Camp at Warrenton Junction Va
Friday April the 29th 1864
[last
letter]
Dear Clara
I Received your welcome
Letter last evening & it found me all well as I hope this may find
you. I Could
not answer yours as soon as I got if for this morning I went on Picket & I
am just Releived [sic] from there at 9 O clock to
night. So I could not go to Bed
without writeing [sic] you for we are Ordered to move at 8 O clock tomorrow morning. I donŐt know as it will do any good to
write it for they say the mail has been Stoped [sic]
but I hope not
Burnside is marching on to the front with about 40 thousand men &
amongst them is they Say about 10 thousand negro troops [p.2] which he is leaving along the Road to
guard it & they are here Releiving [sic] the 5th
Corps the head of his Collum [sic] Reached here about
4 O clock this afternoon & they are Encamped all around us to-night. I have not seen any of the Black Sogers [sic] yet so I Cannot give you a discription
[sic] of them
they did Reach here this afternoon. the [sic] Men of Burnside Corps
looked hard & Pretty much worn out.
they [sic] were Covered with dust & they
Say they have marched from Anapolis Maraland [sic] without Rest & not much to eat I Recon
for they were Begging hard tack of us.
the [sic] Men that was Examined for the Navy
was expected to leave the Regt this morning but for Some Reason which I Cannot
account for they did not go. I was
in hopes that I might go but I am afraid [p.3] I Cant for is Seems my Papers
did not Come. Dear Clara I am afraid before you hear from me again there will be a
hard battle fought with the [sic- missing Army] of the Potomac but
wherever I may be placed I shall try to do my duty as well as I can. I
hope the lord will Spare us to meet again on earth.
I have not much more news to write So I will Close hopeing
[sic] to hear from you Soon again take good care of yourself & our little ones give
my love to all of my Folks & may heaven Protect us all evermore
God be ever with us
From your Affectionate husband
With love
Sergt P.L. Dumont