Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-03-02
Passed Midshipman Rogers.


gers, asking compensation for losses and inju-
rles received ip the service of his country
| His memorial is coucbed in terms as modest
aud unassuming they respectful to Con-
gress, and elances al tie leading incidents Of
an eventful story of daring enterprise aud heroic
| lf0ft'ude, in captivity aud distress, to which
there can scarcely be found a parallel in he
annals Of war. shall ask of The Senate thai
this memorial be printed, in order tha, he may
have the full benefit of hi. own statement and
| now propose 10 make few remarks ia .ela-
,lon 10 the claim which he presents for he
purpose Of drawing The enlion of The Chair
man of The Committee on Military Affairs, aud
The members Of il, 10 The facts OF the case, be.
cause suppose that is the committee 10 " hom
the memorial may mos, appropriately be refer
red. This young officer one of he daring
few who, in The month of November. l846,
were distinguished for cutting out and destroy
ing the Mexican barque, f" Creole" then moor.
ed under the guns and fastened TO the walls of
the fortress of 81. Juan d'UIloa. Subsequently,
10 the destruction Of that vessel, the naval com.
mander under whom Mr. Rodgers served, was
desirous that reconnaissance should be made
Of the localities in The vicinity of Vera Cruz, as
we'll for The purpose Of aiding land attack as
Of destroying The enemy's depot Of ammunition;
and this young sailor volunteered with few
olhers--a small boal's crew-p perform this
dangerous service. On three successive nights,
this small parry penetrated The dense chapparal
in the neighborhood Of the city of Vera Cruz.
made complete reconnaissance of all the ob.
jects of importance which they were sent 10 ex-
anime. and afterwards reported complete draw
ings Of the localities around The city, which
were held ty General Worth to be of great
value, as he occupied, in The investment, Of the
city, The particular spot which was the subject
OF This investigation.
II was during this reconnaissance. On the last
nigh, Of it, ,ha. Mr.. Rodgers captured by
band of Mexican guards; and his capture was
undoubtedly owing 10 his own generous impulse
in saving brother officer. On ,ha, occasion
he narrowly escaped death a, the moment of
bis capture, in consequence Of the exasperaled
feelings of The Mexlcans CONSEQUENT Oh the de-
sruc,ion of the Creole" He was carried,
lha, night, to prison in Vera Cruz, where he
remained four days and nights without sus,en.
ance, in cell swarmIng with vermIn, and
where The only intelligence that reached him
was, that he had been condemned TO death as
spy, by civil tribunal the sole evidence Of
fered before it being to The effect, that he was
the leader Of the parry engaged in eating Out
and destroying the Creole" He hen remain
ed in constant expectation Of death for many
weeks and when, as he thought, his death.
summons was coming, his only answer 10 IL
was the request. thar he nigh, avoid The Mexi-
can mode of killing man behind his back, and
meet death as all American, who could look
il in the face. He remained in that stale Of
suspense for long period his Imprisonment,
at Vera Cruz lasting for three months. For
some reason the bloody sentence which had
been recorded agains, him, was never executed,
and military commission was ordered to 81,
upon his case. When Gen. Scott was advan-
cling 10 invest Vera Cruz, Mr. Rodgers was
marched on foot from that city TO Perote, and
confined in the noxious cells of tha, fortress.
As The American army advanced lnlo Mexico,
ne was again removed and conveyed TO Puebla.
All his property had been lost in the wreck of
he Somers, and hat W hich was conferred upon
him by the hand Of friendship or charity was
taken from him by the robbers whilst his life
was al The same lime, in constant peril from
the excited state Of public feeling against our
countrymeD. At short distance from Puebla
The incensed Iabble stoned him. and" on thai
occasion, also, he narrowly escaped dea'h.---
Owing 10 this excited state Of public feeling,
his guard was compelled TO remain with hun
within league of Puebla ill midnight, lest he
should be torn to pieces by the exasperaled
popuance in the city. When taken 10 Puebla
in go great peril was he. that the foreign resi-
dents of that Slale inlerceded in his behalf, and
obtained an order for his removal 10 the city OF
Mexico. In rags and wrelchedness. he was
marched TO The capital where he remained a
prisoner until intelligence of The ba'le Of Cerro
Gordo arrived; hen General Sana Anna, the
hero Of the Alamo, ordered his victim to be con.
veyed still further into the interior. Knowing
that death would be The consequence ofihal re.
moyal, he made successful effort TO escape.
Always in Infinite peril, he made his way in
Mexican disguise. being often subjected 10 ex-
animation from bands of guerrIlIas and Mexican
guards, until he reached The plains which led
him TO PuebIa where General Scon was pre-
pairing with his victorious army 10 advance upon
he Cry Of Mexico Ftom his knowledge OF
the localities in The neghbofhood oil Mexico,
and The numbers and CONDITION Of lhe Mexican