_______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

THE

LIFE AND TIMES

OF

MATTHEW ROBERTS ROGERS

(1818-1892 CE)

A CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY

by Donald J. Ivey

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Matthew Roberts Rogers (1818-1892). Photograph probably taken c. 1873, when he served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Georgia. (Photograph courtesy of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia, Griffin, Ga.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Title Page I. “A Self-Made Man”

(1818-c.1840 CE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. Macon Pioneer

(c.1840-1861) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 III. The Civil War

(1861-1865) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 IV. Reconstruction

(1865-1877) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 V. Last Years

(1877-1892) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ENDNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 APPENDIX 1: BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 APPENDIX 2: GENEALOGICAL TABLE The Family of Matthew Roberts Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

PREFACE Matthew Roberts Rogers is my great-great-great grandfather. Long sought for but little known, this is the story of his life. As a young boy, I remember hearing vague tales of a prosperous Macon relative, who was said to have “owned a plantation with slaves, somewhere,” but the true story of this man is as compelling as any glorified family oral history. “A self made man” by one account, Matthew Roberts Rogers was a pioneer, soldier, successful businessman and community leader--even a bit of a statesman, having served a term as one of Macon’s early city fathers. His was obviously a life well led. He was much loved (his obituaries and the memorial tribute that followed serve as moving testimony of that) and widely respected--a man who was guided by conviction and heartfelt conscience. He saw his share of sorrows, too--surviving the horrors of a civil war, as well as losing five of his six children at a very young age. His was a life worth remembering. In my roles as both as an historian and museum curator, I have researched the lives of dozens of local pioneers and pioneer families across the United States. All of their stories are fascinating, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that the story of one of my own ancestors would turn out to be the most fascinating of them all! This is a revised edition of an earlier biography on Rogers which I had written in 1996, and is presented in the form of an historical “timeline” chronology. By tracing the major developments of Rogers’ life through time, I hope to present both a concise and readable account based entirely on the facts as we know them. A biographical record and genealogical chart are also provided as appendices. In preparing this paper, I have many people to thank. First and foremost, I would like to express my thanks to Ms. Muriel Y. McDowell, Genealogy Librarian at the Washington Memorial Library in Macon, who generously gave of her time and provided me with many articles from newspapers and other sources for this paper. My thanks also to Mr. Peer Edwin Ravnan of the Middle Georgia Archives, Ms. Connie Ellis of the Macon City Clerk’s Office, Mr. J. Edward Stallings of the Georgia Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Heritage Village volunteer Virginia Dale Cassidy for their untiring efforts to help me, which were all sincerely appreciated. The Pinellas County Historical Society deserves my heartfelt thanks as well for generously agreeing to provide support for this project. And last, but certainly never least, I would like to thank my lovely wife Mylene, for her undying support, patience and love, and my son John, who always inspires me to do my best. Donald J. Ivey January 4, 1999

DEDICATION

To my son John Lee Ivey, the great-great-great-great grandson of Matthew Roberts Rogers. May you always be proud of your heritage.

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THE

LIFE AND TIMES

OF

MATTHEW ROBERTS ROGERS

(1818-1892 CE)

A CHRONOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY

Chapter I: “A Self-Made Man”

(1818-c.1840)

1818 January 8 Matthew Roberts Rogers was born in Sevier County, State of Tennessee. Apparently he was of humble origins, for one account later described him as “a self-made man.” (1)

1824-1836 During this period, Rogers underwent his early education. Education in the rural areas of the South during the Nineteenth Century was a far more informal affair than it is today, with the children receiving their initial instruction at home. Then, at about age 6 the children were sent to school, which usually consisted of classes composed of children of all ages from the surrounding area. Classes were held in a small one or two room schoolhouse, or, if the family was a bit better off, schooling would often continue at home under the tutelage of a private teacher. Helping on the family farm was also a major part of a child’s upbringing, and if Rogers came from a farming family (which is possible), he no doubt spent a considerable amount of his time doing chores, while learning to hunt, fish, ride a horse and tend crops and livestock as well. (2)

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Chapter II: Macon Pioneer

(c. 1840-1861)

c. 1840 Rogers moved to the State of Georgia, where he settled in the City of Macon in Bibb County. Originally founded in 1821 as the frontier trading post “Newtown,” Macon was named for Nathaniel Macon (1758-1837), U.S. Congressman and Senator from North Carolina. (Many of Macon’s earliest settlers were from North Carolina, and it is possible that Rogers first went to North Carolina before coming to Georgia.) By the 1840‘s, the city had became a market center for cotton, which was shipped downstream on the Ocmulgee River to Darien, and later it became a major trade and transportation point for Central Georgia. In Macon, Rogers began the pursuit of mercantile interests, and soon became a member of the First Baptist Church of Macon, which he faithfully attended “for over fifty years,” serving as an Alderman. (3)

1844 Rogers was admitted as a member of the Franklin Lodge, No. 2 Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Macon. Throughout his adult life, Rogers was an active and enthusiastic member of this fraternal organization, whose purpose was to “seek to improve and elevate the character of man.” According to a history of the Georgia Odd Fellows, on joining Rogers “immediately became a great advocate for Odd Fellowship. Brother Rogers was a quiet man but when he spoke, all listened.” In 1847, he entered the Georgia Grand Lodge as a Past Grand and “was called upon to serve in many capacities.” Then, in 1872 he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Georgia for 1873, “and served honorably and well.” He also served as Treasurer of the Macon lodge for many years and was still serving in that office at the time of his death. (4)

1846 December 8 M. R. Rogers, 28, married Miss Margarette Elizabeth Ledden, 18. The wedding ceremony was conducted in Macon, with the Rev. J. R. Kendrick officiating. Miss Ledden, known as “Lizzie,” was born in Cumberland County, North Carolina, but moved to Macon with her family in 1836, when she was 8 years old. By all indications, the marriage was a happy one, as the Macon

Telegraph would later describe “his life’s record as a citizen of Macon” as being “without reproach.” (5)

1847 c. November A daughter, Martha Emma Rogers, was born to Matthew and Lizzie in Georgia, most probably in Macon. In 1867, Emma married E. H. Steele, a native of Tennessee who came to Macon after the close of the Civil War. The couple had three children, including a daughter, Lizzie, my great-grandmother. Emma Rogers Steele died suddenly of unknown causes on October 15, 1881 at the age of 33. She was lovingly remembered in an obituary which appeared in the Macon

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Telegraph as one who:

“. . . shed her rays of sunshine and happiness all through her life--as a school girl she was loved for her tender and forbearing disposition, and, as maturer years stamped their impression on her features, her loveliness of character became more fully developed and she was even more beloved than ever. he became her mother’s companion and sharer of all joys and sorrows. Her gentleness, amiability and cheerfulness threw their indefinable charm over all who crossed her pathway, and won for her innumerable friends . . . As a daughter, wife and mother, Emma Steele had not a superior, and taken altogether her character was a lovely one.”

