“I would like to have you come here if it was not for a set of rowdish men called soldiers and wearing soldiers’ uniforms”

Camp Parole VA

[Friday,] August 7, 1863

Dear Clara,

I have received 2 letters from you this week and you don’t know how glad I was when I got your picture. I think you are a great deal flesher than what you was when I came away from home. I think you look as well as ever I saw you looking, only you look sad and dispirited about something. I am sorry to hear of Jim Harper’s death, as I always am to hear of any old acquaintance. But such things must occur.

You say you can’t see who told me of your living upstairs and in one room. There was nobody told me of it. I was reading in your letter that you went downstairs after you had your work done and sat on the steps looking for me, for you expected me coming home. You see, I thought you was living downstairs, so you see I guessed the rest. That is the way I came to know of it.

If the soldiers don’t fall in love with your picture, I have already fallen in love with the original some years ago, and I find that looking over the past that love has not been cooled a might.

I don’t think George will have to come here for they are discharging all subjects of that kind here now. We have not been paid off yet and won’t be now in a week or two, for the Paymasters have gone to the Regiment to pay them off and we will not be paid off until he comes back. There is most 4 months pay coming to me now, but I don’t think we will get but two months now. There will be 68 dollars coming to me the last of this month.

There is a great deal of talk here that we will be exchanged in a short time, but it may be a month yet. You must direct your letters now to Camp Parole Near Alexandria Virginia. We have got into a better camp all to ourselves, and it is called Camp Parole. I would like to have you come here if it was not for a set of rowdish men called soldiers and wearing soldiers’ uniforms, who stand ready to blackguard every woman who comes into Camp. This is one of the reasons I have not sent for you, and not a decent place for you to stay is another reason. But keep up courage, dear Clara. I feel that we will soon meet again somehow or other. Everybody seems to think this war will soon be over with now, and I hope it.

There is not any news to write so I think I will close. I would of wrote before if I had postage stamps. I can’t get any. Give my love to all and take good care of yourself and keep improving the same as you have done. God bless and protect you.

From your husband with love,

Peter L. Dumont