Hiram C. Rodgers was born on October 6, 1834, in Sauquoit, New York, to Solomon Rodgers and Harriet Gilbert. His father was a clerk. He grew up and attended school in Oneida County, New York, and by 1850, he was also working as a clerk. He moved to Binghamton, New York, in the 1850s, and he worked as a bank teller there.
In May 1861, Rodgers received a commission as a captain in Company D of the 27th New York Infantry. The regiment took part in the First Battle of Bull Run. In July 1862, he was promoted to assistant adjutant general, and he served on the staff of General Henry W. Slocum. He probably mustered out on January 31, 1865.
He married Sarah Mather on December 10, 1863, and they had at least two children: Hiram and Sarah. By 1890, they were living in Binghamton. He worked as a banker and bookkeeper. He applied for a federal pension in July 1895 and eventually secured one. He died in Port Dickinson, New York, on May 6, 1897.
Image: Hiram C. Rodgers (courtesy William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)