Ohio County, West Virginia    Biography of William Washington ROGERS

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Submitted by <BMaurer396@aol.com>, March 2000
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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.