Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) to his family

Wednesday eve 9 P.M. Nov 20, 1861 Have been making out requisitions for cartridges & caps for target practice & cannot more pleasant pass the half hour before taps than writing home for the third time to day. I do wish you could see how comfortably I am fixed with my new stove & other improvements Your nice long letter was recd this afternoon including one from Geo. hope he will write often & Ellen too. The $5 was found within & is most acceptable (I suppose you have received my letter asking for money before this, was very sorry to ask it but couldnt help myself) but I dont know but I shall be obliged to return it for Stanton took it to the city to get a tin pan (to wash my dishes in) & get my bridle mended (the horse broke it this morning he was tied to a post must keep walking around it, I was going to have the bit straped on to the halter & he cant break that I know I am going to get a good raw hide also and mean to use it, I have very rarely whiped him but I shall try it now & if that doesnt help matters I shall trade him the best I can) but could not help it. It is a good bill & I shall take it to the bank to morrow I believe I can dispose of it you were very kind to send it. I wrote a few days ago that the "Governor" was running down but he has been improving every ride & is looking quite well again & has certainly lost none of his spirit of ugliness. Sunday after - noon we expected to ride at review and went out on horseback but word came that we should go on foot as our distingusihed visitors needed the horses I was very glad for my horse was acting so badly that I could not have ridden him any how, he always behaves badly when I have my sword on as it keeps hitting his side as he canters but none of the other horses mind it. If I had time to ride him more it would be well but I can whip some of it out of him I know. I am so pleased that Stanton has the offer of that situation (as I wrote this P.M.) just as I was waiting to get rid of him, he has done (vertical third page) the best he could & I should have hated to dismiss him if he had wished to stay but he is not quite the man for servant & I much prefer a colored servant, it requires a man of a great deal of gumption to make a first rate one. I hope Daly can come right on. If you can send one two or three pounds of nice burnt ground or Java coffee in a tin can I would like it & I would like a little good black tea. I cant get nice coffee here. My meals to day cost about twenty five or thirty cents I should judge & I have had nice beef & coffee &c each meal. Stanton eats also. I now use the camp basket & find it very useful, please tell Mrs. Rockwell. I dont think any other officer has china plates, glass tumblers such nice knives & forks as I do. the bottle I have filled with milk in the morning & it lasts all day. I spread my table on a box & eat all I want & I know that everything is clean. To answer your question, my clothing still continues good, dont care for the Independent should not probably read it if I had it here, have written you for the skating cap, will not send a note to uncle Geo. until I know how much pay I shall receive this pay day. Must stop for to night light should have been extinguished some time ago but it is hard to stop when I write home. Good night. Remember me to Bill Muir & all the boys & two & Ed. Clapp shall write them when I can. wish Bill Muir was in this Regiment. Love Chas I see the Bulletin pretty regularly it is sent to Harland now. Major is quite sick to night I am so sorry seems quite badly off has had Doctor several times to see him this afternoon. Hope he will be better in the morning. Thursday Morning Just as I had written the heading to this the Quartermaster brought me a package by express from Hartford with a pair of red white & blue stripped stockings from my "third cousin Lillie Coit Collins" who in the dickens is she The major is no better & he has gone down to the city to stay I dont know why he goes down there unless the cooking in his tent & the drumming round camp hurts him. I am sure we are fixed nicely here & I had about as live be sick in camp (i.e. in my tent) as any where away from here but I try to be very careful of myself & mean to keep well. I must close as I have some writing to do & then go down town. I was making up my morning report & could not help adding a line to what I wrote last night. Troops are coming in here every few days there must be about 10,000 at present. I have the power by law of franking soldiers letters, have just franked one that was brought here the major or chaplain frank a great many each day. these letters are paid for at the other end of the mail line.