware currency in 1759, and
was appointed a commissioner to provide for the
support of a company of militia raised for the
French and Indian war. He was elected repre
sentative in the colonial assembly several times
after 1762 ; was recorder of Kent county in 1764,
and a justice of the peace, 1764-66. In 1765 he
was sent as delegate to the stamp act congress
in New York and when the act Was repealed, lie
was appointed by the legislature of Delaware to
frame an address of thanks to the king. He was
register of bills in 1766, and in 1787 joined Thomas
McKean and George Read in forming a second
address to the King, setting forth the tyranny of
England and threatening armed resistance to the
tea act. He was superintendent of the loan office
in 1769: an associate justice, 1769-73; clerk of
the peace in 1770, and in 1772 was appointed a
commissioner to erect a state house and other
public buildings at Dover. He was chairman of
the committee of safety of Delaware, issuing a
call for the assembling of a convention at New
castle, Aug. 1, 1774, of which he was chairman,
and was a delegate to the Continental congress,
1774-84, serving as a member of its general com
mittee, appointed to make a statement of the
rights and grievances of the colonists. He was
also a signer of the Declaration of Independence
of July 4, 1776. He was appointed colonel of mil
itia in May. 1775, and brigadier-general in Sep
tember. 1775. and went to Morristown, N.J., in
1776, where lie joined General Washington, but
returned to Delaware in 177T. He was chosen
judge of the admiralty, June 5, 1777, having
refused the appointment of judge of the newly
organized supreme court of Delaware. In
August. 1777. he collected
troops to prevent the British
from joining their fleet, and
in September, 1777, was
appointed major-general of
militia. He was elected a
delegate to the Continental
congress that met at Philadel
phia. Pa.. July 2, 1778, but did not take his seat,
having been elected president of the Delaware
State" in 1778, in which capacity lie served till
1782. He died in Dover. Del.. June 26, 1784.
RODNEY, Caesar Augustus, soldier and states
man, was born in Dover, Del., Jan. 4, 1772 ; son
of Col. Thomas and Elizabeth (Fisher) Rodney ;
grandson of William and Alice (Caesar) Rodney,
and a nephew of Caesar Rodney (q.v.). He was
brought up by his uncle, who made provision in
his will for his education ; was graduated from
the University of Pennsylvania. A.B., 1789. A.M.,
1792 ; was admitted to the bar in 1793, and estab-
[5251
RODNEY
ROE
lished himself in practice in Wilmington, Del.
He was married in 1791 to Susan, daughter of
John Hunn. He was a representative in the 8th
congress, 1803-05, serving on the committee on
ways and means, and on Dec. 4, 1804, was chosen
one of the managers to conduct the impeachment
trial of Judge Chase ; also, in 1805, conducting
the impeachment trials of three of the four judges
of the supreme court of Pennsylvania. He was
appointed attorney-general of the United States
in 1807, and held this office under Presidents Jef
ferson and Madison till 181 1, when lie returned to
his law practice at Wilmington. On the outbreak
of the war of 1812 he commanded a rifle corps in
Wilmington, Del., which was later changed to a
company of light artillery, of which he became
captain and which lie commanded on the Cana
dian frontier. He was a member of the commit
tee of safety of Delaware in 1813 ; state senator
in 1815, and was appointed one of the commis
sioners sent to South America by President Mon
roe to report on the conditions of the Spanish-
American republics and the advisability of recog
nizing them as independent governments. He
was a representative in the 17th congress, 1821-
22, taking his seat, Dec. 3. 1821, resigning, Jan. 24,
1822, to take his seat in the U.S. senate, and re
signing from the senate, Jan. 27, 1823. lie was
the first Democrat to be sent to congress. He
was appointed U.S. minister plenipotentiary to
the United Provinces of La Plata, and arrived at
Buenos Ayres, Dec. 27, 1823, where he was received
with imposing ceremonies, but declining health
prevented his active participation in affairs. In
connection with John Graham he published :
Reports on the Present Stale of tlie United Prov
inces of South America (1819). He died in Buenos
Ayres, S.A., June 10, 1824.