After a funeral at the First Baptist Church, she was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. (6)

1848 or 1849 The Rogers’ second known child, a daughter, Mary Rogers was born in Georgia, probably in Macon. She appeared to have died young, before 1860. (7)

1850 August 16 United States census records for Bibb County listed M. Rogers, 27 [actually, he was 32], as residing in the 716th District, City of Macon with his wife Eliza, 24 [22], and their daughters Emma, 2 and Mary, 1. His occupation was given as “Candy Maker,” and the total value of his real estate was listed at $1,500.00. He also owned two slaves. According to his obituary in the Atlanta

Constitution, Rogers was “a prosperous candy manufacturer and dealer for many years in Macon,” and it is believed that he may have owned a bakery and confectionary shop in town at 622 Cherry Street, which later became Louis Merkel’s Bakery. (8)

1851 or 1852 A third daughter, Catherine Tallula “Lula” Rogers was born to Matthew and Lizzie in Georgia, most probably in Macon. Lula married Alexander H. Stephens of Macon (who was apparently no direct relation to the Confederate Vice-President of the same name), and by him had three daughters. She died young, sometime between 1870 and 1892. On her death, Matthew apparently became the legal guardian of her children, and seems to have raised them until his own death in 1892. (9)

1854 May 4 The Rogers’ fourth known child and their fourth daughter, Elizabeth W. “Lizzie” Rogers was born in Georgia, most probably in Macon. Lizzie married Charles C. Stratton, who, according to

on Daily Telegraph, was “one of the best known brick manufacturers in Georgia . . . a block of the first paving ever laid in Macon was manufactured by his firm and laid in front of the present city hall.” By Stratton (who died in 1919), Lizzie was the mother of four sons and one daughter. Lizzie

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Rogers Stratton died at her home (which had previously been her father’s) on the corner of First and Plum Streets in Macon on November 16, 1912. She was 58 years old at the time of her death and was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Macon. (10)

1860 June 14 U.S. Census records for the City of Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, listed Matthew R. Rogers, 41 [42], as a “Merchant” living with his wife Margaret [sic], 31, a “Dress Maker,” and their daughters Martha E., 12; Catherine T., 8; and Lizzie W., 6. Also living with the Rogers family was Georgia A. Liddon [most probably a misspelling of “Ledden”], a 17-year-old female born in Georgia, and probably a younger sister of Mrs. Rogers. The value of Rogers’ real estate holdings were listed at $6,000.00, and his personal estate was valued at $2,050.00, which included three slaves--a considerable sum in those days. (11)

November 6 Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, a Republican, was elected President of the United States. Considered a radical by most slave holders, Lincoln carried all of the free states but none of the slave states. In Georgia, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky carried the state on a Southern Democratic ticket, while not a single vote was cast for Lincoln. With Lincoln’s election, many in the South now saw secession from the Union as the only alternative to what one Georgian would later term was the tyranny of the “Black Republican war party.” (12)

December 20 In reaction to Lincoln’s victory, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, declaring by a vote of 169-0 that “the union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of ‘the United States of America’ is hereby dissolved.” (13)

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Chapter III: The Civil War

(1861-1865)

1861

January 9 In Georgia, a State Convention meeting at the State Capitol in Milledgeville adopted an Ordinance of Secession which withdrew Georgia from the Union by a vote of 208 to 89. Georgia thus became the fifth southern state to secede, after South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. In Macon, news of the state’s secession was greeted with enthusiasm. A jubilee to celebrate the event was held in the city on the night of the 21st, which featured a torchlight procession, singing, speeches, and a host of receptions. According to the Telegraph, the city “was one sea of light,” with all homes and businesses lit up in honor of the occasion. (14)

February 4 Georgia joined with the other seceded southern states (now including Louisiana, which seceded on January 26) to form the Confederate States of America. Five days later, an assembled convention of delegates from these states elected Jefferson F. Davis of Mississippi Provisional President of the Confederacy and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia as Vice-President. On March 16, Georgia’s Secession Convention unanimously ratified the Constitution of the new nation, and that day the Confederate flag was raised over the State Capitol at Milledgeville. Later, in May the capital of the new nation was established at Richmond in Virginia. (15)

March 4 In inauguration ceremonies held at the National Capitol in Washington, D.C., Lincoln took the oath of office to become the sixteenth President of the United States. In an impassioned inaugural address, the new President called for calm in the midst of the growing tension between North and South, declaring that:

“. . . In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war . . . Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every loving heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” (16)

April 12 Confederate artillery batteries under the command of Confederate Gen. Pierre G. T. Beauregard fired on Federal troops in Fort Sumter, off Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. The next day the fort surrendered. The attack was the result of continuing demands by Confederate and state officials for all Federal facilities to be turned over the Confederacy, and signaled the beginning of the Civil War. (17)

April 15 In Washington, President Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring that a “state of

6

insurrection” exists, and called for 75,000 militia volunteers to serve for a period of 3 months. Later, on April 19, the President declared a naval blockade of all southern ports. The effect of the blockade had a major impact on the South (including the Central Georgia-Macon area) and deprived the Confederacy of many essential supplies. The war was now on in earnest. (18)

April 19 In response to a request by Virginia Gov. John Letcher for two or three Georgia companies to be sent immediately to Norfolk, Virginia, the cities of Columbus, Macon and Griffin were contacted and according to the Confederate Military History, they were given “but half an hour for deliberation. The responses came quickly and bravely, and in less than twenty-four hours four companies were on their way to Virginia.” One of those companies was the “Floyd Rifles,” commanded by Capt. Thomas Hardeman of Macon, a prominent local political leader and former member of Congress. The following day, before the company left for Virginia, Rogers, age 43, enlisted as a private in Hardeman’s company, no doubt in response to the Virginia governor’s call for troops. His term of enlistment in the Confederate Army was for a period of 12 months. (The company subsequently became Company C, 2nd Battalion Georgia Volunteer Infantry, with Capt. Hardeman becoming battalion commander with the rank of major. The 2nd was also the first unit from Georgia to be sent toVirginia, and served as part of the 2nd Brigade in the Department of Norfolk.) (19)

April 23 The Floyd Rifles arrived at Portsmouth, Virginia with the rest of the 2nd Battalion, and there they established “Camp Georgia” at the Portsmouth Navy Yard. Later, on April 26, the men were moved to Norfolk, where a Federal attack was considered to be imminent. The battalion then served at a variety of locations in the Norfolk area: at Tanner’s Creek Cross Roads (May 16-May 19); Sewell’s Point (May 19-20 and again from June 10-September 6); Camp Huger (September 6-November); and the Norfolk City Fair Grounds (November). During their time in Norfolk, the Floyd Rifles saw no action, and at the duration of their 12-month enlistment, they returned home to a hero’s welcome in Macon. (20)

1862

February 1 M. R. Rogers was elected Captain of a volunteer company of infantry, the “Gresham Rifles,” now apparently in the service of the Georgia State Militia. He appears to have been given leave from his former company in order to return to Macon to raise and organize this unit for eventual service with the Confederate Army. There, while organizing the company for service, Rogers wrote a letter to the editor of the Macon Daily Telegraph in which he harshly denounced those who opposed the Confederate cause in the South, stating:

