85th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-7044

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages written in period ink.


Camp Good Hope
Washington City, DC [November 1861-March 1862]

Camp Life

Camp life as a great many suppose is a dreadful life to lead. No doubt it is in some cases, and with some men. But a man that has no respect for himself or for his friends can make himself desperate either in camp or out of it. One thing that injures many a man, that is ignorant, is that he thinks that he is so far from home that his friends never will hear of his evil deeds. But this is a mistaken idea, for a man is watched here very close and there is plenty of men that would report to his friend. On the other hand, a man that has respect for himself will not associate with such men. Some thinks this cannot be done in camp life. But I say it can. For if you do not countenance such men in their evils, but on the other hand discountenance them, they will not bother you. A man can do what is right here as well as any other place if he forms a resolution to do so. And if he does not do so, he is punished accordingly.

The military law is the most strict law that there is when put in force. For the first oath they are fined so much according to their rank and doubled if reported the second time. And for other misbehavior they are put on extra duty under guard and so on, according to the extent of the crime. Nothing more at present.

I had nothing else to do and I just wrote this for practice.

Samuel Hendrickson
Company A, 85th Reg.
Pa Vol.