Rev. John A. Rodman, 1831-1896

 I am on the Historical Committee at my church, and this past week I have been gathering things to use in my April display.  We have a large table-like display case in the lobby, and we try to change it out once a month.  Since April was both the beginning and end month of the Civil War, I thought I'd showcase our 2nd pastor, who served as a Union soldier.

I have spent so much time with this guy in my head, that I thought I'd share him here, too. I'd love to find any living descendants of him... to see if there are any family photos or other info that I couldn't find online.  I'm always on the lookout for things I can add to the church history collections!

*** All of my information below has been found in census records, pension records, Regiment histories, newspapers, and our own church history.

On September 3, 1831, Benjamin and Nancy (Arledge) Rodman had a son, John A. Rodman, in Graves County, Kentucky.  John grew up and at age 17, married Elizabeth Cook on June 14, 1849, in Madisonville, Hopkins County, Kentucky.  They lived with Elizabeth's family for at least the first year, as they are listed in the 1850 household of her parents in Hopkins County.  By 1860, the Rodman family were farmers living in Franklin County, Illinois.  

1862 

JOHN A. RODMAN ENLISTED IN THE UNION ARMY AT BENTON, IL, ON AUGUST 15, 1862.  HE WAS SIGNED ON AS A SERGEANT IN COMPANY F OF THE 110^TH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.  HE WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING 5’11” TALL, DARK HAIR, HAZEL EYES AND A FAIR COMPLEXION.  HE HAD BEEN WORKING AS A FARMER.

HE WAS SENT TO CAMP ANNA (UNION COUNTY) AND WAS MUSTERED INTO SERVICE THERE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1862.  THE REGIMENT WENT TO LOUISVILLE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 19^TH BRIGADE (COMPRISED OF THE 41^ST OHIO, 9^TH INDIANA, 6^TH AND 27^TH KENTUCKY).  THEY LEFT LOUISVILLE IN PURSUIT OF CONFEDERATE GENERAL BRAGG FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.  EVENTUALLY BRAGG WOULD ESCAPE THEM.  THEY WERE INVOLVED IN SOME SKIRMISHES AROUND SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY UNTIL THEY ARRIVED AT NASHVILLE, TN ON NOVEMBER 7^TH, 1862.

THE BRIGADE COMMANDER SAID THIS OF THE SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN… “IT IS PROPER TO REMARK THAT DURING THE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN, ALTHOUGH WE WERE DESTITUTE OF MANY OF THE COMFORTS USUAL IN CAMPAIGNS, WITHOUT TENTS, OFTEN WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FOOD, THROUGH THE MOST INCLEMENT WEATHER, MARCHES OF ALMOST UNPRECEDENTED LENGTH, I HAVE NEVER HEARD A MURMUR, AND HAVE NOW TO REPORT A CONDITION OF HEALTH BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE KNOWN IN THE BRIGADE, AND A STATE OF THOROUGH DISCIPLINE IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE SATISFACTORY.”

ON DECEMBER 26, 1862, THE REGIMENT MARCHED TOWARD MURFREESBORO TN, AND ON THE 31^ST THEY WERE IN THE BATTLE OF STONES RIVER. THE BATTLE WENT UNTIL JANUARY 2^ND, 1863.  IT’S SAID THERE WERE 43,400 UNION SOLDIERS AND 35,000 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS IN THAT BATTLE.  THE UNION LOST 13,906 (1,677 KILLED, 7,543 WOUNDED, 4,686 CAPTURED/MISSING).  THE CONFEDERATES LOST 11,739 (1,294 KILLED, 7,945 WOUNDED, 2,500 CAPTURED/MISSING).  IN SPITE OF ALL THEIR LOSSES, THE UNION CAME OUT WITH A WIN.

MILITARY CARD

1863 

AFTER STONES RIVER, RODMAN AND HIS REGIMENT WERE POSTED AT READYVILLE, TN.  THEY STAYED THERE FOR A FEW MONTHS.  ON FEBURARY 3, 1863, RODMAN WAS PROMOTED TO 1^ST SERGEANT. THEN ON MARCH 22, 1863, HE WAS PROMOTED TO 2^ND LIEUTENANT.  AS THE REGIMENT WAS CONSOLIDATED IN MAY 1863, HE BECAME A PART OF COMPANY C.

THE 110^TH TOOK PART IN THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN IN JUNE AND JULY OF 1863, AND OCCUPIED THE AREA UNTIL AUGUST 16^TH.  THEN THEY WERE ORDERED TO MOVE TOWARDS GEORGIA.  THE REGIMENT WAS INVOLVED IN SKIRMISHES AROUND CHATTANOOGA, THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA (CONFEDERATE VICTORY), SKIRMISHES AND SMALLER BATTLES IN NORTHERN GEORGIA, AND THE BATTLE OF MISSION RIDGE (UNION VICTORY).  HOWEVER, IT’S LIKELY THAT RODMAN STAYED AT CAMP DUE TO ILLNESSES.

THEY WOULD REMAIN CAMPED AT NORTH CHICKAMAUGA AND MCAFEE’S CHURCH THROUGH MAY 1864.