“. . . I suppose every community is cursed, like this one, with a class of persons presenting every obstacle possible to retard and prevent our success as a nation. Their modes are various; they will not volunteer to fight our battles or help the families of those that do, only when it is forced upon them--always predicting misfortune to our cause, and where volunteers are called for, by false reports and base insinuations do everything they can to keep men from volunteering. Some of this

7

class for the last few days have made themselves busy about the Gresham Rifles being disbanded, and not having efficient officers, and various objections which they have to the organization. The same difficulty has been presented to every company formed in the city by these blights that infect every Southern community.” (21)

March 4 Rogers’ company was mustered into the Army of the Confederate States as Company A of the 45th Georgia Infantry Regiment at Macon, to serve for a period of 3 years or for the duration of the war. Commanding the regiment was Col. Thomas Hardeman, Jr., Rogers’ old commander from the Floyd Rifles. After organizing, the regiment was sent to Virginia, where they were assigned to the division of Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill as part of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s famed Army of Northern Virginia. (22)

June 26-30 The Regiment got its first taste of action in a series of battles fought at Mechanicsville (June 26), Gaines Mill (June 27) and Frayser’s Farm (June 30)--which were part of what later became known as “the Seven Days’ Campaign.” According to a history of Col. Edward L. Thomas’ Georgia Brigade (which the 45th had joined about June 15), in this “the series of bloody battles which delivered the Southern capital from siege, this brigade lost five hundred and sixty-three men in killed and wounded”--a staggering figure. (23)

July 31 Thomas’ Brigade was assigned as part of Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Corps--and thus became part of the Army of Northern Virginia’s most legendary fighting force. (24)

August 9 “After a long and very hot march,” the Georgia Brigade was thrown into battle at Cedar Run, near Culpeper, Virginia. There, as part of A.P. Hill’s Division, they helped to stem the tide of a fierce Federal attack led by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks’ Corps. Counterattacking, Hill’s division forced Banks to pull back, according to one account:

“. . . driving them several miles from the field of battle. Thomas’ Brigade behaved with distinguishing gallantry in the battle, checking the advance of the enemy on the extreme right of General Jackson’s command . . . after a long, obstinate and bloody fight, the order was given by General Jackson for a general charge, when the brigade advanced with the utmost bravery and enthusiasm, driving the enemy in utter rout before them.”

Losses for the Brigade in this one day of fighting alone totaled about 150 men killed and wounded. A letter of Rogers’, written to his wife during this period has survived, and vividly describes his company’s part in the fight:

“. . . The day we fought, we marched ten miles under the hottest sun you ever saw; and, after the fight commenced, double quicked it over the old fields more than a mile, and when we arrived on the ground had to march half a mile under a terrible fire of large and small arms. The field we passed through was an extensive one, and presented to our sight, as we entered it, almost innumerable bodies of troops fighting,

8

with nothing to protect them save the hand of God. Friend and foe were in the open field, and such fighting is seldom witnessed. Troops of all descriptions - horses in every direction, with empty saddles- wounded and dead in all quarters. But I am proud to say that with this all before us, the 45th Georgia went into it with as much spirit and determination as old soldiers, and fought like veterans.

“It was the first open field fighting they had seen, and when they took a position, it was an exposed one. When they left it, it was to advance upon the enemy’s field. We were under severe fire for over two hours, and as unreasonable as it may appear, most of our men shot from twenty-five to forty rounds. Many of them exchanged their guns for those of the dead and wounded- their own had become so heated, and others were forced to cool their guns with water . . . Our regiment went into the fight with 156 men, and had seven killed and forty-one wounded. I had one wounded--S. J. Kent, in the thigh--a flesh wound . . . We [the Gresham Rifles] had only twelve men in action, all doing well, but much fatigued. I am proud to say my twelve men all acted like heroes.” (25)

August 23 After a brief period of rest at Crenshaw’s Farm in Orange County, Virginia, the Georgia Brigade was ordered out with the rest of Jackson’s Corps as a new Confederate offensive began in earnest. (26)

August 28-30 Near Manassas, Virginia, Jackson managed to outflank the main Federal army under the command of Maj. Gen. John A. Pope, and by the end of the day of the 28th had placed his men in the rear of Pope’s army. The next day, Pope attacked and the engagement known now as the “Second Battle of Manassas” was underway. In the words of a contemporary observer, “the daring and obstinate bravery with which Jackson’s Corps alone and unsupported, confronted and beat off Pope’s Army . . . are among the wonders of this war.” On the 28th Thomas’ Brigade was held in reserve and saw no action, but on the 29th:

“it charged upon and routed with considerable slaughter, a force of the enemy on the Manassas Gap railroad, which position after being gained, the brigade held during the day. After a long and bloody fight of nine hours’ duration, during which repeated charges of the enemy were repulsed, the brigade was driven from its position by an overwhelming force of the enemy; but uniting with Pender’s North Carolina Brigade, with their assistance the enemy was finally driven back.”

On the 30th, the battle was concluded on the plains of Manassas, and saw the Federal army beaten though not destroyed. According to the Brigade’s history, “Thomas’ Brigade fought on that day, and was among the foremost in pursuit of the enemy.” (27)

September 1 At Chantilly, Virginia, Jackson renewed the Confederate offensive, and as part of his forces Thomas’ Brigade attacked the Federals under Gens. I. I. Stevens and Philip Kearny. After

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severe fighting that lasted until evening in a heavy rainstorm, the Federals withdrew, after both Stevens and Kearny had been killed. (28)

September 15 Jackson’s army captured the town of Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia, after a short period of resistance. Thomas’ Georgians “assisted in the capture of that place, together with the entire Federal force,” which numbered about 12,000 men. (29)

September 20 Near Shepherdstown, West Virginia, a Federal force crossed the Potomac, and was met by Hill’s Division, composed of Thomas’, Greggs’ and Pender’s Brigades. The Confederates drove the Federals “in utter rout back across the river” and afterwards, the Brigade withdrew along with the rest of Lee’s army to the Valley of Opequon Creek, where they encamped near Bunker Hill. (30)

October Regimental returns for the Gresham Rifles listed Rogers as “absent wounded,” probably from a wound received at the engagement at Shepherdstown on September 20. He apparently had recovered from the injury by December, when he was recorded as being “Present for duty” with his company. (31)

October 13 Captain Rogers was promoted to the rank of Major in the 45th Georgia, to fill a vacancy caused by the promotion of Lt. Col. Thomas J. Simmons to Colonel commanding the Regiment. (32)

November 10 Leaving the valley, the Georgia Brigade crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains at Milom Gap, and marched by way of Orange Court House to Fredericksburg, Virginia. (33)

