rod:man
RODNEY
Scaiumon's brigade, resisted the struggle made
b}' Toombs, who held the bridge. When the
general movement began, he went forward to-
ward Sharpsburg, where he found the enemy
occup3'ing ridges on his left front, so that he was
unable to keep his connection with AVilcox,
although he made good progress against stubborn
resistance, his movement becoming practically
by column of brigades. He directed Colonel
Harland to lead the right against A. P. Hill's
division, disguised in Federal uniforms and
liidden in the cornfield, while he himself at-
tempted to bring the left into position. In per-
forming this duty, he fell mortally wounded by
a minie rifle-ball, Sept. 17, 1862. He was conveyed
to the hospital near Sliarpsburg, Va. , and his wife,
father, and the family physician reached his bed-
side before his death. He died, Sept. 29, 1863.
RODMAN, Thomas Jefferson, ordnance offi- cer, was born in Salem, Ind., July 30, 1815. He was graduated from tlie U. S. Military academy in ISil and was breveted 2d lieutenant, and as- signed to the ordnance department, July 1, 1841. He served at the Allegheny, Pa., arsenal, 1841-18 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant, March 3, 1847, and supervised the manufacture of cannon at Fort Pitt foundry, Pittsburg, Pa. , in 1847. He was ord- nance officer stationed at the depots at Camargo and Point Isabel, Mexico, 1847 ; at Allegheny ar- senal, 1848-54 ; was in command of the Allegheny arsenal, 1854-55; of Baton Rouge arsenal. La., 1855-56, and was promoted captain July 1, 1855, for fourteen years continuous service. He was stationed at Allegheny arsenal, 1857-59 ; com- manded the Watertown arsenal, Mass., 1859-65; superintended the casting of the first 15-inch Co- lumbiad, the 12-inch rifled Rodman gun, and the 20- inch smooth bore, and supervised the casting of all projectiles and ordnance, after an invention of his own, 1864-65. He was promoted major, June 1, 1863, and bre vetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel and brigadier general, U.S.A., March 13, 1865, for faithful, meritorious and distinguished services in the ordnance department. He was in command of Rock Island arsenal. 111., of which he superintended the construction, 1865-71 ; was promoted lieutenant-colonel. May 7, 1867, and was a member of ordnance and artillery boards, 1865-67. He died in Rock Island, 111., June 7, 1871.
RODNEY, Caesar, signer, was born at St. Jones's Neck, Kent county, Del., Oct. 7, 1728; son of
Ctesar and (Crawford) Rodney, and grandson
of William and Alice (Ctesar) Rodney, who emi- grated from Bristol, England, settled first in Philadelphia, and then in Dover, Del., William held local offices, becoming justice of Newcastle in 1707, and speaker of the first house of assembly. He died in 1708. Ceesar Rodney, the younger, inherited a large estate, was sheriff of Kent
county, 1755-58 ; a justice of the peace, and judge
of the lower courts in 1758. He superintended
the printing of Delaware currency in 1759, and
was appointed a commissioner to provide for the
support of a company of militia raised for the
French and Indian war. He was elected repre-
sentative in tlie colonial assembly several times
after 1762 ; was recorder of Kent county in 1764,
and a justice of the peace, 1764-66. In 1765 he
was sent as delegate to the stamp act congress
in New York and when the act was repealed, he
was appointed by the legislature of Delaware to
frame an address of thanks to the king. He was
register of bills in 1766. and in 1787 joined Thomas
McKean and George Read in forming a second
address to the King, setting forth the tyranny of
England and threatening armed resistance to the
tea act. He was superintendent of the loan office
in 1769 ; an associate justice, 1769-73 ; clerk of
the peace in 1770, and in 1772 was appointed a
commissioner to erect a state house and other
public buildings at Dover. He was chairman of
the committee of safety of Delaware, issuing a
call for the assembling of a convention at New-
castle, Aug. 1, 1774, of which he was chairman,
and was a delegate to the Continental congress,
1774-84, serving as a member of its general com-
mittee, appointed to make a statement of the
rights and grievances of the colonists. He was
also a signer of the Declaration of Independence
of July 4, 1776. He was appointed colonel of mil-
itia in May, 1775, and brigadier-general in Sep-
tember, 1775, and went to Morristown, N.J., in
1776, where he joined General Washington, but
returned to Delaware in 1777. He was chosen
judge of the admiralty, June 5, 1777, having
refused the appointment of judge of the newly
organized supreme court of Delaware. In
August, 1777, he collected
troops to prevent the British
from joining their fieet, and
in September, 1777, was
appointed major-general of
militia. He was elected a
delegate to the Continental
congress that met at Philadel-
phia, Pa., July 2, 1778, but did not take his seat,
having been elected president of the " Delaware
State " in 1778, in which capacity he served till
1782. He died in Dover, Del., June 26, 1784.
RODNEY, Csesar Augustus, soldier and states- man, was born in Dover, Del., Jan. 4, 1772 ; son of Col. Thomas and Elizabeth (Fisher) Rodney ; grandson of William and Alice (Ceesar) Rodney, and a nephew of Cassar Rodney (q.v.). He was brought up by his uncle, who made provision in his will for his education ; was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, A.B.. 17S9, A.M., 1792 ; was admitted to the bar in 1793, and estab-
