Ohio County, West Virginia Biography of William Washington ROGERS ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by , March 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II page 273 WILLIAM WASHINGTON ROGERS, for fifty years a resident of Wheeling, a veteran Union soldier, has long been promment in public affairs, and is especially well known to the bench and bar of Ohio County as law librarian of the county. Squire Rogers was born in Bath County, Kentucky, June 6, 1842. He represents three old American families, the Rogers branch having come from Scotland in Colonial times, while the Smiths were from England and the Carrolls from Ireland. His grandfather, Charles Rogers, was a native of Old Virginia, served as a soldier of the Revolution, and subsequently moved over the mountains to Bath County, Kentucky, where he acquired a large amount of land and developed a plantation with the aid of his slaves. He married Susanna Smith, and both died in Bath County. George Washington Rogers, father of Squire Rogers, was born in Bath County and spent all of his life there. He owned land and was both a farmer and stock raiser. He was whig in politics, and an active member of the Hardshell Baptist Church. He served with the rank of colonel in the Second Kentucky Dragoons in the Mexican war, and he died in 1847, soon after the close of that war. Colonel Rogers married Charlotte Carroll, who was born at Maysville, Kentucky, and died in that city in 1863. Her oldest child, John G., who died at Maysville, Kentucky, was a lieutenant-colonel in a Kentucky regiment of infantry in the Union army, and contracted the disease during his service which caused his death shortly after the close of the war. The second son, Charles S., was captain of Company B, Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, and subsequently died in the Soldiers Home at Danville, Illinois. William Washington Rogers was the third son and child. Eliza J., the oldest daughter, married, and both she and her husband are deceased. Charlotte Ann became the wife of Doctor Mitchell, of Sharpsburg, Kentucky, and they are deceased. Thomas F., the youngest child, died at Mount Sterling, Kentucky. William Washington Rogers acquired his early education in the rural schools of Bath County, Kentucky, and lived on the farm until he was nineteen years of age. Early in the Civil war he joined the Union army, and on May 1, 1862, was commissioned second lieutenant of Company L of Second Regiment, Kentucky Veteran Cavalry Volunteers. Thereafter he was in continuously active service until mustered out and discharged June 17, 1865. He was at Shiloh, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Stone River, Bardstown, Kentucky, in two battles at Chickamauga, at Strawberry Plains, Kenesaw Mountain, Big Shanty, with Sherman on the march to the sea, as well as in the Atlanta campaign. He was wounded and taken prisoner at Bardstown, being captured by the rebel General Horton, commanding the Texas and Georgia Rangers, but soon afterward was paroled, and returned to his command February 13, 1864. After leaving the Volunteer Union army Squire Rogers enlisted in the regular army, and had six years of service, much of it at western posts. In 1870 he came to Wheeling, and for a year was driver of one of the old horse cars of the Street Railway Company. He then took up the produce business, and continued active in business until 1883, when he was elected squire or local magistrate. He filled this office twenty-eight years. He was elected and served six years as coroner of Ohio County, retiring from that office in 1917, and soon afterward was chose law librarian of the county. His official duties are in the Law Library on the third floor of the courthouse. Squire Rogers is a stanch republican. He is present commander of Holliday Post No. 12, G. A. R. He owns his home at 2334 Market Street. He did all he could with his means and influence to encourage sound patriotism during the World war, assisting in recruiting soldiers and aiding the various auxiliary organizations. In 1872, at St. Clairsville, Ohio, Squire Rogers married Miss Mary E. Starkey, of Wheeling. She died in Wheeling in 1914. Her only son, John William, is a stationary engineer living at Wheeling. The daughter, Laura I., is the wife of J. E. McKenney, an iron worker at Wheeling. In 1919 Squire Rogers married Julia E. (Harris) Johnson, of Wheeling. Some facts concerning the military record of this branch of the Rogers family have already been brought out. References should be made to Squire Rogers' nephew, Lieut.-Col. Arthur C. Rogers, now an officer in the regular army. He is the son of Squire Rogers' oldest brother, Lieut.-Col. John G. Rogers, previously mentioned. Arthur C. Rogers was a solider in the Spanish-American war. In the World war he was with the American Expeditionary Forces, and his special service is concisely stated in a certificate given him, containing the following words: "For especially meritorious service as Division Ordnance Officer, Second Division, through all operations of that organization to August 15, 1918. His prompt grasp of new situations made his services especially valuable in the initial equipment of the Division, wherein the differences in administration and allowances to which the Marine Brigade has been accustomed made the task especially difficult. In spite of the tremendous losses of equipment though heavy casualties to personnel in the Chateau-Thierry defensive June 1 to July 9, 1918, and the Soissons offensive July 18 to 20, 1918, this officer's initiative and persistent energy made replacement of equipment possible during actual combat." This award was made by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces, May 26, 1918. He was again cited for bravery, zeal and devotion to duty June 20, 1919.