The Rodgers family is perhaps the most noted family in the history of the United States Navy. Several generations of the family served, and between 1798 and 1926 the navy could count at least one John Rodgers in its ranks. This naval dynasty began with John Rodgers, one of eight children born to Scottish immigrant John Rodgers and his wife Elizabeth Reynolds. The elder John Rodgers was active in the Maryland militia during the American Revolution. Born in 1773, near Havre de Grace, Maryland, young John exhibited an early interest in sailing and was apprenticed to a Baltimore captain at the age of fifteen. He then worked on or captained merchant vessels for the next decade or so.
In 1794 Congress authorized the construction of six frigates, the first naval vessels built under the United States Constitution. In 1798 the first three ships were completed, and John Rodgers was appointed second lieutenant of the USS
Rodgers spent most of the next few years cruising the seas off the coast of Africa as part of the navy's Mediterranean Squadron. His many successful performances during the Tripolitan War further burnished his reputation, and in 1805 he was appointed commodore of the squadron, with the
After serving in the Mediterranean, Rodgers returned to the United States to command the New York Flotilla, a small fleet of gunboats assigned to protect the port of New York and enforce the 1807 embargo on trade with Britain and France. He then took command of the North Atlantic Squadron, which he led throughout the War of 1812. During this period Rodgers was the ranking officer in the navy. He was hailed as a popular hero for capturing twenty-three prizes and lending critical assistance to the defense of Fort McHenry. Near the end of the war, while stationed near Washington, D.C., Rodgers helped coordinate the defense of the nation's capital. During this time, John's brother, George Washington Rodgers, also served as a naval captain.
In 1815 John Rodgers was appointed to the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group formed to assist and provide support for the secretary of the navy. Rodgers served as president of the board and worked in that capacity until the mid-1820s, when he returned to active service. In 1823, amidst rumors of terrible fever outbreaks in the fleet near Thompson's Island (now Key West), he led a brief expedition there to provide relief and assistance. Shortly thereafter, he took command of the Mediterranean Squadron, with the
A well-known figure in Washington society for much of his life, Rodgers's friends and associates included high-ranking officers and influential politicians such as John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. In 1820 he attended his friend Commodore Stephen Decatur's duel with Commodore James Barron and remained at Decatur's side until he expired from his wounds. The Rodgers' extended family included Tobias Lear and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Even John Rodgers's house would have an interesting history; built by the commodore in 1835, it was subsequently the home of several government officials, and is the house in which Secretary of State William H. Seward was attacked on April 14, 1865.
John Rodgers's sons and grandsons continued this tradition of military service, most of them by rising in the ranks of the navy. John Rodgers had married Minerva Denison, the daughter of a wealthy Maryland merchant, in 1806. Although John spent many years at sea, the couple still managed to produce ten children: Robert Smith, Frederick, John, Elizabeth, William Pinkney, Henry, Ann, Augustus Frederick, Louisa, and Jerusha. Four of their sons became active in the military and two of their daughters married army officers. Robert Smith Rodgers, their eldest son, was a civil engineer who served as a colonel during the Civil War. Frederick Rodgers, a midshipman who served with his father in the Mediterranean, drowned with two of his friends near Norfolk in 1828. Henry Rodgers was lost off the coast of California in 1854. John Rodgers (1812-1882), a naval engineer, served in the Civil War and achieved the rank of rear admiral before his death in 1882. John and Minerva's daughter, Louisa, married Montgomery C. Meigs, quartermaster general during the Civil War. Their daughter Ann married Colonel John Navarre Macomb.