December 11-13 Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, the new commander of the Federal Army of the Potomac, was now determined to force a showdown with the Army of Northern Virginia. On the 11th, he led his army across the Rappahannock River and occupied Fredericksburg. Two days later, on the 13th, Burnside began a massive attack on the Confederate defenses in place on the surrounding heights. Spirited assaults by Federal troops dented Jackson’s lines for a short time, but eventually they were thrown back to the low ground from whence they started. Repeated attacks throughout the day by the Federals also failed miserably. In the words of one Federal officer, “It was a great slaughter pen they might as well have tried to take Hell.” The cost in casualties for the Federals was great--out of a total of an estimated 114,000 men who took part, 1,284 were killed, 9,600 wounded and 1,769 missing, while the estimated 72,500 Confederates there suffered only 595 killed, 4,061 wounded and 653 missing. The following day, the Federals, badly beaten and demoralized, recrossed the Rappahannock. Still part of Thomas’ Brigade, the 45th Georgia took part in the battle and were initially posted near Hamilton’s Crossing. There, the Brigade “by a well directed and energetic charge, in turn drove back and utterly routed the Federals in its front.” The men of the 45th were commended by their

10

divisional commander, Gen. A. P. Hill, who noted that the Regiment “was not recalled from the position it had so gallantly won in the front line.” The Gresham Rifles served in the battle, and according to writer Spencer B. King in his book Sound of Drums, “Such praise was pleasant to the ears” of the company’s commander, M. R. Rogers. However, casualties for the Georgia Brigade were heavy, and included Pvt. Wellborn J. Willis of Rogers’ company, who was among those killed in the fighting. (34)

1863 April 14 Rogers submitted his resignation as Major of the 45th Georgia, while Thomas’ Brigade was encamped at winter quarters in Camp Gregg, about eight miles below Fredericksburg. The accompanying surgeon’s certificate by Surgeon Jas. J. Winn testified that he:

“has been suffering from Phthisis Pulmonalis for some time. Within the last months he has had several attacks of Haemoptysis, and his general health is so much impaired that he can no longer be of any service in the army.” (“Phthisis Pulmonalis” refers to a disease of the lungs, which, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “marked by cough, gradually progressive emaciation and exhaustion, hectic and usually copious expectoration [if blood is involved, then it is referred to as “Haemoptysis”]. It is due to the presence in the lungs and other organs of tuberculosis bacilli.”)

His resignation from the service was subsequently accepted by the Confederate War Department on May 2, 1863. On October 21, 1864, he received his last payment from the Confederate government for his service in the Army service, $460.00 for service from February 1 to May 2, 1863. After his resignation was accepted, Rogers returned home to his family in Macon. There, he seemed to have been involved in the “Macon Factory,” perhaps one in the same with the Confederate Armory in Macon, which served as a major weapons production center for the Confederate Government. (35)

c. June 1 Rogers was appointed Confederate District Tax Collector in Bibb County by E. G. Cabaniss, Chief Confederate Tax Collector in Georgia. The appointment, which was no doubt due to Rogers’ skill with handling money, was ratified by Confederate Secretary of the Treasury Christopher G. Memminger and held by Rogers until the end of the war. (36)

December 8 Now back home in Macon, Rogers became a voice within the community for the soldiers in the field. In a letter which appeared in today’s Macon Telegraph, he wrote:

“I see that Capt. J. T. Brown has been quite successful in getting supplies for the 45th Regiment, which speaks well for the people at home . . . There is one company [in the 45th] from this city, and nine from the country. How many boxes for the company from this place? I called upon the citizens (knowing that the families of the men could not assist them to any extent) for contributions to get up some shoes and

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blankets for the ‘Gresham Rifles,’ knowing they richly deserved it. Now for my success: I have received one hundred and eighty-four dollars, two blankets and one pair shoes--$95 of which was collected by Captain Brown--so you will see that my appeal has almost been disregarded. Why is it? Are the country people more liberal? Or do they feel more for the suffering soldiers? Or is the fountain of human kindness dried up in the cities? It will be a glad day when Captain Brown arrives to those that receive from home tokens of rememberance [sic]--but a sad one to those that receive no token that they are remembered by those for whom they are fighting.

“Reader, can you sleep sound in your warm bed, when the half fed and clad soldiers are shivering around the campfire these bitter cold nights to keep from freezing. I say if you can, I pitty [sic] your little dried up soul.” (37)

1864 July 29 As Gen. William T. Sherman’s Federal army converged upon Georgia, Macon was suddenly threatened by invasion. A force of 6,500 troopers under Maj. Gen. George Stoneman was dispatched by Sherman on a special mission, with the objective of capturing the city and liberating the roughly 30,000 Federal prisoners of war held at the notorious Andersonville camp nearby. In response to the threat, Georgia Gov. Joseph Brown issued an urgent appeal to the citizens of Macon to take up arms to defend the city. Major Rogers was among those who responded, and organized a “company of operatives from the Macon Factory,” which among other hastily formed units of the so-called “Home Guard” were placed on the west side of the Ocmulgee River on the Vineville Road outside of Macon, to await the coming attack. (38)

July 30 The next day, a force of 2,500 Federal cavalry advanced to within three miles of East Macon, and Rogers and his company, together with four other local units all under the command of Col. George C. Gibbs, were ordered there to repel the invaders. On crossing the Ocmulgee, Rogers’ company was deployed on the right of the Confederate battle line, to serve as skirmishers. They made first contact with the Federals and were driven back by a brigade of Kentucky troops into the main Confederate battle line, which opened fire. A hot fight ensued for about the next half hour. One historian commented that when engaged, the Confederates “in marching between Fort Hawkins and the position they took along the farm of Mr. George W. Adams, gallantly stood their fire until ordered to return it. They fired with a good effect and put the enemy to a hasty retreat,” losing two killed and nine wounded in the fight. That evening, believing that a larger force was defending the city, the Federals retired from before Macon--thus sparing the city from almost certain destruction. (39)

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1865 April 9 Confederate Gen.-in-Chief Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Lee’s surrender was followed on April 26 by the surrender of the Confederate Army of the Tennessee at Durham Station, North Carolina and the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department Army on June 2 at Galveston, Texas. With the surrender of these armies--except for some minor skirmishing and guerrilla activity in the West--the bloodiest war in American history finally drew to a close. (40)

April 14 While attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, President Lincoln was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died the next night, the victim of a bullet that entered the back of his head and lodged near his right eye, and was succeeded in office by Vice President Andrew Johnson of Tennessee. (41)

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Chapter IV: Reconstruction (1865-1877)

1865 April 20 Macon was occupied by Federal mounted units under the command of Brig. Gen. James Harrison Wilson, after receiving the surrender of local Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb. More than 350 commissioned Confederate officers were taken prisoner, along with 1,995 enlisted men, sixty pieces of artillery, small arms, arsenals, magazines, laboratories “and other works of great value.” It is not known if Rogers and his company from the Macon Factory were still in active service at this time, but if so, they would have probably been imprisoned for a short time and then paroled by U.S. forces at Macon and sent home. Thus ended Rogers’ military career which, in the words of the Macon Telegraph, “will tell of valiant deeds and good service done for the South.” After the war, Rogers “commenced business in Macon as a manufacturer of candy and during an active and upright business career he accumulated considerable property which he has since increased by judicious investment.” (42)

