Camp Griffin VaSaturday morning
Jany 11th 1862 Dear Sister Clara

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As I have written a long letter to Father I think I will just notice you a little for you seem to remember me pretty well in this way & so at this time just ½ past 2 in the morning I take my pen to do so. You may well wonder what I am up to at this time of night. Well I am watching with one of my tent mates Ephraim D. Dutton of Walden who is sick with a fever. He was unwell at Camp Advance near Chain Bridge & sinc we moved from there has not been able to do anything being troubled with as he claimed with lung complaints & lately has grown worse & 5 or 6 days ago was taken with a sort of Dysentery & Fever & now is [clear down] but his fever is light & he is not in danger now. He has had watchers now 5 nights, but we have had men detailed for that purpose & only Charles Cade another of my tent mates & I have watched a night each. there is not much to do only to give him tea & lemonade & get him up 2 or 3 times in the night. He is going to be taken to the Hospital some time this A.M. & although I am willing to take care of a sick tent mate yet I am glad he is going for it is better for him & us too there he is out of the noise & is not exposed to the trouble that we must ever

make him by our duties in the tent & if he was in a tent with a dozen or 15 chaps I do not [] what he would do He will probably have a discharge as steps are being taken to that effect & I really think that if it were made out & placed in his hands he would be as well in a week as the average of us for in my opinion one half of his troubles result from homesickness. I know it makes a man homesick to be sick but there is no use in [lofing] right down & laying round think it is impossible to do any thing I know he has been excused by the Surgeon when he was as well able to do duty as I was but there are some folks who if they can get excused will lay as flat on their backs as a mud turtle & not do enough to keep their blood warm a little double quicking would help such fellows amazingly but after he is nice likely man & I have nothing against him & he is sick now & I will do all I can for him. I think of home all of the time but as for being home sick now I am not but I was some when I was the sickest but I have made up my mind to keep [] & let my hair & whiskers grow but I must trim them up before Sunday or the Col. will say they are too long I do not wear a mustache for I dont like it but keep trimed with scissors back [Jack] fashion & the other day I really shered me with a razor & soap. If Father sends my cooking tools in a separate box I want you to see that the kettle is filled with fresh Indian meal & the tea pot with tea & put me in a good chunk of salt pork or bacon & dont fail to send some sausages for I want a few awfully & would like to have you make me 2 or 3 little calico or cotton cloth bags holding a teacup full or so to carry my hooks & eyes & another darning needle & fill the bags with ginger for that is one of the best things we can have here & so is Cayenne Pepper tell father to pack the Brandy so it can not by any possiblity break I wish I had some of it now as I have a cold as many have here. But enough of this What do you think I got from [Walden] a while ago The first sunday in Dec as I came in from Inspection our mail was distributed I got a daguerreotype case with a picture of that little schoolmarm & a nice one it was too She had on the Identical dress that she wore when we went to [] last may except the bonnet & cape. You know it is difficult to take large blue eyes well hers were taken first rate it was a most per- fect picture. I think I shall get a picture taken from it & send to you if you want it do you? burn this up when you read it for there is nothing of any consequence in it & I dont want any one to see the last part of this but it is now 4 o’clock & I will stop & see if I cant get a little sleep Will write you more by & by

From Your Brother C. F. Bancroft