The Rodgers family's connection to the navy was reinforced by marriages to other families with naval backgrounds. Minerva (Denison) Rodgers's brother Henry served as the purser on several naval ships, including the brig
Robert Smith Rodgers, John and Minerva's eldest son, maintained the family property at Sion Hill after his Uncle Henry's death. In 1841 Robert married Sarah Perry, the daughter of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who had an illustrious naval career himself. Perry served for many years under the command of John Rodgers before he was appointed captain. He is best known for his expeditions to Japan in the 1850s, which resulted in the opening of trade between Japan and the United States. In the 1840s Perry commanded the African Squadron, which was formed to suppress the slave trade and to protect American blacks who had settled in Africa. In the late 1840s Perry served in the Mexican War and helped the U.S. Army capture the city of Vera Cruz.
The Perry-Rodgers connection had been forged many years before, when Matthew Perry's sister Ann married George Washington Rodgers, the brother of John Rodgers. Perry's older brother was the famed naval captain Oliver Hazard Perry, with whom Matthew also served for a time. Their father was Captain Christopher Raymond Perry. Matthew's wife, Jane (Slidell) Perry, had a younger brother, Alexander Slidell (who later changed his named to Alexander Slidell Mackenzie in order to inherit money from his uncle), who also served as the captain of a naval ship and achieved notoriety in 1842 when he executed three members of his crew on the
Two of Robert and Sarah (Perry) Rodgers's children, Frederick and John Augustus, also served in the navy. Both achieved the rank of rear admiral. Subsequent generations of the Rodgers family continued this tradition of naval service well into the twentieth century.
This collection chiefly relates to the naval service of several generations of the Rodgers family, with the bulk of the materials pertaining to career of Commodore John Rodgers (1773-1838). Included are records regarding his service in the Tripolitan War and the War of 1812, as well as his work on the Board of Navy Commissioners. Records for other members of his family, including his sons Henry, John, and Frederick; his grandsons Frederick and John Augustus; his brother George Washington Rodgers; his brothers-in-law, John D. Henley and Henry Denison; and his son-in-law Matthew C. Perry, pertain to their services in the Mexican War, the Civil War, the African Squadron of 1843, and the Asiatic Squadron of the 1870s, as well as other minor assignments. These records include logbooks, signal books, journals, requisition books, general orders, sailing instructions, and letters. Although these records are by no means complete, they do cover most aspects of naval service and they collectively represent most of the major naval campaigns undertaken by the United States in the nineteenth century.
There are several areas for which documentation is quite rich. Commodore Rodgers's papers concerning his command of the North Atlantic Squadron during the War of 1812 include detailed log books that describe encounters with British vessels. The USS
Many records relate to John Rodgers's work as commander of the Mediterranean Squadron in the mid 1820s, and other records contain fairly rich documentation of his work on the Board of Navy Commissioners, on which he served from 1815 until his death in 1838. These records include opinions on various aspects of the navy's regulation and the board's opinions on proposed changes. Commodore Matthew Perry's papers include records regarding his command of the African Squadron, as well as detailed correspondence concerning his service in the Mexican War.
Although the collection includes records for many members of the Rodgers family, several individuals are represented by just a few items documenting their naval careers. Personal papers are few and far between, although they do provide some clues about the lives and interests of some family members. Robert Smith Rodgers's papers include personal correspondence and scattered diary entries, and his son John Augustus's diary from the
Please note that that many of the individuals represented in this collection have not only a close personal connection, but also close professional ties. For example, Matthew C. Perry was not only John Rodgers's son-in-law, he was a midshipman on Rodgers's ship during the War of 1812. Rodgers's son Frederick served with him in the Mediterranean Squadron. Robert Smith Rodgers appears to have played a minor role as Matthew Perry's prize agent during the Mexican War. Although ships' logs and other records were typically kept by midshipmen or lieutenants, here they are organized by squadron and commander. Perry's log kept aboard the
The collection is open for research.
Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Rodgers Family Papers (Collection 1208), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Purchased.
Volume 65 (the "black book" containing lists of punishments meted out on the USS
Processing made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Several volumes have been cleaned for mold.
None.
