Tag Archives: camp itch

1 February 1863: “I have had the itch – and feared to write lest it should be imparted to you from the paper…”

Item description: Letter, 1 February 1863, from Leonard Henderson to his mother Mary Henderson. The letter describes Henderson’s affliction with what many historians colloquially call “camp itch,” a mysterious skin disease that plagued countless soldiers during the war. Many now … Continue reading

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