St Landry County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Rogers, Col. Benj. R. June 17, 1897
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary K. Creamer marykcreamer@yahoo.com June 28, 2015, 7:57 pm

St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, June 26, 1897, Image 3

Col. Benj. R. Rogers, one of the most prominent of the old landmarks of St. 
Landry, passed away peacefully at his residence, in Opelousas, on Thursday 
night, June 17, in the 91st year of his age.

Col. Rogers was the elder son of Robert Rogers, who moved to St. Landry from 
South Carolina in the last century. The Colonel was born about seven miles 
northeast of Opelousas, on his father's plantation at Bayou Teche. His 
mother was a Miss Clary, of South Carolina. He was educated at home by 
private tutors until the age of 17, when he was sent to Nashville. After his 
return, when he attained the age of 22, he was married to Caroline Treline 
Hudson, of Pointe Coupee parish, by whom he had one daughter who died at the 
age of 9.

The Colonel pursued the occupation of a planter nearly all of his life. He 
also filled several public offices, notably Registrar of the Land Office for 
the southwestern district of Louisiana, and Receiver of Public Monies. He 
also represented St. Landry in the Legislature, after a spirited contest in 
the courts in which the services of the celebrated Sergeant S. Prentiss were 
enlisted in his behalf. The Colonel was an ardent Whig up to the time that 
the Democracy became synonymous with Caucasian supremacy. He always took an 
active interest in National and State politics, entertaining lavishly the 
great political lights of the past generation who visited this section. He 
was a friend and ardent admirer of Henry Clay and Judah P. Benjamin, and 
while differing in politics with Andrew Jackson, he was an admirer of the 
latter's robust and combative Americanism, and visited him at the Hermitage.

He and the late Judge Jos. M. Moore were very active in the Granger movement 
in the seventies. When Gov. Nicholls was first elected, he received the 
appointment of Clerk of the Supreme Court, which was the last office he 
held. He took an active interest in the politics of the country up to the 
time of his death, having been a stalwart Democrat since Reconstruction. The 
Colonel was a gentleman of the old school, courtly in his bearing, 
differential to ladies, and a perfect Chesterfield in his manners, which 
never forsook him until he became unconscious. He was a very entertaining 
talker and his reminiscences of antibellum times would fill a volume.

His energy, for one of his age, was remarkable. From early morn till dewy 
eve he could be seen in his garden, in the cultivation of which he took 
great interest, varying his time between his garden and his books, until old 
age grew on apace, and the four score years and ten alloted to man's 
existence had passed. When he realized that in the natural order of things 
his hour was nigh, he selected his spot in the graveyard and asked to be 
buried there. Perfectly conscious to the last, he received the visit of 
relatives, friends and old family servants with marked pleasure, asking 
about their families, their crops, etc., until exhaustive nature sank into 
that repose whose shadows will be dissipated alone by the sun of eternity.

The Rev. Dr. Duncan, of Alexandria, conducted the funeral services according 
to the impressive rites of the Episcopal church. On account of the intense 
heat prevailing many of his friends were prevented from paying their last 
tribute of respect to his gallant old representative of a past generation.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/stlandry/obits/r/rogers5997gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/

File size: 4.0 Kb