This subseries includes four volumes pertaining to John Rodgers's service in the Mediterranean Squadron during the Tripolitan War. His letterbook actually begins in 1799, shortly after Rodgers joined the navy, and continues, with some gaps, until the end of the Tripolitan War. It not only contains copies of Rodgers's outgoing correspondence, it also includes copies of letters that he received and third-party correspondence involving other naval officers. In a very angry letter to William Jarvis, the American Consul in Lisbon, Rodgers wrote indignantly, "I now without reserve take the liberty of telling you in plain English that nothing less than the high authority that gave you your appointment [the president] has preventd my chastising you for your unmanly & ungentlemanly conduct before this." The unsigned letter ends "I will not trust you with my signature." Orders, promotions, and courts martial are discussed in these letters, and some sailing signals are included as well.
A receipt book documents money advanced to the squadron's officers; these sums range from one hundred dollars to ten thousand dollars. Entries sometimes note that the money would be used to pay additional troops that the officers had enlisted. Monthly expenditures of the
Of particular note in this subseries is a volume that includes the quarter bill, general orders, and signals of the frigate
This subseries consists of nine volumes pertaining to John Rodgers's command of the New York Flotilla, a small fleet consisting mainly of gunboats. The flotilla was assigned to protect the Port of New York during the 1807 embargo. Three of these volumes contain general orders issued to the flotilla by Commodore Rodgers. Two of these volumes are exactly the same; the third is very similar. The orders outline various aspects of seamanship and conduct that Rodgers considered of high importance. Most orders concern discipline and obedience, although some concern hygiene and meticulousness. One order mandated that "Blasphemy-Profaneness and all species of immorality are peremptorily forbid."
Also included in this subseries are three account books for the flotilla, kept by United States Naval Agents. John Beekman is identified as the naval agent in the first of these volumes, although all three appear to have been kept by more than one person. Accounts with other men are listed throughout the volumes. Purchases, which were for various ships in the flotilla, included guns, ammunition, wood, hardware, furniture, canvas, paint, and cables.
Another volume lists vessels spoken to by flotilla ships, as well as a list of vessels boarded by crews from the flotilla. Origin, destination, captain's name, and type of cargo are listed for most of these ships. According to navy regulations, ships were from time to time surveyed, or inspected, for repairs and problems. A survey book chronicles surveys conducted on a number of boats in the flotilla and includes lists of problems and supplies that were wanting. One volume chronicling courts martial proceedings on the
This subseries includes records pertaining to John Rodgers's command of the North Atlantic Squadron, to which he was assigned in 1810. The squadron, with
The logbook of the
In 1814, Rodgers was assigned command of the Delaware Flotilla, with the
Records of courts martial typically consist of Rodgers's order that a court martial take place and his assignment of the officers who were to be members of the court. Although Rodgers's letters, generally written to the commanders of the ships on which the accused were serving, ask that transcripts of the questioning be sent to him (copies of these transcripts are sometimes included), he does not appear to have had judicial authority at the courts martial. Most of the accusations concern disobedience, neglect of duty, mutinous conduct, and desertion. These records are for courts martial on several vessels, including
A handful of letters largely concern the requisitioning of ships and the treatment of British prisoners of war.
Many of the papers in this subseries pertain to the revision of naval regulations that was undertaken in the early 1830s. In particular, these papers address specific aspects of the regulations and the proposed revisions, including the issue of merging the duties of the secretary of the navy with those of the president of the Board of Navy Commissioners. Included are copies of letters to and from John Rodgers, president of the Board of Revisions, and various board members, as well as Levi Woodbury, the secretary of the navy.
Also included in this subseries are pay regulations for the navy; a manuscript copy of the articles of war, which contains information on crimes and court martial procedures; a small volume of sailing instructions and fog signals; and several manuscript volumes concerning shipbuilding and the outfitting of ships, which fell under the auspices of the navy commissioners. There is also a volume recording work done by men cutting timber on Blackbeard Island. Just off the coast of Georgia, Blackbeard Island was purchased by the United States in 1800 as a source for wood to be used in shipbuilding. The volume consists of weekly reports of work done by the men and lists their names, days worked, and occasional comments, usually referring to sickness or injury.