September 6 Rogers applied to President Johnson for a special presidential pardon due to his service as a district tax collector for the Confederacy in Bibb County during the war. In his application, Rogers noted that “. . .The Government of the United States has not taken possession of any of my Property”; that “There is no proceedings pending against me for Treason or Conspiracy against the Government”; and that “My Taxable property is not worth Twenty Thousand Dollars”. Also submitted with the application was Rogers’ signed and sworn oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. The application was subsequently endorsed by the Provisional Governor of Georgia, James Johnson, who wrote that “I recommend the within party for pardon and amnesty, as I believe his statements herein contained, and that if pardoned, he will prove a good and legal citizen.” (43)

September 26 Birth of Matthew and Lizzie’s fifth known and probably their youngest child, a daughter, Minnie Bearden Rogers, born most probably in Macon. Like her eldest sister Mary, she died young, on April 5, 1867 of an unknown illness. She was 1 year, 6 months and 10 days old at the time of her death and was buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. (44)

1870 February 5 The Knights of Pythias, Central Lodge No. 3 was founded in Macon. Rogers was one of the charter members of this lodge and served as one of its founding officers. He also served for a time as the Grand Chancellor of the Grand Lodge of Georgia. Later, after his death a new Lodge No. 59 was organized in Macon on July 28, 1892 and named the “M. R. Rodgers [sic] Lodge,” “in honor of one of the most enthusiastic members of the order that Macon has ever known.” (45)

14

July 5 U.S. Census records for Bibb County, Georgia recorded M. R. Rogers, 52, as residing with his wife Lizzie, 42, who was “Keeping house” and their daughters Lula, 18, (listed as having “no occupation”) and Lizzie, 16, attending school.” Two mulatto domestic servants, Mary and Jane, were also with the family at this time. Rogers’ occupation was listed as a “Confectioner.” The value of his real property was listed at $15,000.00; his personal property was estimated at $1,000.00-- evidence of a significant recovery from the effects of the war. (46)

1876 February 19 In a special municipal election held in Macon to fill a vacancy on the City Council, Rogers was elected without opposition to serve the remainder of a two-year term as one of the city’s twelve Aldermen. TABLE 1 OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS CITY COUNCIL-CITY OF MACON 1876 SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION Total Votes Percentage of Candidates Cast Total Votes Cast Matthew R. Rogers 300 100.0 Alderman Rogers took office on February 24, 1876 and served one term on the Council--his one and only known bid for public office. His term officially expired in December of 1876. (47)

15

Chapter V: Last Years

(1877-1892)

1880 June 5 U.S. Census returns for Bibb County listed M. R. Rogers, 62, as a “Retired Merchant” living with his wife Margaret, 52, who was “Keeping house” at their residence on First Street in Macon. No values were given on his real or personal estates. Rogers had apparently retired from active business affairs by this time, although his obituary later stated that “he has always been active in doing good to those around him.” (48)

1888 June 8 The Weekly News of Griffin, Georgia announced that J. H. Powell was to marry Miss Lizzie L. Steele that day at 12:30 at the residence of the bride’s grandfather, Maj. M. R. Rogers of Macon; “afterwards they will then return to the groom’s handsome apartments in Griffin.” Lizzie Steele married twice: first to J. H. Powell, and secondly to James Burnett Ivey, my great-grandfather. He was a partner in “Ivey Brothers,” who owned a wood and lumber yard in Macon. (49)

1889 August At about the age of 61, Rogers’ wife Lizzie suffered an attack of sunstroke, “from the effects of which,” her obituary later noted, “she never fully recovered.” (50)

1891 January 3 Margarette (Ledden) “Lizzie” Rogers, M. R. Rogers’ wife of almost 45 years, died at the age of 63, at the family’s home on Plum Street in Macon. The cause of her death was given as “heart failure, although she had been ailing for a long time . . . Of late, however, she seemed to be growing stronger, and her death was a sad surprise to many of her most intimate friends.” Her obituary in the Macon Telegraph also added:

“She will be remembered chiefly for her many acts of charity. No one could ever say that he was turned hungry away from her door.”

After funeral services at the First Baptist Church on January 5, her body was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon. After her death, according to one source, Rogers never again returned to “his accustomed health or spirits.” (51)

1892 January 29 Matthew Roberts Rogers died quietly at 8:00 p.m. “after a brief illness” at his home on the corner of First and Plum Streets in Macon. At the time of his death, he was 74 years and 21

16

days old. According to his obituary which appeared in the Macon Telegraph, he “had been sick three weeks, but his illness was not considered serious. The end came suddenly . . . The immediate cause of death was heart failure, complicated with other ailments.” He was survived by only one of his daughters, Mrs. C. C. Stratton, along with seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. At his death, it was also said that he left “a large amount of real estate and other interests to his remaining heirs.” (52)

January 31 After funeral services at the First Baptist Church, the body of Maj. M. R. Rogers was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, next to that of his wife. His grave may today be seen in the Central Avenue Division of that cemetery. (53)

March 6 A special memorial tribute to Maj. Rogers appeared in today’s edition of the Macon

Telegraph. In a heartfelt eulogy by “A. W. B.” of Augusta, it was noted that:

“ . . . his life had not been in vain, but [was] one of usefulness. He was a self-made man, and one of great public spirit. His was a noble nature, hallowed by a Christian life, and the good that he did died not with him. His acts of kindness and generosity were not confined to his family or large circle of friends, but, Dorcas like, he sought the poor and needy, the widow and orphan and constantly ministered to their needs.”

Finally, the following poem was recounted, which had been “pathetically recited over his remains at the grave”:

“The voices I love in yon home of the soul Come calling from over the sea; Whose dark silent waters increasingly roll, Between the fair city and me.

“I hear the melodious murmurs that roll, Like the unending song of the sea; ‘Tis the voices of dear ones, and loved of my soul. Who are waiting and watching for me.

“Their glorious faces in rapture I see, I scent the sweet breath of the flowers, Which their snowy white hands wave in beckoning me, Across to these heavenly bowers.

“The days seemeth long, the hour groweth late. That city more near seems to be. When I think that beyond is that beautiful gate, So many are waiting for me.”

17

The man that the Atlanta Constitution had called “one of Macon’s best known and most respected citizens” was gone. (54)

18

ENDNOTES

Chapter I: “A Self-Made Man”

(1818-c. 1840) 1. A brief biographical sketch which appears in the records of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia and an obituary which appeared in the Atlanta Constitution gives his date and place of birth as December 6, 1820 in North Carolina. However, this is contradicted by three local obituary notices and his tombstone which give the date as 1818, and thus I have preferred to use the 1818 birth date in Tennessee. See Christian Index, 4 February 1892, p. 4; “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8; “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon

Telegraph, 30 January 1892; “Obituary [of M. R. Rogers],” Macon Telegraph, 6 March 1892, p. 5; Macon, Georgia, Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department, Letter from Barbara M. Arnold, Administrator, Cemeteries, to author regarding Rogers family burials in Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga., 8 September 1992; and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia, Album of Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, n.d. (Typewritten), Griffin, Ga. 2. For some good general background information, see Bobbie Kalman, Early Schools, Early Settler Life Series (Toronto: Crabtree Publishing, 1982).

