Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) to his family
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03603.033 Author/Creator: Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) Place Written: Annapolis, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 November 1861 Pagination: 4 p. Order a Copy
Discusses his underground stove malfunctioning and filling his tent with smoke. When the Major saw the mess caused by the stove, he gave Coit $5 to purchase a camp stove, frying pan and coffee pot. Mentions that Stanton was offered a job by a pistol maker and asks if Coit can replace him. Again requests the presence of Daily. Also remarks on seeing a Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment passing on their way from Washington to Fort Monroe. Says they were a hard looking bunch that had "been in the service some time."
Annapolis, Md Nov 20 Wednesday - 1/4 to 1 A.M. Just finished my dinner, cooked for myself, on my new stove, and a good one it was, beef steak fried, rye bread, & coffee the bread I buy at the bakers down town & it is the finest rye bread I ever saw the beef I buy of our commissary at 8 cts per pound & have my pick of the whole "critter" so I take the porter house steak. I have invested in a frying pan & coffee pot & I can cook any thing I want. I mean to try chicken & oysters in a few days wish I had Miss Beecher's receipt book. dont understand me literally though if you have a cook book pamphlet for I should realy like it. But I must tell you where the money came from to do all this. Yesterday morning or rather to begin at the beginning, Monday evening I had been sitting with Col & Major & came home (to my tent) about 1/2 past nine & found my underground stove had broken down with a great fire in it & the tent was filled with smoke we pulled out the fire as well as we could but it kept Stanton & myself both outside in the cold a long time & we found the tent pretty thoroughly ventilaated when we could get it. The next morning the major saw what a state I was in & advised me to buy a stove like his which cost about 4 dollars. I tried to pass it off & said oh I would get along could build my stove over &c, but he would not be satisfied & pulled out his purse & handed me $5, so this is where the money came from. Aint the major one of the boys. I have the best stove for the business I ever saw & I can carry it with me where ever we go. it is so light that putting the legs & pipe inside I could carry it any distance under my arm. Then I can close the draft so that the wood hardly burns at all, just smolder so the fire will keep a long while, then by opening the draft I can have it red hot in about 2 minutes & thus I can cook on it as nicely there is room & to spare for frying pan & coffee pot & if it did not take so much time I should enjoy the cooking much for you know I always had a knack for it I have also entirely remodeled the interior of the tent so that I have very much more room & am more comfortable than I thought possible to be. The major worked with me in fixing bed &c & furnished the boards. how much he has helped me since we started Stanton tells me this noon that he has had an offer from a Pistol maker in Baltimore for two dollars per day (he was in the Spgfd Armory before he enlisted) & would like to accept if I can get some one in his place. So if you think Daly would do, please notify him & have him come on immediately if he cant come please telegraph. He will need one or two good double blankets & a bed tick my bed tick is 6 1/2 ft long and a bredth and a half wide cost $1.67 all made. these can be filled with hay or straw where ever we go & make a grand bed. He does not want more clothes than he can easily carry in a valise or bag & of course no military clothes that is extremely forbidden. I hope he can come right on. A Penn Cavalry Regiment of about 1000 men passed our camp this morning on the way from Washington to Fort Monroe via Annapolis. they have been in the service some time & were a rough looking set you may be assured different kind of hats &C it was very different from my idea of such a regt but they were on the march & dressed as they had a mind to. If Daly comes I would like you to send me three or four Fabers No. 2 lead pencils or if you can get with rubber on one end I prefer them. I need a piece of rubber very much in making copies of reports & if you will send also my skating cap & I shall sleep with it on cold nights. I dont think of any thing else. I hope thas will go by afternoon mail. Love as usual in overflowing measure Chas.
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