Correspondence included in this subseries is addressed to Rodgers during his long tenure with the Board of Navy Commissioners. Matthew Perry (see Series 5) penned several of them, and a number of others refer to the regulation of navy yards and other naval business. One 1834 letter, from a Captain Percival, concerns a cane that was crafted for Commodore Rodgers. The cane was made from lumber of the
Several volumes pertain to calculations for shipbuilding, which was overseen by the board. There is a small volume submitted by S.W. Johnson and Joseph Wilson, shipbuilders, that proposed methods and plans for building ships. This volume is entirely narrative; no drawings or diagrams of the suggested methods are included.
This subseries consists of thirty-seven volumes pertaining to John Rodgers's command of the Mediterranean Squadron. Although the records do not bear it out explicitly, the squadron's work was instrumental in laying the groundwork for a commercial treaty with Turkey and opening the Black Sea to American commerce. Rodgers's flagship and command post was the seventy-four-gun
Navy regulations were very strict, and sailors who remained on shore too long or took advantage of liberty time were strictly punished. The "Black Book" of the
In addition to the ample supply records found in the requisition and expenditure books, the logs contain a very extensive record of the
In addition to the records of the
The volume of meteorological observations has a memorandum concerning John Rodgers's purchase of a Chesapeake-area glass works in 1833 on the reverse (see also Series 1F).
During Rodgers's brief hiatus from active duty in 1801-1802, he rejoined the merchant service as the captain of the
This subseries includes two volumes pertaining to Rodgers's 1823 expedition to Thompson's Island (now Key West). When it was rumored that there had been a terrible outbreak of yellow fever there, the government dispatched several vessels to travel there to ascertain the situation and assist the sailors stationed there. Rodgers commanded the schooner
Also included in this subseries are a handful of bills and receipts and the 1830 agreement between Rodgers and Jacob Swimley regarding the building of a house in Washington, D.C. There are also some papers pertaining to Rodgers's ownership of Washington Glass Works. Of special interest is a small notebook that appears to have been kept by an unidentified friend of Rodgers. The notebook lists several major cities in Italy and gives pointers regarding the American consul there, who to visit, and which taverns to frequent. The writer also provided Rodgers with a bit of advice: "And now my dear Commodore...one more remark which is beware of the 2nd dancer at Genoa for as my good friend Commodore Chauncey would say 'she will be very apt to make the best of Husbands crack a Commandment.'"
The bulk of this series is comprised of Henry Rodgers's navigational workbooks, observations, and references, some of which also contain portions of ships' logs, letters, or journals. His navigational notes feature meticulous diagrams of methods of calculating latitude and longitude, and measuring amplitude. Like several other volumes in this collection, some of Henry's books were later used for other purposes; one has newspaper clippings and French exercises following his navigational notes.
It is not always clear if Henry's logs or observations were kept for official purposes, but it seems more likely that they were for his own practice and use. In November 1852, Henry reported leaving dock with 230 passengers, "amongst them a horse from California and a company of Chinese jugglers." Henry appears to have written this in Kingston, Jamaica. Another volume contains navigational calculations and copies of a couple of Rodgers's letters, written on the
Of significance is Henry Rodgers's log from the brig
Four of Henry's letters, three of them to family members, are also included in this subseries. In an 1847 letter to one of his brothers, written aboard the
One volume outlines orders and duties of seamen on night watch, followed by a series of navigational observations. This volume was continued by Robert S. Rodgers as a survey book.
Robert Smith Rodgers, the eldest son of John Rodgers, did not opt for a naval career. Instead, he worked as a civil engineer, although he did serve in the army during the Civil War. His papers include three notebooks, kept during the 1830s. These volumes, which appear to have been kept on a rather ad-hoc, informal basis, include diagrams, equations, and some theories of engineering, especially pertaining to railroads and bridges. Some information on general history and some newspaper clippings are also included. Also included is a small pocket diary that contains short entries that refer to weather, travel, and notes pertaining to surveys Rodgers did for his engineering work.
