Joseph Sumner Rogers (July 5, 1844 – September 14, 1901) was an American educator and

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

officer. A native of

Orrington, Maine Orrington is a town on the Penobscot River estuary in Penobscot County, Maine, Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,812 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Orrington was originally part of Condustiegg or ...

, he was a veteran of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and was most notable as the founder and longtime superintendent of

Michigan Military Academy The Michigan Military Academy, also known as M.M.A., was an all-boys military prep school in Orchard Lake Village, Oakland County, Michigan. It was founded in 1877 by J. Sumner Rogers and closed in 1908 due to bankruptcy. Some journalists hav ...

Early life

Joseph Sumner Rogers was born in

on July 5, 1844, the son of Joseph Rogers and Joanna Swett Harriman. Rogers was a descendant of Thomas Rogers, a passenger on the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

''. He was educated in the schools of Orrington and left at age 16 to join the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

Start of career

In April 1861, Rogers joined the 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry. He took part in the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

in July 1861, and continued his service during

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

's 1862 Peninsula campaign. Rogers sustained a severe wound to the face during his participation in the August 1862

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

. While in Maine for convalescent leave, Rogers completed his education at the academy in

Bucksport, Maine Bucksport is a historical town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,944 at the 2020 census. Bucksport is across the Penobscot River estuary from Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which replaced the Waldo–H ...

. He was mustered out at the end of his enlistment in June 1863. Rogers returned to service in September 1864 when he was commissioned as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in the 31st Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He served in the Battles of the

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

, Spottsylvania,

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

Petersburg Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

Crater Crater may refer to: Landforms *Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet *Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surfac ...

, Second Weldon Railroad, and Poplar Springs Church. The regiment then performed garrison duty in and around

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

until the Confederate surrender, and it took part in the

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in the ...

in May 1865. Rogers was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

as commander of the regiment's Company M in October, 1864 and

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

in March, 1865. He was mustered out with his regiment on July 15, 1865.

Continued career

In October 1867, Rogers was appointed a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

and assigned to duty with the 1st Infantry Regiment. He served with the regiment in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

, and was later posted to

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. While on duty at Fort Wayne in 1872, Rogers was appointed professor of military science and tactics at Detroit High School and commander of the Detroit Cadets, Detroit high school students organized as military drill and ceremony teams. He commanded the corps with the

Michigan Militia The Michigan Militia is a paramilitary Michigan-based organization founded in 1994 by Norman Olson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The group was formed in response to perceived encroachments by the federal government on the rights of citizens ...

rank of

until 1876, including performances at the

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Rogers resigned from the army in 1877, intending to found a military school. Later in 1877, Rogers obtained financial backing to purchase the estate of

Joseph T. Copeland Joseph Tarr Copeland (May 6, 1813 – May 6, 1893) was a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1852 until 1857, as well as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Copeland was born in New Castle, Maine. He s ...

Orchard Lake Village, Michigan Orchard Lake Village is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,375 at the 2010 census. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Orchard Lake Village is located about southwest of the city of Pontiac and northw ...

. He organized the

, a boarding school modeled after the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. Rogers was able to capitalize on friendships he had created during the Civil War to increase the school's profile. In 1879,

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

, the

Commanding General of the United States Army The Commanding General of the United States Army was the title given to the service chief and highest-ranking officer of the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), prior to the establishment of the Chief of Staff of the ...

, spoke to MMA's graduating class, an event with an audience of 10,000. Rogers served as the school's superintendent with the militia rank of colonel. During his tenure at MMA, its drill and ceremony teams won several national competitions and took part in events at the 1893

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

. Despite the school's success, an expansion begun in 1900 caused the school to incur debt it had difficulty paying off. Rogers, who was terminally ill, was unable to lead as effectively as he had earlier, and the school continued to founder.

Personal life

Civic and fraternal

Rogers was a member of the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. He was also a member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

and

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

. Rogers also belonged to the

Sons of the American Revolution The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky. A non-prof ...

Mayflower Society The General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants — commonly called the Mayflower Society — is a hereditary organization of individuals who have documented their descent from at least one of the 102 passengers who arrived on the ''Mayflower'' ...

and

Hereditary Order of Descendants of Colonial Governors The Hereditary Order of Descendants of Colonial Governors (HODCG) is a hereditary society composed of men and women who can prove their descent from a colonial-era governor. Founded in 1896 Miss Mary Cabell Richardson of Covington, Kentucky, the Or ...

Death and burial

Rogers died in Orchard Lake on September 14, 1901. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in

Family

In 1866, Rogers married Jeanette Susan Wheeler (1845-1920). They were the parents of three children. Son

Harry Lovejoy Rogers Harry Lovejoy Rogers (January 29, 1867 – December 12, 1925) was an officer in the United States Army. A specialist in quartermaster and food service activities, Rogers attained the rank of major general, and was most notable for his service as ...

(1867-1925) graduated from MMA, joined the Army for the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, and attained the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Daughter Florence (1878-1890) died of illness at age 12. Frederick P. Rogers (1881-1946) was a businessman and Army officer who attained the rank of

during

Legacy

Michigan Military Academy continued to operate until 1908, when it declared bankruptcy and was closed. The MMA property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1982 as the Orchard Lake Schools Historic District.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, J. Sumner 1844 births 1901 deaths People from Orrington, Maine People from Orchard Lake, Michigan Union Army officers American militia officers United States Army officers Burials in Maine Military personnel from Michigan