yellow packet

[hockeymaster99]

what does the yellow packet in red badge of courage mean. I know that wilson gave it to him, but is it a letter?

oh, and why did Henry think he might need to use the packet.

[hockeymaster99]

oh, never mind

[mono]

I apologize, hockeymaster99, as I have never read The Red Badge Of Courage, and I feel unsure if anyone else has on the forum, who can possibly help. Though I dread to merely refer you to another site, this page (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/redbadge/) may provide some assistance.
Good luck!

[RJbibliophil]

Of a sudden he felt a heavy and sad hand laid upon his shoulder. Awakening from his trance of observation he turned and beheld the loud soldier.

"It's my first and last battle, old boy," said the latter, with intense gloom. He was quite pale and his girlish lip was trembling.

"Eh?" murmured the youth in great astonishment.

"It's my first and last battle, old boy," continued the loud soldier. "Something tells me--"

"What?"

"I'm a gone coon this first time and--and I w-want you to take these here things--to--my--folks." He ended in a quavering sob of pity for himself. He handed the youth a little packet done up in a yellow envelope.

Crane implies that the packet consists of letters and perhaps mementos the loud soldier wants Henry to send to his family. The soldier is afraid of dying. But this soldier does not die yet and Henry returns the packet after the battle.

This is an example showing that Henry was not the only soldier afraid that day.