Answered Aug. 2^d                  Camp Carson, on Fare-Grounds, near Winchester, Va

July 30^th. 1861.

 

            Dear father

                                    Your letter of the 23^d inst. was duely received, and would have been answered ere this, but for the want of an opportunity.

 

            Brother Abram gave me all the news when here, & I have been hearing from home almost every day. I have been quite well all the time except a cold, which I am nearly well of. I have been very busily engaged all the time, as I have no one to assist me. D^r Rust (my partner) only remained a few days. I am still connected with the 2^d reg't of the 7^th brigade of V.M. but if a new organization of the regiments takes place I do not yet know where I will be placed. I greatly prefer remaining with my present Colonel (Col. Spiller). We have only had 2 regiments, but now since the last draft, have enough men for 5 or 6 regiments. D^rs Williams & Magrouder are both complaining & in town, so I have a good deal of their business to attend to. I am not required to do so, but there are many of our people in their charge & of course I shall not refuse them. A surgeon in an army certainly has a fine opportunity of seeing frail, wicked human nature just as it is. It is really disgusting to see the number of malingerers, particularly when an alarm comes. Oh, the akes, ills &c. The afflictions at the / Manassas Junction, the day after the battle, sink into utter significance when compared to those of a malitia camp at the report of the rapid approach of the enemy. I have always doubted the efficiency of the malitia forces, even when commanded by competent generals & sub-officers. I now have still less confidence in them. I do not think that there are 50 men in the camp of 3000 that have any confidence in our General. There is a great deal of excellent material here, but under the present system & discipline it certainly will not do much execution in the way of facing the enemy. Our malitia men have thrown up fortifications North, Northwest & N. East of Winchester & have planted a number of very large cannon which if properly managed could keep up an army with ease, but indeed if the malitia are to manage them, they are depending on broken sticks. The most of the men are armed & are drilling faithfully. They are sent out as pickets for 3 or 4 miles all around Winchester. A spy or yankee is brought in occasionally. though Hiram Rite has brought in as many as half of a any regiment has. He has the name of being the best picket in the camp. The principal diseases are dysenterry, diarrhoea, cholera morbus, & colic. Very few lung diseases, sometimes a case of catarrh. We now have some cases of measles and mumps. I think there have been at leat 900 men more or less ill, only one has died, he died suddenly of disease of the heart. Our sick lay about in the tents and shanties. We are making arrangements to get a house in town for our men.—I will not press this matter until I know exactly where I stand. We can get Parson Baums / house, near Uncle Peter Miller's. It is an excellent brick house. The rooms are large & well ventilated, with fire-places, windows, & doors. Water in the yard & every thing convenient, cook stoves, bedding, spittoons, buckets &c &c can be had of the medical purveyor.

 

Our diet consists of wheat bread, excellent beaf (not well salted) good coffee, sugar & beans. The water we get here is brought from the hydrants in town. Our camp is rather on an elevation—no shade only that afforded by our tents & shanties. I think the principal causes of so much dysenterry is the fresh meat with the hot days and cool nights. It seems very strange that there are not more catarrhal & pneumonic affections. I get to town every few days & have been to see the most of the relations. They have all been treating me with the greatest kindness, in fact all of the soldiers have been kindly treated so, by the great majority of the citizens here, yet there certainly is some rotten material here.

 

I am very sorry to hear of our defeat in Western Va. but our losses are not so much as we first anticipated. And our poor boys. I feel so sorry for them. Oh! the horrors, the miseries, the many ills of war. We know nothing of the blessings of peace, until war really comes. Why, our own armies are a curse to the country in which they are stationed. This whole country round about here is one commons, all the fences, crops &c are distroyed. I do hope even our own army will not have to be marched through the valley. I have no news to give you about the late fight at M^d. We do not here much news from that quarter. We hear of no enemy nearer than Harper's Ferry. It is said they are bilding a stone bridge at that point. 

 

I am not satisfied that I could not be at the Junction, to assist in attending to the many that were wounded in the late action, but there was no one here to assist me, so I was compelled to remain and content myself the best I knew how, attending to the belly-aches &c. I understand that you have a number of cases of the wounded in your charge. I think Shultz will get a position in Col Sibert's regiment. I must close as there are so many waiting for me to attend to them. I have been talking almost all the time I have been writing this letter. Remember me to all the folks. I may be home before a great while, if I can get a leave of absence. Please write to me soon again, if you can take so much get time. I suppose Rupert attended to getting the certificates for the millers.

 

            Direct to me care of                                                    Your son,

                        Col. Spilter, 97^th reg. of V. M.                                    Caspar C. Henkel.

 

N.B. I have just received Susan's letter of the 29^th inst & will answer it soon. Tell her she need not regret that she did not send me any provisions per Uncle Siram, I have a great deal more to eat than I can get through with.

                                                                        C

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