Moses Rogers (1779-1821)
Captain Moses Rogers, Shipmaster & Steam Entrepreneur
He was born at New London, Connecticut, and followed family tradition by going to sea. In 1818, he bought a ship that was in the process of being built in New York and found a firm in Savannah willing to finance his new project. His brother-in-law and second-in-command, Stevens Rogers, installed a 90-horsepower engine with wheels on the side to propel it. In 1819 the SS Savannah became the first ocean-crossing steamship, reaching Liverpool from New York in 29-days. On that trip, Rogers was in full charge as both the Savannah's Captain and engineer. In 1936, U.S. Congress recognized Rogers as, "one of the real pioneering heroes of this country". He was married in 1804 to Adelia Smith and had five children. He died of fever in South Carolina.
