Fought Under Farragut

Rear Admiral Frederick Rodgers, who has just succeeded Rear Admiral Barker as commandant of the Brooklyn navy yard, is already familiar with the duties of the position, as he served from 1893 to 1896 as captain of the yard.

Rear Admiral Rodgers, known in the navy as "Turk" Rodgers, comes from a family that has long been famous as sea fighters. Admiral John Rodgers, one of the heroes of the war of 1812, was his uncle, and Admiral C. R. P. Rodgers, known in other days as the Chesterfield of the navy, was his cousin.

Frederick Rodgers donned the navy blue when but a boy, entering Annapolis but when fifteen. He was graduated in 1861, just in time to take part in the stirring events of the civil war. He was ordered to the Santee. He got into the fighting squadron of the navy - the west gulf - under Farragut, which he saw much service.

Again in 1864 after a short tour of duty in the north Atlantic squadron, he was sent back to the west gulf fleet.

It was at Mobile Bay that "Turk" Rodgers saw his hottest fight. That was the place where Joulett's ship was attached to the flagship of Farragut. After the close of the war Rodgers got his promotion as lieutenant commander. It is said that in the naval board then sitting in Washington there were men who did not want to promote Rodgers. They said he was too young.

"Too young," growled Farragut. "He wasn't too young to go into that hell of fire and gunpowder in Mobile Bay, a hotter place than you will ever see" (this sotto voce to an old captain who had not smelled powder during the four years of the war), "unless you go where you ought to when you die, confound you!" Farragut could not stand a shirker.

During the war with Spain, Rodgers, then a captain, commanded the monitor Puritan of Rear Admiral Sampson's fleet. He became a rear admiral in March 1899 Rear Admiral Rodgers recently returned from service in the Philippines, where he had command of the Asiatic squadron. He is a native of Maryland and is in his sixty-first year. Tweet

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