Also included are several diaries kept by Rodgers during the 1840s and 1850s. Earlier entries are very brief accounts of the weather and the main events of the day, along with some information about payments made for pew rents and other purchases and services. Rodgers was not a very faithful diarist and there are many gaps in the diaries. Especially interesting, however, are sporadic entries from 1854 to 1857. During this period Rodgers appears to have tried to develop the habit of writing one long entry per year in which he recounted the occurrences of the past twelve months. This section of pages, removed from a volume at one point, contain Rodgers's earnest reflections on current events, his life, and his family. On Christmas Day, 1854, he posed the question "How goes the world now...what are we all about?" The pages that follow describe a poor economy, hard times, politics-- especially concerning the Know-Nothing Party, Europe's state of affairs, and Commodore Perry's trip to Japan, which Rodgers called "the most interesting achievement of our country." On the front of this section of pages is a note Rodgers penned in 1880: "Since I scribbled the last page twenty six years have glided into the past."
Also included in this series is a small army mess account book, the only item pertaining to Robert Rodgers's military service. There are only two pages of entries. Finally, there is a customs house book, presumably for Havre de Grace, in which the names and amounts paid by arriving vessels were recorded. Several folders of correspondence from family, friends, and business associates describe aspects of Rodgers's work as a civil engineer, as well as personal matters such as his engagement to Sarah Perry. Correspondents include his brother Henry, his mother Minerva, and his father-in-law Matthew C. Perry.
This series begins with a diary kept by Frederick Rodgers while a boy living at Sion Hill. Most of his entries are relatively brief and record the occurrences of the day: potatoes hoed, wood chopped, dirt hauled, visitors seen, and other happenings that were of interest to a twelve-year-old boy. Frederick mentioned his parents occasionally, but often spoke of his brothers, noting outings with them and citing events such as receiving a mouth organ. Trips to nearby Havre de Grace to send or pick up mail were also noted.
The remainder of the papers in this series pertain to the naval career of Frederick Rodgers. There is a copy of Lieutenant William H. Parker's manuscript, "Seamanship," made by Rodgers while a student at the U.S. Naval Academy. This volume appears to cover all technical aspects of a sailor's life and includes information on shifting sails, dropping anchor, and preparing for action. Also included are watch bills, station bills, and fire bills for the ships
An indexed letterbook, 1873 to 1876, records Rodgers's outgoing correspondence while commanding the
Included in this subseries are three volumes of requisitions for the schooner
The bulk of the subseries consists of letterbooks kept by Perry while serving on various vessels. In 1830 Perry took command of the
During 1843 and 1844, Perry commanded the African Squadron, which was charged with protecting the interests of the American societies that had colonized areas along the coast of west Africa. A record book contains minutes of conferences with native chiefs and of proceedings of councils of naval officers. Of importance are some "notes" concerning the difficulties between American settlers and natives at Cape Palmas, where it was noted that there had been "outrages committed by the natives upon American vessels." This volume also includes essays and letters about colonization, as well as letters concerning the squadron's cruise.
Commodore Perry spent much of the latter part of his career trying to convince officials that the future of the navy would be steam, not sails. In a letterbook (vol. 106) begun in New York, Perry wrote about the appropriateness of increasing the number of naval steamships. The last portion of this letterbook pertains to Perry's duties at New York while superintending construction of ocean mail steamers.
Several letterbooks record correspondence Perry penned during the Mexican War, while serving on the
This subseries consists of eight volumes kept by Henry Denison while he acted as a purser on U.S. naval vessels. Included are several volumes pertaining to the
When the
A letterbook, 1815 to 1821, contains letters written by Denison to various officials of the Navy Department. Early letters requested funds to pay sailors from the
Also included in this subseries is a small account book with just two pages of entries; a receipt book for the ship Congress, which is largely blank and provides no details for payments; and a cashbook kept by Denison while at the navy's Baltimore station. There are some miscellaneous bills and receipts and some poetry clipped from newspapers and pasted into Denison's purser's checkbook.
