George Washington Rogers (1820-1864)

Happy birthday to my great great grandfather, February 7. This celebration if of his 199th anniversary of his birth.

I'm reposting from some older blogs I wrote in 2017 and 2018 about him.  I'm sharing it with Sepia Saturday this week.

He fought in the Mexican-American War, was injured and came home to live just a few short years, marrying and having 6 children, of whom only 3 lived to adulthood.   Incidentally, the Mexican-American War doesn't seem as if Mexico instigated it...just saying.


My Ancestry.Com information says: 

G.W. Rogers served in the War in Mexico - under Captain Gillespie; Col. John C. Hays: 1st Regiment Texas Rangers, Gen. Zachary Taylor. He was wounded on assault on Bishop's Palace, Monterrey, Mexico. His name is on the Gillespie Monument in Huntsville, Texas. After the battle (from war department 1846) Col. George Washington Rogers lay wounded on battle field all night, during icy storm. He contracted tuberculosis. After recuperating, he returned to his home in Gibbsland, LA.

In Wikipedia the information about the Battle of Monterrey (not to be confused with Monterey, CA) says:

In the Battle of Monterrey (September 21–24, 1846) during the Mexican–American War, General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North was defeated by the Army of Occupation, a force of United States Regulars, Volunteers and Texas Rangers under the command of General Zachary Taylor.

Go to this site to read the entire battle information.  I'll just give you a picture or two, from that site.

Battle of Monterrey - Americans fighting within the city

Monterrey from Independence Hill, in the rear of the bishop´s palace. On stone by F. Swington. Colored by G. & W. Edicott, New York. The image depicts the Saddle Hill and the bishop´s house in Monterrey Mexico after the Battle of Monterrey in 1846.

The Battle of Monterrey

Storming of Palace Hill at the Battle of Monterrey

George W. Rogers married Lucinda Benson Gibbs after he recuperated in 1848.  They then moved to Huntsville, Texas, where they were among the elite and owned a large plantation style home.

Old buildings of George Washington Rogers

I'm adding some new photos to my ancestor's site, as well as here in my blog, where I keep an archive of whatever I've learned about them.  These were recently posted on Facebook.

George Washington Rogers 1820-1864

George Washington Rogers lived in a really nice home in Huntsville Texas. I spoke about his life several years ago, where he fought in the Mexican-American war of 1846. See"When I was 69" Blog.

George W. Rogers home built 1844, Photo by Patricia Rogers Seliger

My cousin Patricia, who has joined all kinds of genealogical societies, wrote this in Ancestry...

Home at... "1418 University, Huntsville, TX.  Description: George Washington Rogers and his wife, Lucinda Benson Gibbs purchased 600 acres of land in Walker county in 1844 from Pleasant Gray and his wife, Hannah. (This being out of their Headright.) Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Rogers were said to be the wealthiest family in town and their Greek-Revival style home on University Avenue was the finest in its heyday. The aristocracy from East Texas were entertained there. (G.W. Rogers was Huntsville's first Treasurer.) One feature was a huge ballroom that occupied the southeast wing. In later years, the house served as the president's mansion for the third president of Austin College - Rufus Bailey. The house also became the home of H.H. Smith, the second president of Sam Houston Normal Institute. Other owners made changes in the house, but it has been restored and is still standing today. http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/freestone/bios/gwrogers.txt

Thanks to Photos of Town - here Huntsville TX

My other cousins who live in Texas, visited the Rogers home in 2015.  Cynthia Rogers took these following photos:

Photo by Cynthia Rogers

Photo by Cynthia Rogers

Photo by Cynthia Rogers

Photo by Cynthia Rogers

Photo by Cynthia Rogers

These photos show how the home had been changed over its lifetime, and it's hard to figure out some of the additions that have been made to it.

Photos by Town

Austin College Building - Now part of the Sam Houtson State University campus, site originally owned by Col. George W. Rogers. Photo by James Peavy

Notes from Facebook on the Austin building above:

The original Austin College Building was built in 1851-52 on a magnificent hill that was part of the original land grant of Huntsville founder Pleasant Gray. It is a nationally recognized historic landmark. Col. George Washington Rogers purchased a large sum of land from Gray and built his home on this site in 1844-45. When hopes were that Huntsville would be chosen for the permanent location of the capital, Rogers relocated his home to its current nearby location (where it has been preserved as the oldest home in Huntsville) and offered this five-acre hill to serve as the location of the new state capital. It became known as "Capital Hill". When that ambition failed, the town searched for another meaningful purpose for "Capital Hill". In the meantime, the Presbyterians were searching for a suitable location for a new college and Huntsville was chosen. Two Presidents of the Republic, Sam Houston and Anson Jones, served on its board. Austin College became the first law school in Texas in 1855. After the Civil War followed by the Huntsville yellow fever epidemic of 1867, Austin College relocated to Sherman, TX in 1876. Since about that time, Austin Hall, as it is now known, has been the heart of Sam Houston State University (originally Sam Houston Normal Institute) where it is the oldest building west of the Mississippi in continuous use as a college facility.

Quote for today 

We develop grace as we learn with the guiding hand of the universe, life will unfold exactly the way it should. Madisyn Taylor - Daily Om