Camp Convalisent [sic] Alexandria VA

June 28th 1863 Sunday

“Dear wife Feeling lonesome & tired of mind I think I will write a few lines to you Hopeing [sic] it may find you all well at Home I got a letter from you on Friday stateing [sic] that I might look out for that telegraph on Monday I have been looking all this week Except Monday But now I shall come [wence?] on Monday to look again.” He heard that Tom is only 3 miles from him but he can’t get to him. He heard that Tom got tired out on the march. “By what I can learn from all that I have seen & heard the boys say this last march has been one of the Hardest of the whole war the men fell down dead in quite a number of cases along the Road there has been a great deal of talk here lately of a general Exchange on the 6^th of July I hope it is not so for I do not care about returning to the Regt while this Hot weather lasts and most of all dear Clara I can never make up my mind to go back before I go home it will most kill me if I have to do it But I cant tell I shall feel Hopeful untill [sic] I hear from you again.”

He thinks there are about a hundred of his Regt there counting sick and prisoners. He wants to see Tom but is afraid he won’t and says to tell Julia the boys said Tom is well. Lengthy description about hopes and prayers for a furlough. “I am afraid I have offended some of our folks some way I cant tell how for none of them writes to me How much I do prize a letter from Home Dear Clara I cut them pictures of Ida & willie off just so they would go in that Case I brought with me so I have all four of them in together them pictures I brought from {sic- missing “home”?] are just as good as they ever was onley [sic] the case is soiled a little”. Lengthy closing.