“Yesterday I got a letter from the Col. of our Regt. with a strong recommend for a furlough”

Camp Convalescent VA

Friday July 31, 1863

Dear Clarinda,

I received your very kind letter together with one from Joey. I am glad to hear that you was all so well and I am happy to let you know that I am the same.

I have not written to Mr. Hart yet and did not mean to until I was gone a year. But I think he has done well with it but I don’t think Bill Dagwell ever done much out of his own pocket for anybody. But I think Mr. Hart a good and kind man and if you think it is right I will write to him and thank him for what he has done for you because he will, of course, expect you have wrote to me about it.

We have not got paid off yet and we won’t be this week, and I did not get George’s letter with yours and Joey’s. Tell Joey I thank her very much for her picture and would answer her letter with this one if I had postage stamps, but I have not got them and can’t get them.

Poor little Ida, how bad was the hurt? I wish I could see her. I guess she remembers her papa pretty well. But Willie, I think he will forget me or has done so long ago.

We have had quite a time here. The paroled prisoners has been kept under so close confinement that they have revolted 2 or three times and they have placed us in another Camp with a strong guard around us, and they have cut down on the rations so the men did not have enough to eat. The Commanding Officer of the Camp has to keep himself very close to his quarters or he is called all sort of names and hooted at, and in a number of cases he has been stoned.

I hope the next letter I get, Dear Clara, will have your picture in it. Oh, I want to see you so bad, I don’t know what to do. While I am writing this letter the news has come into Camp that we are exchanged, but I don’t believe it until I hear more from it.

I am sorry to hear of Kate’s baby and hope it will live. If her children had lived she would have had quite a family by this time.

Dear Clara, there is not much more to write so I think I will come to a close. Give my love to all enquiring friend and take good care of your health and little ones. May god bless and watch over you and my little ones and I hope to see you before long.

From your husband with much love,

Sergt. Peter. L. Dumont

A kiss for all

P.S. I forgot to tell, yesterday I got a letter from the Col. of our Regt. with a strong recommend for a furlough. It was wrote the 8^th of June and it is now too late. I might of come home just as well as not if I had got it in time. It was for me and Dimbleby.