Joseph Noyes L. Rogers

Bio written by James Rogers

Minor Editing & Hyperlinks by Ryan E. Rogers

Joseph Noyes L. Rogers was born in 1811 at East Haddam, Middlesex County, Connecticut. Multiple QC deeds from various family members indicate that his parents were Roswell and Wealthy Rogers of East Haddam, Connecticut, Hamilton, NY, and Geauga County, Ohio.

Joseph was part of the Connecticut migration that made its way to what was known as the "Connecticut Reserve" in northeast Ohio. On May 28th, 1835, Joseph married Roxania Brainard in Madison, Ohio. Roxania was the daughter of Caleb and Polly (Washburn) Brainard.

They are first found listed independently in the federal census of 1850 at nearby Huntsburg, Ohio. At that time the family had these children: Eli S. C., Albert, Sarah A., Mary, and twin boys Roswell Noyes and Rockwell H. Rogers. Joseph was farming apparently rented lands, as no deed transfers have been found for him in that era. Roxania's sister, Charlotte (Brainard) Clark, lived nearby.

The family moved during the next five years, for they are found in the 1855 Illinois State census living in North Henderson township of Knox County, Illinois. Joseph paid a personal property tax on his modest goods in the amount of $0.55 in that same year. The family may have traveled west in the company of two of Roxania's siblings and their families. These were Abigail (Brainard) Haver and Daniel Brainard. In February of 1856 Joseph signed an affidavit attesting to the marriageable status of his son Albert; who married Sarah Artis.

Joseph and Roxania may have been a charitable sort, for the 1860 Federal census shows two young boys living with the family. These boys were John and James Morehead, ages 17 and 8 respectively. At the time they were living in Henderson County, Illinois, probably near the village of New Lancaster.

The onset of the War of the Rebellion (as it was called at the time) must have stirred up patriotic emotions in Joseph. At the age of fifty he left his farmwork to join the 30th Illinois Infantry Volunteers. He enlisted as a private for a period of three years on 7 December 1861 at Cairo, Illinois. His enlistment papers state he was a "minister." This may have been a lay position.

A "Certificate of Disability for Discharge" shows him to have been discharged at Pittsburgh Landing (site of the Battle of Shiloh) on 28 April 1862, just days after this first major engagement of the war. He had arrived two days after the battle. The reason for disability was given as "general debility from dysentery and old age."

He may have spent the summer recovering, for on 15 August he signed up again at Chicago for another hitch as a private. This time it was with Captain Spaulding's Company the 88th Illinois Infantry. He collected a $25 payment as part of a $100 bounty for joining. Muster rolls show he was detailed as a hospital nurse at Danville, Kentucky on 18 October 1862. The day after Christmas, 1862, he served as a Provost Guard at Mill Creek, Tennessee.

The Battle of Stone River at Murfreesboro, Tennessee was another Shiloh revisited. On 31 December 1862 the Confederates wailed on the Union troops and nearly routed them. This time Joseph was not so lucky. He was captured and taken prisoner. Along with others, he was shipped to Alexandria, Virginia, where he was confined 15 January 1863.

Fortunately, he was paroled (perhaps a prisoner exchange) five days later on 20 January 1863, at City Point, Virginia. He reported the next day at Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland. On 11 March he was shipped to Benton Barracks in Missouri, where he arrived eight days later, and was returned to his regiment.

The experience must have been hard on him. He was reported variously as "at barracks" and "sick in hospital" as late as May, 1863. On 16 August 1863 he was transferred to the 31st Company Invalid Corps. He traveled home for Christmas, receiving furlough papers to go to "Keysburg" (perhaps Keithsburg in Mercer County) Illinois from 24 December to 3 January 1864. He remained in this Invalid Corps under the unit's changing names, re-enlisting when allowed. He served in the capacity of "Assistant Chaplain" at Camp Douglas, outside Chicago, since he was deemed unfit for regular service with his unit.

On 16 September 1865, he received his final discharge from military service. It was in the form of another disability discharge. This one said he suffered from "old age, chronic bronchitis, and debility." In his papers, he wished to be addressed at Clearwater, Minnesota. A William Rogers farmed near there and is believed to have been a brother to Joseph.

Joseph and Roxania appear to have lived in Minnesota around six years. They and Roswell are listed in the 1870 Federal census as living near the town of Buffalo in Wright County. Again, two young children were shown with them. These youngsters were Mary Ellison, age 11, and a boy, Francis Ellison, age 8. It is not known to this writer if any formal adoption proceedings were ever undertaken for the children who lived at various times in their household.

The year 1871 was a very dry one and drought parched Minnesota and much of the Midwest. Forest and prairie fires raged in many locations. On October 7th an article in the Wright County Times labeled "The Big Fire" described a particular one. The article reads, "The fire is supposed to have started in the vicinity of Mr. Rogers farm. It spread with great rapidity and soon ran over numerous marshes which are scattered everywhere through this neighborhood." The same day the Meeker County News reported, "A man named Rogers, who lives near Crow River, lost a valuable yoke of cattle, and a large lot of hay." It is not known for certain if either or both of these articles refer to the previously mentioned William Rogers.

If this William were indeed Joseph's brother, it may have caused him enough sadness to make him move away. On 23 August 1873 at Morning Sun, Iowa, Joseph served as affiant to the marriageable status of his son Roswell Noyes, who married Emily "Amy" Munden.

In 1880 Joseph and Roxania were living at Fayette, Iowa near their eldest son Eli. They then resided for a time at Fredericksburg, Iowa. In Fredericksburg, on 20 January 1883, Joseph joined the Grand Army of the Republic, a social organization for Civil War veterans. He was at this time 72 years old. Perhaps his advancing years caused problems for them for they moved back to Fayette.

On 22 December 1893, Joseph passed away, leaving Roxania as a widow in their 59th year of marriage. The local newspaper, The Iowa Postalcard, reported the following note: "Old Mr. Rogers, father of Eli, was buried last Sunday. He had been residing with his son Westfield." He had died at the age of 82 and was buried at Grandview Cemetery in Fayette, Iowa. No will is recorded for him in Fayette county.

Roxania applied for a widow's pension based on Joseph's military service. It was granted in 1894 at the rate of $8 per month. Roxania sought entrance for residence in the Iowa Old Soldier's Home at Marshalltown, Iowa, where she lived out her days in the women's section of the home.

Prior to her death, she signed her "X" to a form of will in which she gave her "featherbed, umbrella, and clock" to her granddaughter; a Mrs. Bertha Jackson of Quitman, Arkansas. She willed her other minor effects to her daughter Mrs. Sarah A. Speck of Madison, Arkansas. It was her desire to be buried at Fayette. When she died on 6 September 1900, her wishes were granted. She was buried near her husband and two infant grand-children in Grandview Cemetery.

The Evening Times-Republican of Marshalltown published the following note: ROGERS: Roxania Rogers, a member of the Soldiers' Home dormitory since March 1895, died Thursday night at 6 o'clock, as the result of heart trouble. Mrs. Rogers had been ill for some time and for the past week had been confined in the hospital. Deceased was 82 years of age and was the widow of the late M. L. Rogers (sic), of Company G, Thirtieth Illinois Infantry. She came to the institution from Fayette, and the body will be taken to that place for burial. One son, Eli Rogers, resides at Fayette, and a daughter is a resident of Arkansas."