Chapter II: Macon Pioneer

(c. 1840-1861)

3. Christian Index, 4 February 1892, p. 4; “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8; “Obituary [of M. R. Rogers],” Macon Telegraph, 6 March 1892, p. 5; and Encyclopedia Britannica, 1972 ed., s.v. “Macon” by Spencer B. King. 4. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia, Album of Past Grand Masters of Georgia, n.d. (Typewritten), Griffin, Ga.; and “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8. 5. Macon Messenger, 10 December 1846; Macon, Georgia, Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department, Letter from Barbara M. Arnold, Administrator, Cemeteries, regarding Rogers family burials in Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga., 8 September 1992; and “A Good Woman Gone,” Macon

Telegraph, 4 January 1891. 6. Seventh United States Census, 1850, Bibb County, Georgia (Free Population Schedule), p. 162; Eighth United States Census, 1860, Bibb County, Georgia (Free Population Schedule); “A Good Woman Gone,” Macon Telegraph, 4 January 1891; “Funeral Notice” (Mrs. E. H. Steele), Macon

Telegraph, 16 October 1881; “Obituary” (Emma Rogers Steele), Macon Telegraph, 4 December 1881, p. 1; “Death of Mr. E. H. Steele,” Macon Daily Telegraph, 22 February 1886; Last Will and Testament of Matthew R. Rogers, File No. H-2812, filed in the Court of Ordinary for Bibb County,

19

Macon, Georgia; Death certificate of Lizzie Steele Ivey, Vital Records Service, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Atlanta, Georgia (which erroneously lists Lizzie’s parents as “Alex” Steele and “Lula Rodgers”; and Weekly News (Griffin, Ga.), 8 June 1888. Also, according to Lizzie Rogers’ obituary, she had a total of six children, although only the names of five are known. The sixth child presumably died at a very young age, almost certainly before 1891. 7. Seventh United States Census, 1850, Bibb County, Georgia, Free Population Schedule, p. 162; and Eighth United States Census, 1860, Bibb County, Georgia, Free Population Schedule. 8. Seventh United States Census, 1850, Bibb County, Georgia Free and Slave Population Schedules; and Macon City Directory 1894-1895, p. 237. 9. Eighth United States Census, 1860, Bibb County, Georgia, Free Population Schedule; Ninth United States Census, 1870, Bibb County, Georgia; Last Will and Testament of Matthew R. Rogers; and Macon City Directory 1877, 1893-1894, 1894-1895, 1896, 1899, and 1902. It should also be noted that Stephens was no relation to the famed Confederate Vice President from Georgia of the same name. 10. Eighth United States Census, 1860, Bibb County, Georgia, Free Population Schedule; Ninth United States Census, 1870, Bibb County, Georgia, p. 821; “Deaths and Funerals” [Mrs. C. C. Stratton], Macon Daily Telegraph, 17 November 1912, p. 5; “Aged Businessman Dies of Pneumonia,” Macon Daily Telegraph, 26 January 1919; and “Deaths and Funerals” [Grover, Infant son of Mr. & Mrs. C. C. Stratton], Macon Telegraph, 29 December 1891. 11. Eighth United States Census, 1860, Bibb County, Georgia, Free and Slave Population Schedules. 12. E. B. Long and Barbara Long, The Civil War Day By Day (New York: Da Capo Press, 1971), pp. 1-2; Calvin D. Linton, ed. The Bicentennial Almanac (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1975), p. 160; Ida Young, Julius Gholson and Clara Nell Hargrove, History of Macon,

Georgia (Macon, Ga.: Lyon, Marshall & Brooks, 1950), p. 198; and Spencer B. King, Sound of

Drums (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1984), p. 70. 13. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 12-13.

Chapter III: The Civil War

(1861-1865) 14. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 27-28; and King, Sound of Drums, pp. 21-23. 15. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 31-34, 38-39, 50, 76; and King, Sound of Drums, p. 38.

20

16. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 45-46. 17. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 56-57; and Linton, The Bicentennial Almanac, p. 165. 18. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 59-63. 19. Clement A. Evans, ed. Confederate Military History, 12 vols. (Atlanta: Blue & Grey Press, 1899), 6:24-25; Lillian Henderson, comp., Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 6 vols. (Hapeville, Ga.: n.p., 1959-1964), 6:804; Spencer B. King, Sound of Drums, (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1984), pp. 49-50; and Stewart Sifakis, Compendium of the Confederate Armies:

South Carolina and Georgia, (N.p.: Facts on File, 1995), p. 179. The Floyd Rifles were originally organized in 1840 by Samuel R. Blake of Macon, and were named after Gen. Charles R. Floyd. Hardeman had first commanded the Rifles in 1854, and on resigning from Congress in 1861 returned to Macon to resume his command of the unit. At the time, the company’s headquarters were located in the Floyd house, a hotel located at the corner of Mulberry and Third Streets in Macon. See King, Sound of Drums, pp. 24-25. 20. King, Sound of Drums, pp. 55-60; Captions and Record of Events, Co. C, 2 Battalion Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; and Morton Ray McInvale, “Macon, Georgia: The War Years, 1861-1865” (M. A. thesis, Florida State University, 1973), pp. 133-140. 21. Civil War military service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A-Field and Staff, 45th Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; and King, Sound of Drums, pp. 257-258. The “Gresham Rifles” were named in honor of Judge John Jones Gresham, a leading lawyer, judge, businessman and community leader in Macon during this period. See Young, Gholson and Hargrove, History of Macon, pp. 299, 424. 22. Civil War military service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A- Field and Staff, 45th Georgia Infantry, Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; James M. Folsom, Heros and

Martyrs of Georgia, (Macon, Ga.: Burke, Boykin & Company, 1864), p. 115; and Sifakis, Compendium of the Confederate Armies, p. 258. 23. Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 115. 24. Ibid. 25. Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, pp. 115-116; and Macon Telegraph, 19 August 1862, p. 2. 26. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, p. 255; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 116. 27. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 256-258; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of

21

Georgia, p. 116. 28. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, p. 260; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 117. 29. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, p. 267; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 117. 30. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, p. 269; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 117. 31. Civil War military service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A- Field and Staff, 45th Georgia Infantry, Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C. 32. Civil War military service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A- Field and Staff, 45th Georgia Infantry, Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C. According to his military records, Rogers was appointed Major of the 45th on December 30, 1862; he was confirmed in rank March 26, 1863 and accepted his commission on February 3, 1863, to take rank as of October 13, 1862. 33. Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 118. 34. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 295-296; Linton, The Bicentennial Almanac, p. 173; and Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 118; and King, Sound of Drums, p. 105. 35. Civil War military service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A- Field and Staff, 45th Georgia Infantry, Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Webster's New Twentieth

Century Dictionary, 1950 ed., s.v. “haem-” and “phthisis”; Folsom, Heros and Martyrs of Georgia, p. 118. 36. Pardon application of Matthew R. Rogers submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 6 September 1865. Record Group 94, National Archives, Washington, D.C. 37. Macon Telegraph, 8 December 1863, p. 2. 38. Ronald H. Bailey and the Editors of Time-Life Books, The Civil War: Battles for Atlanta, (Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1985), pp. 138-139; and John C. Butler, Historical Record of

Macon and Central Georgia (Macon, Ga.: J. W. Burke, 1958, 1960), p. 264; and Young, Gholson and Hargrove, History of Macon, p. 259. 39. Bailey, The Civil War, pp. 138-139; and Butler, Historical Record of Macon, pp. 264-265; and McInvale, “Macon, Georgia: The War Years”, pp. 133-140. 40. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, pp. 670-671; and Linton, The Bicentennial Almanac, p. 188.

