BH | Diana McCarthy presents A Hard Battle: Saturday, November 14th at 3pm

Join Diana on her journey of discovery and step back in time to learn about the Civil War in Peter’s own words.

Many people go online to learn about their family’s history. Diana McCarthy’s quest began when she opened an old cardboard box containing her family’s Civil War letters. She borrowed the box from her parents’ farmhouse in upstate New York on Christmas Day in 1990, planning to type up the letters as a surprise Mother’s Day gift.

She discovered 132 lengthy, dramatic letters from her great-great-great-grandfather, Peter L. Dumont, a Union soldier, to his wife, Clarinda. Over 18 months, Peter candidly chronicled his harrowing experiences on the front lines in multiple battles with the Army of the Potomac and his survival of confinement in a notorious Confederate prison. Some letters included sketches. The box also contained an intriguing letter from the famous Civil War nurse Clara Barton that provided a clue to Peter and Clarinda’s fate.

Little did Diana know it would take over 30 years to transcribe and understand Peter’s letters. What started as a box of old letters took on a life of its own and shaped her own life. As she researched the letters, she learned not only about the Civil War and her ancestors’ hard battle, but also about life, love, and the power of hope.