[Letterhead: Sanitary Commission.]

 

Convalescent Camp Virginia

July 12^th 1863

Dear Sarah

                                                I take my pen this Sunday to let you know that I am engoying good health at present and do hope that these lines will finde you also engoying good health I have to day received a letter from Oliver Thompson I was glad to hear from them though his letter was very short he merely stated that thy ware all well also stating the childrin was both well and concluded by letting me know that thy ware 2 Companies of 6 months men that left your place for the army also stated that a Calvey Company/would leave that place probly this week and in consequence of that it would leave hands very scarse to take up the havest their he never menchioned Marys name in it neither did he send me his love nor the love of any of the famly in it which I think a little strange of he sent me three postage stamps in it which I thought was very kind of him to do this is the second letter which I have received from him tell Mary to write to me I would like to receive a letter from hir

dear Sarah I have not received any letter from you for some time the last one I received was dated on the 27^th of June I wrote a letter to you a few days ago also sent you some newspapers I will/mail to days paper to you when I mail this letter it will give you all of the latest war news better that I can write it to you I have not heard much from my reigement since I left it but thy have been in active duty ever since and have been in severial battels since with the rebels thy have been a great many men kild and wounded on both sides since the rebels entred Pennsylvania and Maryland the Army of the Potomack has come out victorious in all of these last battels but thy are no doubt but that thy have been a good many of the Jefferson County boys kild I sean it stated in a paper that Cap^t Foster of Company E. was kild also Lieuft/John McGuire of Co. I. was severly wounded and a good many of the boys of the Reigement kild and wounded but you do not know them for that reason I have not givin you their names I also sean in a paper that Lieft Winfield Barr of Brookville was wounded he was in the 105 Regit Some of the reigements has suffed a great deal more then others has some of the reigements went into battle and came out with but very few men some was cutt almost entirely off the slautter on both sides has been dredfull but the rebel loss has been much the greater in these last battels perhaps it has been nearly three to one

Dear Mussy I am still in this Camp. I have not much to do/and theirfore time seams long to me when I was in my Reigement I was kept buisey either standing picket gard or Camp guard or drilling Therefore the time did not seam long to me one week here seams longer to me here then three weeks did to me we when I was with my Company therefore I think more of you and home here then what I did when I was kept buisy in my regement. when I do not get a letter from you at least once a week I feel very much down in spirrits and very uneasy about you I think that I do not receive your letters he as regular as I did while in my company thy are a post office kept here in this/Camp but thy are so many peaple here that gets all their news through the one post office that I think that thy make a great many mistakes or cairelis in doing the buisness of the office the number of soldiers here are about eight thousand thy are a great many complaints made against the office I did expect to have received a leter from you to day but did not please write to me often it always dose me good to hear from you I conclude by sending my love to you my dear wife also I send 13 sweet kisses to you please give my love to all enquiring friends this from your Affectinate husband

            WRodgers to Sarah Rodgers

when you write direct to WRodgers Ward 24 Convalescent Camp near Alexandria Virginia

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