Madison Barracks, Sept. 11th, 1863.
Dear Wife:
I received your kind letter of the 8th this morning.. I am well with the exception of a hard cold. I had fondly hoped that I should be permitted to visit you and the children before now, but I shall have to submit to my fate. I heard that all here belonging to the 3rd Cavalry were to be sent to their Regts next Monday or Tuesday. The prospects are I shall not see you again for a long time. I can only say I wish it were otherwise. I have not been paid and fear I shall not be paid before I leave. If so it will be hard for me as well as you, as I shall not get pay till the 1st of November. The reason we are not paid is there is no paymaster here to pay us. There are several seargents here form the different regiments who have been notified that they have been reduced to the ranks for being absent from duty three months. I am not yet so reduced -- at least I have not been notified of it, and presume such is not the case with me.
If I get my pay before I leave the state, I will send you a part of it. You had better write as usual; something may turn up that I shall not go next week. I shall not go if I can avoid it, you may rely on that, before I come home, but I can see no way to help it at present.
The war news last night was very good if reliable, and from all signs I think nearly all the hard fighting is done till peace shall be restored to our once happy land.
I think that you better get all the hay out that you can. I think as you do about selling the oxen -- that is, if you can. You better sell the wagon too if you can, as I fear it will not be worth selling by the time I am a free man. But perhaps your dream may come true soon, but things will have to change very much before I get a discharge from the service. Cripples and invalids of all kinds are kept in the service, but for what purpose I do not know unless it is to torment them; for they surely cannot do any good in the service....
Kiss my baby for me. Give my love to all and may God bless you all.
Your affectionate Husband
C. N. Mumford.