Wendsday after noone

June 10^th 1863

Camp Hancock Near Fredricksburgh, Virginia

Dear Sarah on last Monday Sunday evening I received a letter from you it was dated the 30^th May also I received a newspaper the same time I got this letter on and on Monday evening last I received another letter from you it was dated on the second June the first letter I answed on Monday last and this last letter I would have answerd on yesterday but on yesterday morning generial Hooker made a detail for one hundred men out of this reigement to go and help to gard the rail rode and the railrode station near Fredricksburgh thy are afraid of the rebels crossing and distroying our rail rode and provision depo. I had to go on this duty/we ware released from this duty at to twelve oclock to day and I have gist returned to camp in my last letter I stated to you that a part of our army had crosed the Rappahanack river at Fredricksburgh and had a hevy battel on last Friday evening with some loss on both sides every thy took the first entrenchments of the rebels but have not got Fredricksburgh nor the Hites yet. General Lee and a part of his army is yet in Fredrick the line of rebels immeditly below Fredrick broke and ran to the top of the hill or hites above Fredricksburgh which possesion thy still hold yet thy have been a little fiting done every day since but nothing more gained by either side only some men kild out of both Armies whare I was garding yesterday at the depo/is a short half mile from Fredricksburgh this depo lays in a hollow and on either hill on either side you can sea all over Fredricksburgh and also you can sea the rebel army on the hites on last evening about five oclock the rebels opened their batries from the hites on our battries and line and both side and both sides kept up a hevy fire for about half an hour when the rebels waved a white flag and both parties seased firing and every thing has been quiet up to this time yet during the fite on yesterday evening I was standing on the hill near to the depo from whare I could sea the whole fite thy ware some kild on both sides but do not know yet how many our men took 24 rebel presenrs and marched them into our head/quarters our reigement has not been in any of this fiting yet but we have been under marching orders ever since last friday with three days rashions cooked and kept in advance we are looking for a big fite every day we have gust heard that our army has taken Vicksburg on the Missipi river thy have been fiting their every day for some weeks if this is so it is a very large victory to the union army and will in a great measure cut of the rebel supplies at Richmond and Fredricksburgh I think that the desine is to stave them out—dear Musy I wrote to you some time ago that it was rumered in this camp and partly belived that we ware nine months men and would likly go home at the end of that time that time was up on last Monday and we do not know any thing further about it but still think our chance is yet good to go yet goverment can keep us thirty days after our time is up in case of any expected battels as scoon as I can know/any thing more about this matter I will inform you I hope we may yet get home but if we have to lay as three year men I think that I will go home to sea you this summer if I can get a furlo to go I think in one of my letters I told you not to write to me after the first of June untill you would hear from me after that time dear Musy please now to write to me as usial and if I should not get all of your letters it will not make any differance write often I always think long to hear from you tell Mary that the letters she said she wrote to me I have not received any of them tell hir that I would like to receive a letter from hir dear Musy I am well at present and do hope that you and all the rest of the friends are also/well and engoying good health the strawberies and cheries are now ripe here I have had two small messes of them dear Musy I close this letter by sending my love to you and enclosing 22 sweet kises this from your affectinate husband

W.Rodgers to Sarah Rodgers

 

Jacob Haugh was takin to the hospitel gust before the last battle I hear he is now in the hospitle at philadelphia how he is getting I do not know he has been unable to do any duty nearly ever since he came to the army lewis Divler is well he told me that he heard that his brother ben is wounded do not know whethr bad or not good by Musy for the present

            W.Rodgers

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