Medical concerns dominated Peter's letters. While he assured Clarinda that he had a strong constitution and could recover from the many illnesses and injuries he incurred, he also reported on deaths and injuries of other soldiers resulting from disease and battles.
Clarinda's older sister's husband Tom suffered greatly from a lingering illness. Peter ended up traveling to visit Tom in a Washington hospital. Peter also chronicled the death of a young tentmate from disease and of another soldier from a head wound at Chancellorsville. Peter wrote to one family, sending home personal items, and asked Clarinda to communicate with another family. He even noted certain soldiers by name who had frequented prostitutes in Washington and Alexandria and ended up with venereal disease.
He reported on receiving a vaccination to prevent small pox and whiskey and quinine to prevent yellow fever.
| B a t t l e s | T h e m e s | ||
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| 1862-10-20.......Camp Seward, names sick, has itch, Col Corcorans McMickeys, sends flowers from Lee house, paired with Undated 5, need to add text from undated5i.htm 10-20-1862s.htm |     | m: d: |
| 1862-11-30.......Camp at Fredericksburgh, her military clothes, his dream, Ida, Peace rumors, hopes to settle it 11-30-1862s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1862-12-19.......Camp on Potomac Creek, sketch of Fredericksburgh made during bombardment, Tom to General Hospital 12-19-1862s.htm |    | m: d: |
| 1862-12-25.......Christmas, hard to see die when might as well be sent home, disease doctors do not understand, deserters 12-25-1862s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1862-12-28.......many sick and dying, 9 officers reassigned, blames Capt Cone, guard duty, center position, unfit for duty, Fletch no letters in Utica from Regt since Fredericksburg 12-28-1862s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-01-04.......Tom very sick, Jacob Breish coffin, Joseph Corrigan tent mate, Fletch separated 01-04-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-01-11.......guard Gen Warrens hq, daughter of the Regt 17th regulars chased by drunk soldiers, Burnside, Breish trinkets, resignations, all wish war over 01-11-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-01-27.......Camp near Potomac Creek,VA.,Clothes.lice,corporal,no coffins,Gen. Warren drunk! Says January 27 1862 (wrong year) 01-27-1863s.html |   | m: d: |
| 1863-01-30.......got box she and Julia sent, can not get it to Tom, remitant and typhoid fevers, pay, Fredericksburgh relics 01-30-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-01-31.......taking box 30 mi rt to Tom at Acquia Creek hospital, made Fourth Sergeant, Fletch no barber business, says January 31 1863 (wrong year) 01-31-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-06-03.......over cold, her letter with money, her lifting heavy things, who wanted the money, Fletch digearious fever, has not heard from Col, strawberries 06-03-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-06-20.......put up tents, 7000 convalescents arrived, sick to barracks, rumor furlough if sickness or death, new uniform curious, pities army hot 06-20-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1863-08-20.......upset stomach, whiskey and quinine, soldiers beastly drunk, yellow fever, NY Herald, Rebels refuse exchange, riots and draft resistance, disheartens soldiers 08-20-1863s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1864-01-22.......got pictures, wishes Card de Visites, Melora Teed letter, shimmer, rats, been sick, Sweet Oil and Laudanum, Fletch home to recruit?, furloughs, George sleigh ride 01-22-1864s.htm |   | m: d: |
| 1864-02-11.......Julia mad at Tom, all owed money but prepare they may never get it, bounties exhaust Treasury, take $2 a week from Baker and City subsidy, lengthy cruel war statement 02-11-1864s.htm |   | m: d: |