1862 October 19 Camp near Winchester

                          Camp near Winchester Oct 19
Dear Charles
                     If it will not be too much trouble
to you I will ask the favor of you to attend to
a little business in Richmond for me.  I am
entirely without an overcoat having gotten mine
stolen and am unable to get one in the Army.
I wish you to get me one in Richmond and
send it by some safe hand coming on here as I am
badly off without one.  I send you a requisition
on the Qr Master's department which will en-
able you to purchase one there for me as Govt.
price or to get suitable cloth & have me one
made.  I leave the requisition blank for either
a coat or cloth as you may find out &  you
can fill it up. I do not care about any thing
fine or costly but warm & as cheap as could be
expected.  I saw some excellent brown English
cloth 2 $2.50 yd from the A M there which would
make an excellent coat gotten by Col Stuart of the
56th Regt.  I want you also to get me cloth from A
M for a pair pants any good cloth & get Donetely to
make them for me as he has my measure & if the over-
coat has to be made get him to do it having my mea-
sure.  I dislike to trouble you but I am so far away
that I cannot get any thing except thro' a reliable man

[page 2]
I will thank you also to buy me a dark[?] Flannel shirt
as I lack one to make me comfortably.  I reached the
Army the day of the Sharpsburg fight and witness
the most terrible table of the War which was
fought on our side by greatly inferior nos. but
with awful results to the enemy as I believe
their loss greater than we have any account
of and much heavier than in any fight
we have yet had with them.  Our army is lag-
ging still at present no doubt waiting the movements
of the enemy who a few days since came over to Char
lestown & had a skirmish with some of our troops We re-
tired across the river again the same day. Great is
the joy at Braggs success and if as we hear it Kty
is secured to our cause.  He seems to have completely
outgeneraled Buell and to have whipped an im
mense army congregated to crush us out. Nothing
but heavy blows were laid on and constantly repeated
will make the Yankees desist from their hellish
designs against the South.   I think the storm is
bearing North among themselves that will soon
scorch over their land & cause a bloody time a-
mong themselves.
  We have some small pox among the men
in Winchester but they have kept them in close qua
rantine & out of the town.  Only one death has occur-
red that I have heard of from the disease  There is a
great deal of Typhoid Fever and many deaths have

[page 3]
ensued from it.  The condition of the men
in many cases barefooted & naked has caused
sickness tho' now clothing & shoes are rapidly co-
ming in.  It puts the men in good spirits and the
ranks are rapidly filling up at least 1/3 stronger
or 1/2 more than we had in Maryland.  Our troops
would now make a good fight as they are rested re
freshed been drilled a good deal and are mostly
well armed.  I saw Jno Sears[?] after the Sharpsurg
fight he was well & lost no men I think in
the engagement.  John has wound up pretty
well since he has taken the field and I judge
it goes rather hard with him a she was used
to a life of ease.  Powha[?] I suppose is with Till
ghman in Kty and probably shared the glory of
the recent victory of Bragg.  I hope he was not in
-jured but achieved much honor to himself.
My health has not been good since my ret-
urn having had an attack of remittant fever
which laid me up for sometime.  I am again
afoot tho' not well the Ellis' all have [trouble?]with
their lives and mine has been as torpid as a snail
with system [overrun?] with [lice?]  I have heard no
thing from Richd for some time but suppose he is
with Floyd still.  Remember me kindly to Dr [Tasker?]
Mr Tidball [?] [?] & all your [?]
        Very truly yours, &c
                    Jno T. Ellis

[page 4]
P.S.  As I do not know the cost of the
goods I wish I will thank you to settle
the bill & send to me & I will send you a
check for the amo.

[Major] John T. Ellis,  19th Virginia Infantry

MSS 2516