William Rodgers was born on February 8, 1806, in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, to Irish immigrants John Rodgers and Elizabeth McCarnathan. He lived with his parents in Mount Pleasant until he was eighteen, when he moved to Indiana County, Pennsylvania, where he operated a store. He moved to Brookville, Pennsylvania, in December 1830 and opened a store there the following year. He joined the Democratic Party and became a prominent local official, serving as Judge of Elections, Town Councilor, and postmaster. As he later explained, he “remained [postmaster for] eight years during the Administration of General Jackson and Martin Vanburen.” In August 1835, he became a major in the 145th Pennsylvania Militia. Two years later, he was appointed county treasurer, and he also spent more than a decade as constable of Brookville. He married Sarah Clements, and they had at least two children: Mary Catherine, born around 1841; and Michael, born around 1847.
Rodgers enlisted in the Union army on August 15, 1862, and mustered in as a private in Company I of the 148th Pennsylvania Infantry on September 7, 1862. He apparently lied about his age, as his enlistment records describe him as 42 years old. The regiment took part in the Battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Rodgers, however, fell ill sometime in 1863 and spent several months recovering. He mustered out on January 9, 1864. He returned home to Brookville after the war. In 1870, he was working as a farmer, and he owned $1,400 of real estate and $300 of personal property. He applied for a federal pension on July 21, 1882, complaining of chronic diarrhea and heart disease. He died on February 5, 1896, and was buried in Brookville Cemetery.
| (103) | Rodgers, William | 1806 | 1896-02-05 |
- Conflict Side: Union
- Role: Soldier
- Rank in: Private
- Rank out: Private
- Rank highest: Private
- Gender: Male
- Race: White
Documents - Records: 85
- (222) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 26 May 1863
- (223) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 4 May 1863
- (724) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 30 January 1863
- (729) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, undated
- (732) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 20 February 1863
- (733) [associated with] ~ A. B. McLain Resolutions, 16 March 1896
- (734) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to George E. Lemon, 13 December 1884
- (735) [associated with] ~ William Rodgers Memoir, undated
- (736) [associated with] ~ William Rodgers Pension Document, 4 January 1884
- (737) [associated with] ~ William Rodgers Memoir, undated
- (738) [writer] ~ William Rodgers Memoir, 30 March 1881
- (740) [associated with] ~ Junius F. Crain Statement, 18 January 1864
- (741) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 10 January 1864
- (742) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 27 December 1863
- (743) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 12 December 1863
- (744) [recipient] ~ Moses H. Jones to William Rodgers, 26 November 1863
- (745) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 7 September 1863
- (746) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 September 1863
- (747) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 20 April 1863
- (748) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 19 September 1863
- (749) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 26 September 1863
- (750) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 1 October 1863
- (751) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 7 October 1863
- (752) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 11 October 1863
- (753) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 17 October 1863
- (754) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 24 October 1863
- (755) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 25 October 1863
- (756) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 31 October 1863
- (757) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 December 1862
- (758) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 3 November 1863
- (759) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 November 1863
- (760) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 15 November 1863
- (761) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 22 November 1863
- (762) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 30 August 1863
- (763) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 24 August 1863
- (764) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 February 1863
- (765) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 9 March 1863
- (766) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 17 March 1863
- (767) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 15 February 1863
- (768) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 15 March 1863
- (769) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 17 January 1863
- (770) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 May 1863
- (771) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 20 May 1863
- (772) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 23 May 1863
- (773) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 2 June 1863
- (774) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 3 June 1863
- (775) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 6 June 1863
- (776) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 17 May 1863
- (777) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 1 March 1863
- (778) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 29 March 1863
- (779) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 16 April 1863
- (780) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 18 April 1863
- (781) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 27 April 1863
- (783) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 10 May 1863
- (784) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 5 May 1863
- (785) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 14 August 1863
- (786) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 12 July 1863
- (787) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 5 July 1863
- (788) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 5 July 1863
- (789) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 1 July 1863
- (790) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 25 June 1863
- (791) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 20 June 1863
- (792) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, undated
- (793) [associated with] ~ Silas J. Marlin Statement, 11 November 1862
- (794) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 10 June 1863
- (795) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 15 June 1863
- (796) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Olive Thompson and Mary C. Thompson, 12 June 1863
- (797) [recipient] ~ Michael Rodgers to William Rodgers, 1 June 1834
- (798) [recipient] ~ James Rodgers to William Rodgers, 20 June 1835
- (799) [recipient] ~ Michael Rodgers to William Rodgers, 30 August 1835
- (800) [recipient] ~ Michael Rodgers to William Rodgers, 29 October 1837
- (801) [writer] ~ William Rodgers Statement, undated
- (804) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 21 September 1862
- (805) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 28 September 1862
- (806) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 19 October 1862
- (807) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 22 October 1862
- (808) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 27 October 1862
- (809) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 11 November 1862
- (810) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 12 October 1862
- (811) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 8 November 1862
- (812) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 17 November 1862
- (813) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, undated
- (814) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 31 November 1862
- (815) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 1 January 1863
- (816) [writer] ~ William Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers, 11 January 1863
People - Records: 5
- (103) Rodgers, William is the [husband of] (104) Rodgers, Sarah
Places - Records: 2
Regiments - Records: 1
- (68) [enlisted] [I] ~ 148th Pennsylvania Infantry
1860, 1870, and 1880 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; 1890 Veterans Census, available from Ancestry.com; Pennsylvania Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1869, available from Ancestry.com; Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012, available from Ancestry.com; Civil War Pension Index, 1861-1934, available from Ancestry.com.
