Colonel William P. Rogers (1819-1862), born in Georgia, married Martha Halbert in 1840, and had six children. Against his father’s wishes, he attended law school and began practicing in 1842, eventually having Sam Houston as one of his clients and dear friends. After fighting in the Mexican War, Rogers served as a Confederate colonel in the Civil War, and was killed at the battle of Corinth.
Source: Parrish, T. Michael. “Rogers, William Peleg.” Handbook of Texas Online.
Accessed August 18, 2011.
Two bound Photostats of a diary and correspondence comprise the William P. Rogers Papers, 1846-1862, documenting his experiences as a soldier in the Mexican War and Civil War. Roger’s diary (1846-1847) chronicles his experiences serving in the Mexican War, including battles he engaged in, soldiers’ conduct, and his opinions on the Mexican landscape and its people. Correspondence (1848-1862) consists primarily of letters written from Rogers to his wife during the Civil War describing battles he fought, his relations with members of his regiment, and his desire to return to his family, while also including letters from Rogers to “Helen,” and a letter from an officer, dated October 22, 1862, informing Mrs. Rogers of her husband’s death in battle.
This collection is open for research use.
William P. Rogers Papers, 1846-1862, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.