RODNEY, Caleb, governor of Delaware, was
born in Lewes, Del., April 29, 1767 ; son of John
and Ruth (Hunn) Rodney, and brother of Sena
tor Daniel Rodney (q.v.). lie engaged in the
mercantile business in Lewes ; was speaker in the
state senate, and on the death of Governor John
Collins in April. 1822, lie was chosen acting gov
ernor of Delaware, serving until 1823, when he
was succeeded by Samuel Paynter. He died in
Lewes, Del., April 29. 1840.
RODNEY, Daniel, senator, was born in Lewes,
Sussex county, Del., Sept. 10, 1764; son of John
and Ruth (Hunn) Rodney, and great-grandson of
William Rodney, the emigrant. lie was master
of a coasting vessel when a youth, and was twice
captured by the British, and after the war lie
settled in business in Lewes, and was married,
March 5, 1788, to Sarah, daughter of Maj. Henry
Fisher. He was judge of the court of common
pleas of Delaware for twelve years ; presidential
elector in 1809, and was governor of the state of
Delaware, 1814-17. In 1821 he received the four
electoral votes of Delaware for vice-president of
the United States ; was a representative in the
17th congress, to fill the vacancy caused by the
resignation of Caesar A. Rodney (,q.v.), serving
from Dec. 2, 1822, to March 3, 1823, and was ap
pointed U.S. senator to fill the vacancy caused bv
the death of Nicholas Van Dyke, serving from
Dec. 4, 1826, to Jan. 23, 1827, when a successor
was elected. He died in Lewes. Del., Sept. 2, 1846.
RODNEY, Thomas, delegate, was born in Sus
sex county, Del., June 4, 1744; son of Cuesar and
(Crawford) Rodney, and brother of Caesar
Rodney, the signer (q.v.). Thomas was a justice
of the peace in 1770 and 1784; a member of the
assembly held in 1774 for the purpose of electing
delegates to the first Continental congress ; a
member of the council of safety in 1775, and a
colonel of Delaware militia during the war. He
was married to Elizabeth Fisher. He was chief
justice of the Kent county court, 1778-79 ; regis
ter of wills. 1779-81. and a delegate to the Conti
nental congress, 1781-83 and 1785-87. lie was
speaker of the state assembly in 1787 ; was super
intendent of the Kent county alms-house in 180-2,
and in 1803 he was appointed U.S. judge for the
territory of Mississippi. The town of Rodney,
Jefferson county, Miss., in which he was a large
land owner, was named in his honor. He died in
Rodney, Miss., Jan. 2, 1811.
ROE, Charles Francis, soldier, was born in
New York city, May 1, 1848; son of Stephen
Romer and Josephine (Foster) Roe; grandson of
Bentley and Elizabeth (Romer) Roe, and of
James Gardiner and Anna E. (Colson) Foster, and
a descendant of Stephen Roe, a Revolutionary
soldier, who settled in Ulster county, N.Y., 1782,
as conveyancer and school teacher. Charles
Francis Roe entered the U.S. Military academy
in 1864, and Jan. 15, 1868, was appointed 2d lieu
tenant in the 1st cavalry. He was transferred to
the 2d cavalry in 1870, and was mustered out of
the service, Dec. 28, 1870, owing to the reduction
of the army. He was commissioned 2d lieutenant,
2d cavalry, in 1871, and in 1ST6 led one of the
columns sent to the relief of General Custer.
