Charles Squires was a hatter living in Roxbury, Connecticut, when he enlisted with the "Woodbury Reds", afterward Company E, 5th Connecticut Volunteers. His letters home, written primarily on patriotic stationery with patriotic images on the envelopes, described the Army of the Potomac's incessant marching in Maryland and Virginia throughout 1861 and 1862. He also described his continuing medical problems (dysentery), the rough nature of camp life, collecting souvenirs, and foraging for food. In September 1861, he wrote to his sister that "From all accounts I think you have more fighting at home than we have down here", an expression of his frustration at not engaging in battle. The collection also includes two recipes, one for a washing fluid and the other to treat pains in the stomach. Squire's sister was Sophronia Evans.
