Senior naval officer in the U.S. Navy who served under six Presidents for nearly four decades. He served aboard the Constellation and commanded both the Insurgente and and the Maryland. His service included the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. Serving in the Navy during its formative years, he became a senior officer and helped to develop the practices and traditions that emerged. Rodgers was noted for commanding the largest American squadron to sail the Mediterranean Sea. He also commanded the USS John Adams which was the flagship of the fleet that would defeat the Barbary states of North Africa. It was during the War of 1812 where Rodgers, serving as a ranking officer, fired the first shot aboard the USS President and played a leading role in the recapture of Washington DC after it was burned by the British.
This letter is handwritten and signed by Rodgers. Dated April 13, 1831, it is a letter of the Navy Commission Office directing the replacement of the tin roof of the Ship House over the Pennsylvania which had been blown off by a gale of wind. Included with the letter is the postal cover, with the free frank signature of Rodgers, directed to the Commanding Officer, Navy Yard, Philadelphia. $475.00