Washington city 1st March 63

My Dear Sir

Since the 3rd of last March now nearly one year I have been exiled from my home family and fireside, and its hard to tell how long it may be before I shall have it in my power to return. The enclosed slip will give you the last information I have had from my home they have taken my property and are using in freely at my expense. I got away at the dark hours of the night to avoid imprisonment. My family are still in the [?] of Braggs army—I think however I will return to Tennessee this month.

I hope you will be kind enough to present my kindest regards to my friends Messrs. Thompson and [?]. I have nothing new beyond the current events of the day that you see within papers. The atmosphere is pregnant with conjecture as to the probable course France may take—you will see that the French descendants of the inhabitants of Louisiana in 1802 are likely to appeal to Louis a petition to guarantee to them their negro property under the treaty. […] I may give the administration some trouble--The administration must be contained now or we are gone to a [?] and no man can appreciate the value of the government more than a Southern refugee

With my kindest regards for your health and happiness I am very truly

Your friend

J. B. Rodgers