Frederick Rodgers

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

Rear Admiral Frederick Rodgers (3 October, 1842 – 3 November, 1917) served in the United States Navy.

Life & Career

Rodgers was part of a famous naval "dynasty" that saw family members serving as commissioned officers in the Navy from its founding through the early Twentieth Century. He was born in Maryland, the son of Colonel of US Volunteers Robert Smith Rodgers, and was appointed to the Naval Academy from the same state, graduating with the Class of 1861.

Civil War

During the Civil War, Rodgers served on blockade duty and on the Mississippi River. In 1861 he commanded a prize crew, and in 1864 served as Executive Officer of the steamer Grand Gulf. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 16 July, 1862.[1][2]

Post-War Service

Following the war, Rodgers was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on 25 July, 1866, and survived the loss of the screw sloop Sacramento in the Bay of Bengal in 1867. He later served as Executive Officer on Michigan on the Great Lakes.[3][4]

From 1873 to 1876 he served as the first commanding officer of the steamer Despatch, being promoted to the rank of Commander on 4 February, 1875.[5][6] After a brief stint of shore duty, Rodgers was appointed to command gunboat Adams from 1877 to August, 1879.[7][8]

Rodgers commanded receiving ship Independence from 1883 to May 1887, but otherwise spent the entirety of the 1880's on shore duty.[9][10][11] He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 28 February, 1890, and was appointed to command protected cruiser Philadelphia later that year.[12][13]

He then served as Supervisor of New York Harbor before being appointed Captain of the Yard at the New York Navy Yard from October, 1893 to June, 1896.[14][15][16] Upon his relief, he immediately was appointed the first commanding officer of Massachusetts, a command he held for just over a year.[17][18]

Spanish-American War and Flag Rank

In late 1897, Rodgers became President of the Board of Inspection and Survey. As the nation moved closer to war with Spain, he served as President of a Board on Auxiliary Cruisers which examined civilian ships which the Navy was considering for purchase and conversion. Eventually, he secured a combat command when the captain of monitor Puritan fell ill and Rodgers was tapped as his replacement. He saw action in the Cuban and Puerto Rican campaigns.[19][20][21][22]

After hostilities concluded, Rodgers returned to the Board of Inspection and Survey, having been promoted to Commodore in October, 1898. He served through early 1901, being promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on 3 March, 1899, as a result of the Act of March 3, 1899 eliminating the rank of Commodore.[23][24] He then had the opportunity to fly his flag at sea, as Senior Squadron Commander of the Asiatic Station from February, 1901. In March, 1902 he assumed command of the station. When he was relieved on 29 October, 1902, the command was redesignated as the Asiatic Fleet.[25][26]

While commanding the Asiatic Squadron, Rodgers lost a suit filed against the government claiming lost wages under an interpretation of the Act of March 3, 1899 when the Supreme Court ruled against him.

Rodgers concluded his career as the Commandant of the New York Navy Yard from 21 March, 1903 to his retirement for age on 3 October, 1904.[27][28] He remained in the New York area in retirement until his death in 1917.[29]

See Also

Bibliography

Papers

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of U.S.S. Adams
1877[30] – Aug, 1879[31]
Succeeded by
Edgar C. Merriman
Preceded by
Charles S. Norton
Captain of U.S.S. Independence
1 Nov, 1883[32] – before 4 May, 1887[33]
Succeeded by
John W. Philip
Preceded by
Albert S. Barker
Captain of U.S.S. Philadelphia
22 Sep, 1890[34] – Jun, 1892[35]
Succeeded by
Charles S. Cotton
Preceded by
Theodore F. Kane
Captain, Navy Yard, New York
2 Oct, 1893[36] – 6 Jun, 1896[37]
Succeeded by
George W. Sumner
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of U.S.S. Massachusetts
10 Jun, 1896 – 22 Jul, 1897[38]
Succeeded by
Francis J. Higginson
Preceded by
Purnell F. Harrington
Captain of U.S.S. Puritan
18 Jun, 1898[39] – Oct, 1898
Succeeded by
Albert G. Berry
Preceded by
George C. Remey
Commander, Asiatic Squadron
1 Mar, 1902 – 29 Oct, 1902
Succeeded by
Robley D. Evans, as CinC, Asiatic Fleet
Preceded by
Albert S. Barker
Commandant, Navy Yard, New York
21 Mar, 1903[40] – 3 Oct, 1904
Succeeded by
Joseph B. Coghlan

Footnotes

  1. Register of Officers, 1863. pp. 34-35.
  2. New York Daily Herald 7 June, 1864 p. 8.
  3. Register of Officers, 1867. pp. 28-29.
  4. Chicago Evening Post 2 September, 1868 p. 4.
  5. Register of Officers, 1877. pp. 18-19.
  6. Philadelphia Inquirer 24 October, 1876 p. 1.
  7. Register of Officers, 1878. pp. 16-17.
  8. Evening Star (Washington, DC) 29 July, 1879 p. 1.
  9. Register of Officers, 1884. pp. 14-15.
  10. San Francisco Examiner 23 October, 1883 p. 3.
  11. San Francisco Examiner 4 May, 1887 p. 6.
  12. Register of Officers, 1891. pp. 6-7.
  13. Brooklyn Daily Eagle 30 June, 1892 p. 6.
  14. Register of Officers, 1893. p. 6.
  15. Register of Officers, 1894. p. 6.
  16. The World (New York) 7 June, 1896 p. 9.
  17. Philadelphia Inquirer 11 June, 1896 p. 3.
  18. Boston Globe 23 July,1897 p. 2.
  19. Register of Officers, 1898. p. 6.
  20. List and Station, July 1898. p. 5.
  21. New York Sun 28 April, 1898 p. 7.
  22. Evening Star (Washington, DC) 11 June, 1898 p. 1.
  23. Register of Officers, 1899. p. 4.
  24. Register of Officers, 1901. p. 6.
  25. Baltimore Sun 2 March, 1902 p. 9.
  26. Washington Times 20 October, 1902 p. 7.
  27. Register of Officers, 1904. p. 6.
  28. New York TImes 3 October, 1904 p. 1.
  29. Register of Officers, 1918. p. 465.
  30. Register of Officers, 1878. pp. 16-17.
  31. Evening Star (Washington, DC) 29 July, 1879 p. 1.
  32. Register of Officers, August 1884. p. 10.
  33. San Francisco Examiner 4 May, 1887 p. 6.
  34. Register of Officers, 1891. pp. 6-7.
  35. Brooklyn Daily Eagle 30 June, 1892 p. 6.
  36. Register of Officers, 1894. p. 6.
  37. The World (New York) 7 June, 1896 p. 9.
  38. Boston Globe 23 July, 1897 p. 2.
  39. List and Station, July 1898. p. 5.
  40. Register of Officers, 1904. p. 6.