He was married, July 29. 1874, to Katherine Bis-
sell, daughter of John Banter and Elizabeth (Bis-
sell) Bogert of Brooklyn. N.Y. He served as
adjutant of his regiment for nine years ; in 1880
was promoted 1st lieutenant ; resigned his com
mission, Jan. 31, 1888, and engaged in real estate
business in New York city. In 1889 he became the
first captain of troop A, 1st brigade, N.G.S.N.Y.,
which troop did effective work during the strikes
in Buffalo. N.Y., in 1892. and in Brooklyn. N.Y.,
in 1895. He was appointed major of the squad
ron, February, 1895, and was appointed major-
general in command of the N.G.S.N.Y. by
[520]
ROE
ROE
Governor Black on Feb. 9, 1898. He was com
missioned brigadier-general of volunteers by
President McKinley, June 10, 1898, and after
service in the war with Spain, resigned his com
mission in the volunteer service on Sept. 10, 1898.
He was elected a member of many clubs.
ROE, Edward Payson, author, was born in
Moodna, New Windsor, Orange county, N.Y.,
March 7, 1838 ; son of Peter, grandson of James,
great-grandson of Nathaniel, great-grandson of
Nathaniel Roe, and great -grandson of John
Ro\ve, who settled in Setauket, L.I., in 1660.
He attended Williams college, but did not gradu
ate ; studied at the Auburn Theological semi
nary, 1861-6*3, and was ordained at Somers,
N.Y., by the North River presbytery in 1862.
He joined the Federal army as chaplain of
Harris s light cavalry, in which he served, 1862-
64 ; was hospital chaplain at Fort Monroe, 1864-
65, and was pastor of the Highland Falls Presby
terian church. 1866-74. He was married, Nov.
24, 1863, to Anna Paula Sands of New York.
He visited the ruins of the great Chicago fire,
and there collected the material for his first
novel, Barriers Burned Away (1872), which
first appeared as a serial in the New York Evan
gelist. On resigning his pastorate at Highland
Falls in 1874, he retired to Cornwall-on-the-Hud-
son, and gave his attention chiefly to writing
novels, which were widely circulated. The titles
of his books include : Play and Profit in my
Garden (1873): What Can She Do ? (1873); Open
ing of a Chestnut Burr (1874) ; From Jest to
Earnest (1875); Near to Nature s Heart (1876) ;
^4 Knight of the Nineteenth Century (1877) ; A
Face Illumined (1878); .4 Day of Fate (1880);
Success with Small Fruits (1880) ; Without a
Home (1881); His Sombre Rivals (1883); .4 Young
Girl s IFoomgr(1884) ; Nature s Serial Story (1884);
An Original Belle (1885); Driven Back to Eden
(1885); He Fell in Love with His Wife (1886) ;
The Earth Trembled (1887), and Miss Low, a
story of southern life after the war, which was
completed after his death from his diary. He
died in Cornwall, N.Y., July 19, 1888.
ROE, Francis Asbury, naval officer, was born
in Elmira, N.Y., Oct. 4, 1823. He attended
Elmira academy ; was appointed acting mid
shipman, Oct. 19, 1841 ; warranted midshipman,
Feb. 3, 1842 ; was made warrant officer on the
Yorktown, Sept. 3, 1844 ; was attached to the
Boston of the Gulf squadron during the Mexican
war, 1846-47, and when she was wrecked in the
Bahamas ; served on the Allegliany in 1847 ; was
promoted passsed midshipman, Aug. 10, 1847 ;
graduated at the U.S. Naval academy, July 12,
1848, and was detached from the Albany, Aug. 13,
1849. He was married in the following Septem
ber to Eliza J. Snyder. He was executive and
U.S.S."PENSA<Ol_A -IS58
watch officer on the mail steamer Georgia, New
York and West India line, 1850-52 ; on duty in
Bering sea, and was executive officer on the brig
Porpoise in the North Pacifio exploring expedi
tion, 1852-54, serving with distinction in a suc
cessful battle with thirteen heavily armored
pirate junks in Koulan Bay, China. He was
commanding and executive officer of the flag
ship Vincennes, Arctic exploring expedition, 1855;
was promoted master, Aug. 8, 1855, and lieuten
ant, Sept. 14, 1855. He served in the coast sur