Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) to his mother, sister and brother

Annapolis, Md.
Nov 6, '61
Dear mother sister & Brother Have been making requisitions on Adjt Genl at Washington for Report Blanks will keep my pace going a few moments longer in writing to my dear old home & the very dear ones there who grow dearer every day. Received yours from Brooklyn this noon devoured it with a vengence. Do hope Ellen enjoyed the Academy & you both the central Rail. Glad you did not go home by boat sat eve. Mrs. Lathrop had a very rough passsage in the sound all night, waves breaking even over the wheel house must have had as bad a time as we had, but I hope better accomodatin9 & more food. we have been in no danger since leaving but how the poor privates bear such journeying I cannot understand. I think if Geo. could see what they went thru he would never propose enlisting again. I could not complain of my hardship when I looked at them but I cannot sleep in such mud & water cold & hear, as they do the night I wrote you from Perryville I slept perhaps 15 minutes in a chair in the Telegraph office but the air was so inferior & everything so uncomfortable that I preferred spending the remainder of the night standing out of doors by the camp fire of the 14th Reg Regulars the early part of the night we were all busy and the depot master left it in my charge to look out for the men when the cars came in the night, midnight I believe, the soldiers were sleeping all over the track every where & they wold hardly get up when they knew the engine was in sight. we have a fine set of officers I mean company off. and all, when they could not sleep they would sing all night & I did not hear a single song that was low or improper. we have a great many very fine singers, thus, with very few exceptions they bear every thing without grumbling, sing & laugh pass it all off. I lost my rubber blanket on the passage I only wonder that anything was saved my blankets were straped on my trunk as usual, &I took them off to day. I laid them down by my side, the rubber between the other two, & turned around to put the trunk back into the hold of the barge & when I turned back the rubber was gone, stolen of course, my eyes were not off them one minute & they were at my side all the time. I can probably get another here but not as nice one as that. I am exceeding sorry to loose it. Ellen marked it but that can be erased & it will only show who it keep it from. I am fortunate in loosing nothing else I heard several of the three months officers say they saw no such time when out before. we are now nicely quartered - in this exceedingly one horse city, the place if which I judge was taken from a spiders web - in two fine new brick buildings with very spacious grounds formally used as the Recruits college. we should have been in camp if the weather had been pleasant, we have a fine dry lot for the camp with the 10 Reg. C.V. There are about 6000 troops in town & soldiers are very plenty. You wish me to write truly about my cold signs. My cold has been growing better every day since we left Jamaica, although I have been more exposed than ever before, got wet thro' at Hunters Point & clothes dryed on me, my boots I did not have off from sat morning to last night. The cure is a queer one I had sent but has proved affectual The post man is here Love Chas Boys are all well. meant to write more but cant.