Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers

Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers
C.R.P. Rodgers, photographed by Mathew Brady
Born	November 4, 1819(1819-11-04) Brooklyn, New York
Died	January 8, 1892(1892-01-08) (aged 72) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1833–1881
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	Pacific Squadron
Battles/wars	Second Seminole War Mexican–American War American Civil War
Relations	John Rodgers (grandfather) Christopher Raymond Perry (grandfather) John Rodgers (uncle) Oliver Hazard Perry (uncle) Matthew C. Perry (uncle) George Washington Rodgers (brother) Thomas S. Rodgers (son) Raymond P. Rodgers (son)

Christopher Raymond Perry Rodgers (4 November 1819 – 8 January 1892) was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, as Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron.

Biography

Early career

Rodgers was born in Brooklyn, New York, into a naval family. His father, George Washington Rodgers, was a Navy captain, who had commanded the brig Firefly during the War of 1812,^[1][2] and was the brother of Rear Admiral John Rodgers. They were the sons of Commodore John Rodgers. Through his mother, Anna Maria Perry, his maternal grandfather was Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, and his uncles were the Commodores Oliver Hazard and Matthew C. Perry. With this kind of background it was inevitable that both Rodgers and his younger brother George Washington Rodgers, Jr., would join the Navy.^[3]

Rodgers was appointed midshipman on 5 October 1833,^[4] serving aboard the frigate Brandywine in the Pacific, followed by duty on the sloop Fairfield with the Brazil Squadron.^[3]

Promoted to passed midshipman on 8 July 1839,^[4] Rodgers commanded the 2-gun schooner Phoenix during the Second Seminole War, before joining the Africa Squadron aboard the sloop Saratoga, and then serving on the frigate Cumberland, the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron,^[3] receiving promotion to lieutenant on 4 September 1844.

During the Mexican–American War, Rodgers participated in the Siege of Veracruz in March 1847, and in the capture of Tabasco and Tuxpan by his uncle Commodore Matthew C. Perry.^[3]

After the war Rodgers spent three years serving with the Coast Survey, before joining the screw sloop Congress on the Brazil Station, followed by duty on the Constitution with the Africa Squadron in 1853. He then spent another two years with the Coast Survey, before joining the screw frigate Wabash, the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, in 1858-59.^[3]

Civil war

Rodgers was appointed Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy just before the start of the Civil War, seeing its relocation to Newport, Rhode Island, for the duration of the war.^[3] He was promoted to commander on 15 November 1861,^[4] and was succeeded in the post of Commandant by his brother George Washington Rodgers.

He then served in Samuel F. Du Pont's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, in command of the flagship Wabash, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Port Royal in 1861 and at the capture of Fort Pulaski in 1862, and then served as captain of the flagship, broadside ironclad New Ironsides, at Charleston in 1863. Admiral Du Pont noted, "No language could overstate his services to his country and to myself."^[3][5]

In March 1864 he recommissioned the screw sloop Iroquois, on an independent assignment to capture Confederate raiders, which took him to the Mediterranean, and around South America and across the Pacific to Singapore in pursuit of the commerce raider CSS Shenandoah.^[6]

Post-war career

Rodgers was promoted to captain on 25 July 1866,^[4] and commanded the screw frigate Franklin^[3] as flagship of Admiral David Farragut in the European Squadron in 1867-68.^[7]

Promoted to Commodore on 28 August 1870^[4] he then served as Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks^[3] from 1871-74.^[8]

Achieving flag rank as a rear admiral on 14 June 1874,^[4] Rodgers served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy from September 1874 until July 1878,^[9] before a two-year tour as Commander of the Pacific Squadron,^[3] returning to the Naval Academy to serve as Superintendent for a second time from June to November 1881.^[9]

Rodgers was put onto the Retired List on 14 November 1881.^[4] Rear Admiral Rodgers died in Washington, D.C.^[3] on 8 January 1892,^[4] and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Several ships were named USS Rodgers after him and his son.

Personal life and career timeline

Rodgers married Julia Slidell,^[10] and had two sons follow him into Navy service, Thomas Slidell Rodgers and Raymond Perry Rodgers, both of whom achieved the rank of Rear Admiral.

Rodgers, Christopher R. Perry. Midshipman, 5 October, 1833. Passed Midshipman, 8 July, 1839. Lieutenant, 4 September, 1844. Commander, 15 November, 1861. Captain, 25 July, 1866. Commodore, 28 August, 1870. Rear Admiral, 14 June, 1874. Retired List, 14 November, 1881. Died 8 January, 1892.^[11]

See also

	Biography portal
	American Civil War portal

• List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy

References

1. ^ "Rodgers Family Papers, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania". www2.hsp.org. http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/r/rodgers1208.xml#series1. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
2. ^ "Firefly". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f2/firefly.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} "Rodgers Family Collection". history.navy.mil. http://www.history.navy.mil/library/special/rodgerscollection.htm#crpr. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "US Navy Officer: 1775-1900 (R)". history.navy.mil. http://www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/reg-usn-r.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
5. ^ "Ships of the United States Navy and their sponsors". archive.org. http://www.archive.org/stream/shipsofunitedsta01spon/shipsofunitedsta01spon_djvu.txt. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
6. ^ "Iroquois". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/i3/iroquois-i.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
7. ^ "Franklin". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f4/franklin-iv.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
8. ^ "Bureau of Yards and Docks - Lists of Commanding Officers and Senior Officials of the US Navy". history.navy.mil. http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/rosters/yards.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Superintendents of the U.S. Naval Academy". usna.com. http://www.usna.com/Page.aspx?&pid=507&srcid=911. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
10. ^ "Raymond Perry Rodgers, Rear Admiral, United States Navy". arlingtoncemetery.net. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/raymondp.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
11. ^ [[http://www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/reg-usn-r.htm | “Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900” viewed 07/17/2011

Academic offices
Preceded by John L. Worden	Superintendent of United States Naval Academy 1874-1878	Succeeded by Foxhall A. Parker
Preceded by George B. Balch	Superintendent of United States Naval Academy 1881	Succeeded by Francis Munroe Ramsay

Persondata
Name	Rodgers, Christopher Raymond Perry
Alternative names
Short description	United States Navy admiral
Date of birth	4 November 1819
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York
Date of death	8 January 1892
Place of death	Washington, D.C.