Henry Denison's personal papers refer largely to his management of the family estate at Sion Hill, Maryland. Included are account books documenting personal expenses as well as money paid for the upkeep of the Sion Hill property. These records show payments to saddlers and weavers and also list purchases of tobacco and food. Henry's daybook begins with an inventory of estates and gives a list of debts owed by and to Henry and his mother Jerusha. An 1810 account book kept at Sion Hill also contains some earlier accounts kept by Henry while a purser on the frigate
Of particular interest are two letterbooks. The first of these was begun in 1799 by Henry's uncle, Ezra Denison. The Denisons were involved in the cotton trade and seem to have conducted most of their business in the South; Ezra's letters were written from Natchez, Mississippi, and most are addressed to his brother, Gideon (Henry's father), at Sion Hill. These letters largely refer to trade conditions and market prices. His last letter was written in May 1799; the next letter is dated March 1800 and is from Henry Denison to his mother Jerusha. In this letter Henry expressed his distress at the deaths of his father Gideon and his uncle Ezra: "Death has robbed me of a treasure for which I shall never be repaid." In this letter, also written from Natchez, Henry described the family's unsettled financial affairs, which he felt would compel him to remain in Natchez for several months. At the end of this letter, Henry added, "Cook who is my own personal property I am about selling for $500." Henry's letters, most of them regarding business and cotton trade, continue until August 1801. He lived in Natchez and New Orleans for the majority of that time. See Series 7F for additional Gideon Denison material.
The second letterbook, 1808 to 1809, contains just a handful of letter written by Henry Denison, most of them concerning the settlement of Gideon Denison's estate.
This subseries includes two volumes pertaining to the naval career of John Rodgers, the son of Commodore John Rodgers. Included are purser's accounts, kept on board the
This subseries includes just one piece of correspondence: an 1849 letter to Rodgers from James Lawson of the Coast Survey Office. Several letters written by John Rodgers appear in Series 3.
There are only three volumes concerning Frederick Rodgers, who drowned in 1828 at the age of seventeen. All three volumes pertain to his service as a midshipman on the
Louisa Rodgers, daughter of Commodore John Rodgers, is represented by two volumes. Her arithmetic workbook includes examples and practice problems. Her commonplace book includes a number of writings and extracts pertaining to historical events. Also included are many poems, most of which appear to be original. Several of them are dedicated to her brother Frederick and his friends, Midshipmen William J. Slidell and Robert M. Harrison, all of whom drowned near the Norfolk Navy Yard in April 1828.
There are two volumes pertaining to the naval career of John Augustus Rodgers, the son of Robert Smith Rodgers. An 1867 diary, kept while Rodgers served on the
John Henley married Eliza Denison, the younger sister of Minerva Denison, in 1816. Henley was a naval officer who served in the Tripolitan War and was involved in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. This subseries includes a small volume concerning Henley's work as a recruiting officer in Baltimore in 1815. The volume is essentially a receipt book acknowledging that sailors had been received on their proper vessels. In 1820, Henley commanded the
Of note is a collection of correspondence, dated 1817, concerning the U.S. government's decision to take Amelia Island, off the northeast coast of Florida. This small island changed hands several times in the early nineteenth century. In 1817 Spanish forces were removed from the island by Scotsman Sir Gregor MacGregor. He left the island in the control of a lieutenant, Luis Aury, a Frenchman who had served in the Mexican Revolution. Aury then proceeded to raise the Mexican flag, prompting American officials to send the navy to take control of the island. Henley commanded this force and there are a number of letters (some of them contemporary copies) from Henley to Aury urging him to surrender and leave the island. Translations of Aury's replies are also included.