ON NOVEMBER 22, 1863, RODMAN WROTE TO HIS GENEREAL, ASKING FOR A 20-DAY LEAVE OF ABSENCE.  HE STATES IN THE LETTER THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN ABSENT FROM HIS REGIMENT.  THAT SAME DAY THE REGIMENT SURGEON WROTE A LETTER IN AGREEMENT WITH RODMAN’S REQUEST.

1864

 ON APRIL 2, 1864, RODMAN WROTE TO HIS GENERAL AGAIN.  HIS LOCATION IS NOTED AS CAMP MCAFEE.  THIS TIME, HE SAYS… “I HAVE THE HONOR HEREBY TO TENDER MY RESIGNATION FOR REASONS CONTAINED IN ACCOMPANYING CERTIFICATE.  I AM GEN, YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT.”  THE SURGEON WROTE A LETTER DATED APRIL 5^TH, STATING… “MY ATTENTION WAS CALLED TO THIS CASE ABOUT 14 MONTHS PAST.  HE WAS THEN CONVULSED.  I LEARNED THAT HE HAD SUFFERED FROM PREVIOUS SIMILAR ATTACKS.  MOST OF THE TIME SINCE, HE HAS BEEN TROUBLED WITH SEVERE HEADACHES AND AT TIMES WITH NUMBNESS OF THE EXTREMITIES, AMOUNTING TO ALMOST PARTIAL PARALYSIS.  I REGARD THE CASE AS TUBERCULAR MENINGITIS.  HE HAS SUFFERED MUCH DURING THE PAST YEAR FROM CHRONIC DYSENTERY.  IN MY JUDGEMENT, HIS CONTINUANCE IN THE ARMY WILL RESULT IN DEATH OR PERMANENT DISABILITY.  I REGARD HIM AS UNFIT FOR MILITARY DUTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER IN INVALID CORPS. OR ELSEWHERE.”

letter requesting to resign from the army

letter from surgeon

In the 1870 census, the Rodmans were living in Benton, IL... and John is listed as a Merchant.  It says that his real estate value was $5000, and his personal estate was valued at $3000.  I do not know what his job actually was... but on the census page, they are in the middle of several other merchants with large property values, as well.

1873 

SOMETIME IN 1873, RODMAN WAS ASKED TO BE THE PASTOR OF HERRIN’S PRAIRIE UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH (LATER BECOMING HERRIN FIRST BAPTIST).  OUR CHURCH AT THAT TIME WAS A FRAMED BUILDING, ONLY 6 YEARS OLD, ON THE PRESENT-DAY SITE OF NORTH SIDE SCHOOL.  THE CHURCH HAD REPLACED THEIR CANDLES WITH COAL-OIL LAMPS 5 YEARS BEFORE.  SERVICES WERE GENERALLY HELD ONCE A MONTH, SO MOST PASTORS WERE PASTORING MORE THAN ONE CHURCH.  RODMAN’S NAME IS FOUND IN OTHER CHURCH HISTORIES, IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN.  HE SERVED AT HERRIN BAPTIST FROM 1873 TO 1876, AND THEN AGAIN FROM 1882 TO 1883.

OTHER KNOWN CHURCHES PASTOR RODMAN WAS INVOLVED WITH:

TOWNMOUNT BAPTIST CHURCH (WEST FRANKFORT)… A FOUNDER IN 1868

MARION FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH… 1871-76, 1877-79, 1881-83

MCCLEANSBORO BAPTIST CHURCH… A FOUNDER IN 1872

PINCKNEYVILLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH… YEARS UNKNOWN

RED BUD BAPTIST CHURCH… YEARS UNKNOWN

John had begun having bad headaches and chest pains while in the Union Army.  Unfortunately, they stayed with him for the rest of his life.  

MILITARY PENSION: 

ON AUGUST 16, 1876, PASTOR RODMAN FILED FOR A MILITARY PENSION.  TWO MONTHS LATER, HE WAS GRANTED $8 PER MONTH.

ON MAY 26, 1886, HIS PENSION WAS RAISED TO $16 PER MONTH.

ON NOVEMBER 25, 1895, HIS PENSION WAS RAISED TO $17 PER MONTH.

ON FEBRUARY 3, 1896, HIS PENSION WAS RAISED TO $24 PER MONTH.

John's last pension increase happened a month before his death.  The last time a doctor visited him before he died, it was noted in the physician's records that John weighed only 90 lbs, and that he basically looked like a skeleton.  

physician's statement 1896

This man who had seen and done so much, passed away at Red Bud, Randolph County, Illinois, on March 17, 1896.  He was 64 years old.  He is buried in Carterville, IL, at Oakwood Cemetery.

John and Elizabeth were parents to 12 known children...  Benjamin F (who was also a preacher), Martha, Mary, William Riley, Sarah, Eddy, Alice, Mattie, Maude Iola, Bessie, George Washington, and Margaret.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Rev. John.  I have always been a sucker for a Civil War guy... whether it be my own ancestor or someone else.  There's always something to learn when researching our past.  I encourage you to do a little research of your own someday...