Rodman, Isaac Peace (1822 - 1862)
Role: Civil War HeroDates:
Portrait Location: Library-Annex
Artist: Lincoln, James Sullivan (1811 - 1888)
Portrait Date: 1863
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Framed Dimensions:
Brown Portrait Number: 19
Brown Historical Property Number: 1316
Isaac Peace Rodman was a woolen manufacturer who hailed from South Kingston, Rhode Island. He served as a member of the Rhode Island Senate. When the Civil War broke out, Rodman enlisted and was rapidly promoted to Brigadier General through acts of bravery. He was shot through the chest in September of 1862 while attacking Burnside Bridge at Antietam. Thirteen days later he died in a field hospital. Rodman was remembered as "a patriot soldier of dauntless courage, and a sincere and devout Christian." He is buried in the Rodman family cemetery in Peace Dale, Rhode Island. Due to an error in transcription, for some years Isaac Rodman's middle name was incorrectly recorded in the portrait website as "Pearce." A sharp-eyed reader alerted the website managers to correct the spelling to "Peace."
Originally from Taunton, Massachusetts, James Sullivan Lincoln apprenticed as an engraver in Providence from the age of fourteen, but turned to full-time painting in 1837. From that moment until his death, he reigned as Providence's premier portraitist. In his later years, he often painted from photographs, producing portraits that are considered less strong than his earlier works. His portrait of Rodman was painted from a photograph following a request by John R. Bartlett in 1863. It was presented to Brown University in that year.