Included in this subseries is one letterbook of Gideon Denison's outgoing correspondence. From 1792 to 1794 Denison traveled a great deal; letters are dated from New York, London, Birmingham, Savannah, and Philadelphia. Denison also made frequent references to business concerns in Charleston. Letters, usually written in a hasty, shaky hand, concern business but contain few references to specifics. Denison seems to have been involved in general merchandise commerce and shipping, and he appears to have had a number of associates and partners. In one letter he described the circumstances surrounding his relationship with a man called Ross, who was accused of intentionally sinking and destroying a ship. "I never was more deceived in a man than in Ross," he wrote. "That devil of a woman has done all this in my opinion - She I believe lives in prison with him." In this letter, written in New York in 1793, Denison lamented, "I have been here this three weeks waiting for the Contagious fever that prevails in Philadelphia to subside in order to go there in some safety - all that are in Philadelphia are oblige to stay for the people in the Country will not receive them, no one passes but the post." See Series 6b for additional information on Gideon Denison.
George Washington Rodgers, the brother of Commodore John Rodgers, is represented by a volume concerning his command of the
There is an 1831 log of the
Sarah (Perry) Rodgers, daughter of Matthew Perry and Jane (Slidell Rodgers), is represented by a number of letters received by her while she was living at Sion Hill with her husband Robert Smith Rodgers. There are letters from her brother Oliver H. Perry, her father, her brother-in-law Henry (Hal), her son Frederick, and her sister-in-law Ann (Rodgers) Macomb. Also included is a letter from Julia (Slidell) Rodgers, the daughter-in-law of George Washington Rodgers. Julia was also a relation of Sarah (Perry) Rodgers's mother, Jane (Slidell) Perry. One outgoing letter, written to her brother Oliver in 1830, is included here as well. Letters provide very spotty coverage of more than a twenty-year period and mainly concern visits, deaths of family members, and other family news.
The Slidell family is further represented by two letters from John Slidell: one to his son Alexander (later Alexander Slidell Mackenzie) and one to his daughter, Jane (Slidell) Perry. The first letter refers often to the Perry children, while the next discusses the 1832 outbreak of cholera in New York. An undated letter is from Julia (Slidell) Rodgers to an unidentifiable recipient.
Minerva (Denison) Rodgers's pension certificate is included in this subseries, as is an 1841 letter to Jane (Slidell) Perry concerning the engagement of their children, Robert Smith Rodgers and Sarah Perry. Also included are two letters (one incoming and one outgoing) pertaining to William Pinkney Rodgers, son of Minerva and John Rodgers. One of William's letters to his brother Hal can be found in Series 2. Robert Slidell Rodgers's college diploma and membership certificate for the Sons of the American Revolution are also included in this subseries.
This subseries primarily consists of volumes that could not be definitively related to a particular ship, squadron, or person. Also included are some records that are of an uncertain connection to the Rodgers family. Most of the volumes are undated stores book that list provisions for various departments on the ships. Two of these volumes pertain exclusively to the carpentry department. Also included in this subseries are several signal books describing and showing various types of flag and light signals. Of note is one volume of French signals and another containing telegraphic signals.
There are two letters dated 1805: one from James Barron and one from Samuel Barron. These letters concern the Tripolitan War, specifically the procurement of loans and vessels, as well as the outfitting of ships. It is likely that Commodore John Rodgers was the recipient of these letters, but neither provides an addressee.
Also included in this subseries is a letterbook kept by John W. Phillips, commander of the
There are also general orders for the HMS
Just three items comprise this subseries. There is a pocket notebook containing Spanish grammar exercises and a volume of accounts for Sion Hill, 1858 and 1872. This volume has just a few entries and may have been Calbraith Perry Rodgers's practice account book. There is also an account book, 1823 to 1824, noted as belonging to John Rodgers. The accounts, most of which concerned shipping goods, are not in the hand of Commodore John Rodgers. It is not clear to which John Rodgers they belonged.