James Smith of Company G, 149th New York described the York hospital in a letter home on 25 July 1863: "Our hospital is simply a piece of ground in the form of a square containing perhaps 20 acres and bounded on two sides by a double row of one story buildings and on the other two by a high and close board fence, and was originally designed and used as a camp ground and barracks for soldiers. The rooms are low, ill ventilated, and there is not a tree or bush on the ground, and the number of seats outside the buildings is very small. There is a post office and small soldiers library on the grounds. Every man who is considered well enough can obtain a pass to go into town once in three days between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m."