Biography:

On September 23, 1847, in an old plantation house at the confluence of the Canoochee River and Lotts Creek, was born John "Duffy" Rogers, the eleventh of eighteen children of Uriah Allen and Martha Brewton Rogers of Bulloch County. Uriah Rogers, the oldest son of Thomas and Asha Everitt Rogers, was one of the wealthiest planters in the area, owning more than 10,000 acres of land—6,000 of which was in Tattnall County. John's grandfather, Nathan Brewton, was a pioneer of Tattnall County and owned 11,000 acres, comprising the present-day cities of Claxton and Hagan.

As a boy, John no doubt overheard his father, grandfather, and uncles discussing the growing political crisis. Both Uriah and his father-in-law were said to have owned approximately thirty slaves, which according to Confederate law, exempted their sons from serving in the army; however, four of Uriah's sons voluntarily fought to protect their homeland and to defend their beliefs.

John Rogers was no exception. In June 1864, at the age of 16, he joined Company B, 6th Georgia Cavalry Regiment, serving under Captain Crosby at Nail's Ferry on the Altamaha River. When his company was at Screven, GA, John was given permission to go home to find a horse; on the way he was captured by Sherman's troops. The entire company surrendered and was discharged at Blackshear in April 1865.

After the war, John established himself on his father's land in Tattnall County on the banks of Bull Creek. He married Laura Blitch (July 23, 1852 – September 16, 1883), whose family established the town of Blitchton in present-day Bryan County. John and Laura had seven children, the youngest of whom was Laura, named for her mother, who died in childbirth. Laura Nancy Rogers married Edward "Ned" Mulligan, Sr. and moved to Glennville, where they raised their own family. After his first wife's death, John remarried Melvina Hearn, with whom he had another 13 children, bringing the total to 20. John became one of the most prosperous farmers in the area.

In 1878, following a split in Antioch Baptist Church over financial issues, John established a new church on his property at Bull Creek; it was only natural that the church should take the name of Bull Creek Baptist Church. According to tradition, the church was built by hand by John and his father. On several occasions, when the controversial subject of foreign missions was discussed at Bull Creek, John would quietly leave the church and go to Bay Branch Baptist Church, which was established by his brother, Martin. He would subsequently get mad with someone there and return to Bull Creek, repeating the process continually.

John "Duffy" Rogers passed away March 29, 1941, at the age of 93 at his large farmhouse at Bull Creek, which in 1914 had become part of Evans County. At the time of his death, he was the only surviving Confederate veteran in Evans County, a father of 20, and a grandfather of 86.


Obituary:

VETERAN IN EVANS DIES AT AGE OF 93
SERVED CONFEDERACY

John D. Rogers Will Be Buried Today at 3:30

CLAXTON, Ga., March 30—John D. Rogers died at 10 o'clock today at his home on Claxton, Route 2.

Mr. Rogers, 93, was the last Confederate veteran of Evans County, and was prominently known and loved throughout South Georgia.

Born September 23, 1847, the son of Uriah Brewton* and Mrs. Martha Brewton Rogers, in what was then Tattnall County, Mr. Rogers had always had a prominent place in the affairs of this section and county, and until the time of his death was active in running his large farm, known as the old Rogers home place. He was the father of twenty children.

Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock from the Bull Creek Baptist Church, with Elder Walter Hendrix of Savannah officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Surviving are fourteen children: Seven sons, Pharis Rogers, Manassas, Ga.; Thomas Rogers, Claxton; Joe Rogers, Claxton; Frank Rogers, Tampa, Fla.; Kelly Rogers, Claxton; Cecil Rogers, Claxton; Amos Rogers of Akron, Ohio; seven daughters, Mrs. Roach Smith, Claxton; Mrs. M. A. Griner, Claxton; Mrs. O. R. Patterson, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Mrs. Della McMillan, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Miss Emily Rogers, Claxton; Mrs. R. H. Hester, Savannah; Mrs. W. B. Jones, Wildwood, Fla., and seventy grandchildren and thirty-three great-grandchildren.

Active pallbearers will be grandsons, Bernice Smith, Norwood Rogers, Wallace Rogers, James Rogers, Fred Rogers, and Robert Hester.

Honorary, Lee Kennedy, H. H. Daniel, Keller Durrence, Rev. Joe Parker, W. B. DeLoach, W. J. Hinson, Dr. B. E. Brown and Dr. Wallace Daniel.

Tillman Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

*John Rogers's father was Uriah Allen Rogers. The obituary incorrectly gives Uriah's middle name as Brewton, which was the maiden name of John Rogers's mother, Martha Brewton Rogers, daughter of Nathan Brewton.