Delta Kappa Epsilon - University of Alabama

Sighs of Psi 7 FROM THE HISTORIAN So, what were the real circumstances of Rogers' mor- tal wounding and death? Unfortunately, just about every detailed written account of Cold Harbor ends with the fighting on June 3rd. However, Mr. Krick of the National Park Service was of further assistance in this regard: "The circumstances of the 9th Corps attack on June 3 did not provide any easy opportunity for wounded sol- diers to fall into Confederate hands. Once stopped, the men of [Rogers'] division entrenched and controlled most everything in their immediate vicinity, including the ground over which they had attacked. The Confeder- ates on that part of the field left that evening, and even abandoned some of their own dead." This certainly cast additional doubt on the "facts" as related in Minot's poem. Mr. Krick continued, "Furthermore, [Rogers'] division saw some fairly heavy action on June 7 (admit- tedly more like active skirmishing than a real battle), so having Lt. Rogers shot on the 7th makes good sense. The DKE business certainly could have happened on the 7th, as there was much back and forth, but if it did, Rogers evidently fell back into Union hands immediately." So, it began to sound more likely that Roger may actually have been shot on June 7th, not June 3rd. Fortunately, we have located several accounts of Rogers' wounding, apart from Minot's poem, including additional details from Minot himself. ADDITIONAL DETAILS FROM JOHN CLAIR MINOT In addition to writing Brothers in DKE, John Clair Minot was a prolific author and newspaperman, who left many published writings behind. Among his writings was a history of the Theta Bowdoin chapter of DKE, published in 1904. In it, he gave a short account, in prose, of the story told in his poem, which reads: "Then there was the incident connected with the death of Lieut. Rogers, '65, at Cold Harbor, which was one of a thousand to prove that the conflict between the sec- tions could not sever the bond of brotherhood between the members of the Fraternity wherever meeting. After he fell mortally wounded in that most desperate charge of all the war, a Confederate officer came upon him and seeing the pin of DKE upon his breast knelt beside him and clasped his hand in the grip so dear to both. The southern Deke remained with him to the end, doing all in his power to make his last hours more comfortable, and when all was over he sent the last messages of the dying boy to his home in northern Maine and with them his DKE pin and other mementoes which are to this day priceless relics treasured by his relatives." 7 This passage contains additional information not found in Minot's poem. First, note that Minot reiterates his contention that Rogers was wounded on June 3rd, where he states that Rogers "fell mortally wounded in that most desperate charge of all the war." We have already noted above that this contention is problematic. In addition, Minot here states that it was a Con- federate officer who came upon Rogers. Knowing that it was an officer, and not an enlisted man, who found Rogers, would further narrow our search for The Unknown Psi. Minot's statement that, "The southern Deke remained with him to the end, doing all in his power to make his last hours more comfortable," also suggests that Rogers survived for more than a brief period after being found. Since the truce of June 7th lasted only two hours, this seems to further suggest that the Rebs re- moved Rogers from the battlefield and that he died behind Confederate lines. Further, while the poem states that Rogers' DKE pin and a lock of hair were included in the letter to Rogers' fam- ily, this passage states that the southern Deke sent home Rogers' "DKE pin and other mementoes." These items were then said to be "to this day priceless relics treasured by his relatives." This suggests that, as of 1904, forty years after Rogers died, "the last messages of the dying boy", Rogers' "DKE pin and other mementoes" were still in existence and in the hands of Rogers' relatives. So what became of them in the 110 years since? Who, if anyone, has them, and where are they? Finally, in this passage, Minot describes Rogers' benefac- tor as a "southern DKE", and not a Psi DKE. Does this suggest that perhaps Minot was uncertain whether the man in question was a Psi DKE, and that perhaps Minot used "poetic license" on this point? Did Minot simply in- sert the name of a plausible southern DKE chapter in his poem? There were approximately nine antebellum South- ern DKE chapters, any one of which could have possi- bly been the alma mater of the man in question, 8 not to mention any number of men in the Confederate armies who were educated at Northern universities. Is it possible that the line "I'm from Psi, in Alabama," simply and con- veniently fit the rhythm of Minot's poem? If Minot were certain of the mother chapter of our hero, it seems that he would have found it of great interest to name that South- ern chapter in a history of the Bowdoin DKE chapter. On the other hand, Minot was a serious writer and historian, which suggests that he would not have intentionally in- serted this undocumented fact into his poem. OTHER ACCOUNTS OF ROGERS' DEATH An earlier narrative account of Rogers wounding and death is found in History of Penobscot County, Maine, published in 1882. After a brief summary of Rogers' background, it reads: In the absence of superior officers he took and held com- mand of [Company E, 31st Maine Infantry] until within a few days of his capture and death. Lieutenant Rogers was in the battle of the Wilderness and shared in the dangers of the eight days' fighting and fa- tiguing marches until the battle of Cold Harbor, where, on the 7th of June, 1864, while in command of a picket line, he was struck by a rifle ball, which passed through his lungs. He was then taken prisoner and left by the rebels in a tent on their way to Richmond, where, it is conjectured, he died on the same day. [Emphasis added.]…. Lieutenant Rogers is also suitably noticed in the Bowdoin College Roll of Honor. 9 This account, written only eighteen years after Rogers' death, and thirteen years prior to "Brothers in DKE," seems to verify, though not conclusively, that Rogers was wounded on June 7th, not on June 3rd, and that he was captured, rather than having been found on the battlefield during the truce on June 7th. (Continued on page 8) Edwin Rogers tombstone at Patten Cemetery, Patten, Maine. Photo courtesy of Alice Sheppard. Edwin Rogers tombstone at Cold Harbor National Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Mike B.

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