Comments:

Francis Rodgers was a soldier from Company F of the 8th United State Infantry Regiment.  The 8th Infantry was created in 1838 and, after service in the Mexican and Civil Wars, the regiment was transferred to California in 1878.  Parts of the 8th, including its headquarters, were stationed at Angel Island for periods of time during the 1880's.  It was during this time that Rodgers would have been convicted by court marshal of some military offense and sentenced to the prison on Alcatraz, where he died.  The lack of a cross or other emblem on his tombstone reflects his inmate status.  Army inmates on Alcatraz were designated either as "general prisoners" or "military convicts."  General prisoners were sentenced to Alcatraz for a period of time, but after that had been served they would be returned to their units and allowed to serve the rest of their enlistment.   Military convicts like Rodgers, however, had been dishonorably discharged and were spending the rest of their enlistment periods (or longer, if the offense was serious enough) in confinement.

This may be the same man as the Francis Rodgers who was listed in the 1880 Census as a 32-year old enlisted soldier in Company H of the 8th United States Infantry Regiment.

The VA database records that Rodgers was originally interred in grave 87 on Angel Island.