22

41. Linton, The Bicentennial Almanac, p. 188.

Chapter IV: Reconstruction

(1865-1877) 42. Long and Long, The Civil War Day By Day, p. 680; King, Sound of Drums, pp. 185-187; Encyclopedia Britannica, 1972 ed., s.v. “Macon” by Spencer B. King; and “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892; and “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8. According to both the Telegraph and the Constitution, Rogers served to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Confederate Army, but no records have ever been found to substantiate this claim. 43. Pardon application of Matthew R. Rogers, National Archives. The pardon appears to have been granted by the President on September 23, 1865. 44. Macon, Georgia, Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department, Letter from Barbara M. Arnold, Administrator, Cemeteries, to author regarding Rogers family burials in Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga., 8 September 1992. 45. The Fraternal Order Knights of Pythias is a non-sectarian organization which is devoted to the principles of “friendship, charity and benevolence.” Interestingly also, according to a history of the Order, it “began during the Civil War, and its founder [Justus Henry Rathbone] believed that it might help to heal the wounds and allay the hatred of civil conflict.” It was also the first fraternal organization to be chartered by an Act of Congress, in 1864. See Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8; Butler, Historical Record of Macon, p. 329; Order Knights of Pythias, Supreme Lodge, Letter from Jack R. Klai, P.S.C., Supreme Secretary to author regarding M. R. Rogers’ membership in the organization, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2 April 1996; Order Knights of Pythias, Grand Lodge of Georgia, Annual Report, 1883; Order Knights of Pythias, “The Pythian Story”, (Las Vegas, Nev.:n.d.), brochure on the history of the Knights of Pythias; and Young, Gholson and Hargrove, History of Macon, p. 403, which apparently erroneously gives the date of the organization of the “M. R. Rodgers Lodge” as August 22, 1892-- a date contradicted by an article in the Macon Telegraph, 26 July 1892, p. 6. 46. Ninth United States Census, 1870, Bibb County, Georgia, p. 821. 47. Macon, Georgia, City Clerk’s Office, Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City Council, 24 February 1876; Macon, Georgia, City Clerk’s Office, Letters from Connie Ellis to author regarding Rogers’ term of service on the Macon City Council, Macon, Ga., 28 February and 8 March 1996; and “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892.

23

Chapter V: Last Years

(1877-1892)

48. Tenth United States Census, 1880, Bibb County, Georgia, p. 259; and “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892. 49. Weekly News (Griffin, Ga.), 8 June 1888. 50. “A Good Woman Gone,” Macon Telegraph, 4 January 1891. 51. “A Good Woman Gone,” Macon Telegraph, 4 January 1891; and Macon, Georgia, Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department, Letter from Barbara M. Arnold, Administrator, Cemeteries, to author regarding Rogers family burials in Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga., 8 September 1992. 52. Christian Index, 4 February 1892, p. 4; “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8; “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892; “Obituary [of M. R. Rogers],” Macon Telegraph, 6 March 1892, p. 5; ; and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia, Griffin, Ga., Album of Past Grand Masters of Georgia, n.d. (Typewritten.) 53. “Major M. R. Rogers Dead,” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892; and Macon, Georgia, Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department, Letter from Barbara M. Arnold, Administrator, Cemeteries, regarding Rogers family burials in Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Ga., 8 September 1992. In his last will and testament, dated May 28, 1891, Rogers took care to provide for all his surviving kin. To his surviving daughter Lizzie, he gave “two dwelling houses and lots on 1st and Plum Streets.” Lizzie Steele Powell and Charlie Steele, the surviving children of his daughter Emma, were bequeathed “the Stone house and lot situated on Cherry Street,” while Marnie, Aileen and Tallula Stephens, his two granddaughters by Lula received two houses and lots and a “dwelling house with store attached” on the corner of Oglethorpe and Jackson Streets, together with “six small dwellings” on Jackson Street. A niece, Mary C. Mason, also was given a piece of property on Oglethorpe Street. Interestingly also, Rogers stipulated that “under no circumstances” should his son-in-law A.H. Stephens be made guardian over the children of his daughter Lula. Finally, Rogers appointed two men to act as executors of his estate: one, Walter B. Hill, was a noted Macon attorney, prohibitionist, and for many years was chancellor of the University of Georgia while the other (who was also appointed as guardian over his grandchildren by Lula Stephens) was T. C. Hendrix, a former colleague of Rogers’ on the Macon City Council. See Last Will and Testament of Matthew R. Rogers and Young, Gholson and Hargrove, History of Macon, pp. 319-320, 368, 427. 54. “Obituary [M. R. Rogers],” Macon Telegraph, 6 March 1892, p. 5; and “Death of Major Rogers,” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8.

24

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Public Documents

A. United States Captions and Record of Events, Co. C, 2 Battalion Georgia Infantry (Confederate). Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Civil War service records of M. R. Rogers, Co. A, 45 Georgia Infantry and Co. C, 2 Battalion Georgia Infantry (Confederate). Record Group 109, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Eighth United States Census, 1860. (Free and Slave Population Schedules). Ninth United States Census, 1870. Pardon application of Matthew R. Rogers submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 6 September 1865. Record Group 94, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Seventh United States Census, 1850. (Free and Slave Population Schedules). Tenth United States Census, 1880. United States War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of

the Union and Confederate Armies, 128 vols. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.

B. State of Georgia Death certificate of Lizzie Steele Ivey. Vital Records Service, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Atlanta, Georgia.

C. Local Records Bibb County, Georgia. Last Will and Testament of Matthew R. Rogers. File No. H-2812, filed in the Court of Ordinary, Macon, Georgia. Macon, Georgia. City Clerk’s Office. Letters from Connie Ellis to author regarding Rogers’ term of service on the Macon City Council, Macon, Georgia, 28 February and 8 March 1996. ________. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the City Council, 24 February 1876. ________. Macon-Bibb County Parks & Recreation Department. Letter from Barbara M. Arnold,

25

Administrator, Cemeteries, to author regarding Rogers family burials in Central Avenue division of Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Georgia, 8 September 1992. ________. Macon City Directory, 1877, 1893-1894, 1894-1895, 1896, 1899, 1902.

