Saturday June 20^th 1863

Convalesent Camp Virginia

Dear Sarah I take this oppertunity of writing to you to let you know that I am well at present with the exception of a little pain in my nea yet caused by rheumatism I can run around on it as usial it dose not hurt me much I hope that this letter will find you engoying good health dear Mussy I have wrote two letters to you since I left my reigement I hope you will receive them I also have sent you three daily Washington newspapers containing the late Pennsylvania news with respect to the rebels invading that state and Maryland Thy are a great exitement in harrisburg and differant sections of Pennsylvania/a large Army of the rebals is in that state and Maryland now but I think that thy will scoone be drove back to Fredricksburgh again the Maleshia and vollanteers are now rushing to harrisburgh in great numbers so that I think that the rebels will scoon be chaised back again. The papers which I sent you if you get them after you read them please let grandpat Clements sea them dear Musy I have nothing important to write to you at this time as I have wrote two letters to you within a few days back in them I stated the sircumstance and how I got hear also informed you of my meeting doctor Highold here and that he used me very kindly at our/first meeting he told me that he would use his influance if any vacancy would occur in getting me a Clerk ship here which he has accomplished in doing I arived here on the 14^th of this month and on the 17^th he procuried me the situation of Assistant Ward Master of barrick ward 24^th in which Copasity I now act. My duty is here now to keep a role of all the soldiers in my ward and call the role once at nite and once in the morning and take the names of those persons that wants to go and sea the docter once a day I have these men to form in rank and march them to the docters office thy are one hundred and four men in this ward I have also at/meal times to form these men in rank and march them perhaps one hundred and fifty yards to our boarding house for breakfast diner and suppr This is about the amount of what I have to do I am not exposed much to the heat of the sun nor the inclemency of the wether I have a midling good way to sleal sleep and a house to stay in so that I will not be esposed much I find it very differant when I was in my company we had to bed on the ground whether the wether was wet or dry the exposure that the solders has to suffer causes a great many deaths William H. Barr Esq of Corcica was a member of Marlins Company he has been sick for the last ten days he was sent to the a hospitle in Washington Citty/about the time that I came here I was informed this morning that he died on yesterday I do not know of myself whether this is true or not but I expect it is as he was very low at the time that he was taken to washington dear Mussy this camp is four miles from Washington Citty and four or three miles from Alexandria the place whare the brave Cournal Elderige was shot in a tavern when he attemped to pull a rebal flag down which was haning on the roof of the house the morning that I left my company near Fredricksburgh thy ware ordred to march on that morning whare thy went to or whare thy are now I do not know as I have not heard/from the Company since thy are a good many of the boys of my reigement hear in this camp thy are about fifteen thousand lame and cripled soldiers here thy are divided into wards of 104 men to each ward Thy have houses bilt large enough to provide each ward in sleeping appartments I do not know yet how the nine months buisness will turn out but if we have to stay the 3 years I will trye to get a furloe and go home to sea you some time this summer dear Mussy please write to me scoon as I have not had a letter from you for some time I will write to you shortly again please give my love to Oliver and/Mary Thompson and Childrin also my love to grand paps and Mary Snider and all other equiring friends and now my dear Mussy I close this letter by sending my affectinate love to you also I enclose to you 25 sweet kissis and hope that your will through the blessing of god be continued in good health and that my life will be spaired so that I can return home to sea you once more this from your affectinate husband

                        W.Rodgers to

                        Mrs. Sarah Rodgers

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