Camp Union
Maryland August 21st /61 [1861]
Dear Daughter
i write to you to let you know
i am injoying very good health
at present and i hope this will
find you the same i have not heard
from any of you for over a month
i have wrote three letters to your
mother but they have not been
awnserd yet and i want you
to awnser this letter and let
me know how Adalaide and
lizze and all are Doing at
present and where they are
staying at for i am very
ancious to know i Could not
get my likness for you yet for
i have had no oppertunity to get
to Washington sicnce [1] pay Day
but i will get it the first time
i get a pass to go there
[page 2]
your Mother was going to get
all of your pictures taken for
me and send them to me but she
has not Done so yet. i expect to
get paid of[f] again in about 2 weeks
and i will send you Monney to
get them taken and you Can
get your uncle Ace to Direct
them to me for you have them
all taken in one Case; i got
a letter from your aunt rachel
yesterday she is well and she
is going to send me a Box of things
i allso heard from your uncle John
he and his family are all well
i expect to get a furlough in
about a month from now if we
stay here but if we move to
Verginia i will not get it
if i am so fortunate as to get it
i will Come and see you all
we are encamped on a very fine
ground here the Country
[page 3]
is butifull all around us but we
are surrounded by Rebels of the
Blackest kind they fire on our
pickets allmost every night
and they have wounded 2 or 3
of our men i came near getting
shot my self the other night
while I was placing the pickets
on there posts a ball fired by som
unseen person passed through
my Coat sleeve but Did not
hurt me we arrested the Man
and have him in the gard house
now i was not Born to be shot
Dead in the Dark there is 4
regiments in our camp the
26th PV the 2d N. H.
and the first and eleventh
Mass with Brigadier gen
Hooker at the head of us
and a fine officer he is to
you would not know me if
you where to see me now
[page 4]
for i am as black as a niger
and i have got so stout
i will have to Close now for
the Drum is beating for
Drill next time i will write
More give my love to all
my Children and my good
wishes to all and write
to me as soon as you get this
letter and Do not fail i want
to hear from you all
Direct your letter to
Corporal Thomas Lacompte
Co G camp union
26 Regt P.V
Col small
Near Washington. D.C
Now Margaret Ann be
Sure and write to me
Your Affectionate
Father
Thomas Lacompte