II. Books Bailey, Ronald H. and the Editors of Time-Life Books. The Civil War: Battles for Atlanta. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1985. Butler, John C. Historical Record of Macon and Central Georgia. Macon, Ga.: J. W. Burke, 1958, 1960. Evans, Clement A., ed. Confederate Military History, 12 vols. Atlanta: Blue & Grey Press, 1899. Folsom, James M. Heros and Martyrs of Georgia. Macon, Ga.: Burke, Boykin & Company, 1864. Henderson, Lillian, comp. Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 6 vols. Hapeville, Ga.: n.p., 1959-1964. Kalman, Bobbie. Early Schools. Early Settler Life Series. Toronto: Crabtree Publishing, 1982. King, Spencer B. Sound of Drums. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1984. Linton, Calvin D., ed. The Bicentennial Almanac. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1975. Long, E. B. and Long, Barbara. The Civil War Day By Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971. Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia. N.p.: Facts on File, 1995. Young, Ada; Gholson, Julius; and Hargrove, Clara Nell. History of Macon, Georgia. Macon, Ga.: Lyon, Marshall & Brooks, 1950.

III. Encyclopedias & Dictionaries Encyclopedia Britannica, 1972 ed., s.v. “Macon” by Spencer B. King. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 63 vols. New York: James T. White, 1907. Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1950 ed. S.v. “heam-” and “phthisis.”

26

IV. Periodicals “Aged Businessman Dies of Pneumonia” (Charles C. Stratton). Macon Daily Telegraph, 26 January 1919. “Battle of Cedar Run--- 45th Ga. in the Fight.” Macon Telegraph, 19 August 1862, p. 2. Christian Index, 4 February 1892, p. 4. “Death of Major Rogers.” Atlanta Constitution, 31 January 1892, p. 8. “Death of Mr. E. H. Steele.” Macon Daily Telegraph, 22 February 1886. “Deaths and Funerals” (Grover, Infant son of Mr. & Mrs. C. C. Stratton). Macon Telegraph, 29 December 1891. “Deaths and Funerals” (Mrs. C. C. Stratton). Macon Telegraph, 17 November 1912, p. 5. “Funeral Notice” (Mrs. E. H. Steele). Macon Telegraph, 16 October 1881. “A Good Woman Gone.” Macon Telegraph, 4 January 1891. Macon Messenger, 10 December 1846. Macon Telegraph, 8 December 1863, p. 2. “Major M. R. Rogers Dead.” Macon Telegraph, 30 January 1892. “The M. R. Rodgers Lodge.” Macon Telegraph, 26 July 1892, p. 2. “Obituary” (Emma Rogers Steele). Macon Telegraph, 4 December 1881, p. 1. “Obituary” (M. R. Rogers). Macon Telegraph, 6 March 1892, p. 5. Weekly News (Griffin, Ga.), 8 June 1888.

IV. Unpublished Materials Griffin, Ga. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Lodge of Georgia. Album of Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, n.d. (Typewritten.) McInvale, Morton Ray. “Macon, Georgia: The War Years, 1861-1865.” M.A. thesis, Florida State University, 1973.

27

Order Knights of Pythias. Grand Lodge of Georgia. Annual Report, 1883. ________. “The Pythian Story.” Las Vegas, Nev.: n.d. Brochure on the history of the Knights of Pythias. ________. Supreme Lodge. Letter from Jack R. Klai, P.S.C., Supreme Secretary to author regarding M. R. Rogers’ membership in the organization, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2 April 1996.

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APPENDIX 1:

BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

Name: Matthew Roberts Rogers

Birth: Sevier County, State of Tennessee, 8 January 1818

Ancestry: English

Father: ? Rogers; born: North Carolina; married: ?; died: ?

Father’s Occupation: Farmer?

Mother: ? (Roberts?) Rogers; born: North Carolina, ?; married: ? Rogers, ?; died: ?

Brothers and Sisters: (At least 1 sibling)

Wife: Margarette Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Ledden) Rogers; born: Cumberland County, North Carolina, 1828; married: Matthew Roberts Rogers, 8 December 1846; died: Macon, Georgia, 3 January 1891, 9:00 A.M.

Marriage: Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, 8 December 1846

Children: Emma B(earden?) Rogers; born: Macon?, Georgia, c. November 1847; married: E. H. Steele (born near Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee, 1 May 1840; died Macon, Georgia, 21 February 1886, 6:30 P.M.), 1 January 1867; died: Macon, Georgia?, 15 October 1881 Mary Rogers; born: Macon?, Georgia, 1848 or 1849; died: ?, before 1860 Catherine Tallula “Lula” Rogers; born: (Macon?), Georgia, 1851 or 1852; married: A. H. Stephens (born Macon, Georgia?, c.1850?; died Macon, Georgia?, after 1902), c.1870; died: Macon, Georgia?, between 1870-1892

29

Elizabeth W. “Lizzie” Rogers; born: Macon?, Georgia, 3 May 1854; married: Charles C. Stratton (born ?, 8 January 1844; died Macon, Georgia, 25 January 1919), after 1870; died: Macon, Georgia, 16 November 1912 (3:00 P.M.) Minnie Bearden Rogers; born: Macon, Georgia?, 26 September 1865; died: Macon, Georgia?, 5 April 1867 ? Rogers; born: Macon, Georgia?, ?; died: Macon, Georgia?, ?

Death: At his home on the corner of First and Plum Streets, Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, 29 January 1892, 8:00 P.M.

Burial: Rose Hill Cemetery, Macon, Georgia, 31 January 1892

Physical Features:

Height: apparently small Weight: average Eye Color: light Hair Color: white with

beard in old age

Distinguishing Marks/Features: Rogers appears to have been a small, slightly built man with stooped shoulders and fine features.

30

APPENDIX 2: GENEALOGICAL TABLE

The Family of Matthew Roberts Rogers Matthew Roberts Rogers = Margarette Elizabeth Ledden (1818-1892) (1828-1891)

_____________________________________________|_____________________________________________ | | | | | | Martha Emma Mary Catherine Elizabeth W. Minnie Bearden [?] Rogers Rogers Tallula “Lizzie” Rogers Rogers (1847-1881) (c.1848-1860?) “Lula” Rogers (1865-1866) (d.young) =E. H. Steele Rogers (1854-1912) (1840-1886) (c.1851-before 1892) | Elizabeth “Lizzie” Steele = (i) J. H. Powell (1868-1912) (?-c.1889?) = (ii) James Burnett Ivey (1851-after 1930) ____________________| | | Powell (daughter) Burnett Steele Ivey = (Lillan) Alise Buford (18?-?) (1896- ) (1899-1968) ______________________________________ | | (Margaret) Evelyn Rogers = James Burnett Ivey 2 Others (1926-1980) (1925- ) | Donald James Ivey = Mylene Espineda Chiong (1961- ) (1964- ) | John Lee Ivey (1997- )