Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) to his family ("Dear old Anne and all there")

Sunday Even, Dec 16 Dear old Anne & all there, I have been writing to you in my mind all day I think no day since we have been here have I thought so much of you all as to day. I hardly know why but it began when I awoke & has been so continuously since. Cousin Eddy Coit - or more respectfully speaking Mr. Edward Coit appeared here this forwnoon & sat quite a time in my tent & I went with him to see the Coln & round the Camp & over to the 10th He delayed me me a long time - this I was very happy to see any one from Norwich. - but he caught me doing nothing, or rather I was just returning from the stables. I had been to look after the Governor, so I asked him in & could not very well leave him. He is not the one of all others that I should have preferred but was very glad to see him. says he will see you when he returns, says we are much more comfortable than he supposed possible and we are more so than people imagine. I should not have been more supprised if Norwich itself had appeared at my tent door than Eddy He came up again this P.M. & was present at the latter part of the service in our chapel. he stayed until after Dress Parade & I think wished to be invited to supper but I knew I had only about meat & bread enough for myself for tea & breakfast, so did not ask him. I could have given him a nice broiled pork steak, good bread & coffee, nice enough for anyone. I have a broiling arrangement now & Joe uses it at the company cook stoves as there is no opening to my stove large enough. Joe is grand shall keep him for present at least. Have tried to keep this sabbath better than some of the previous ones. Have worked a good part of the day of course but have done about as little as possible. Read that little life of Havelwell? this morning. Mrs Hubbard gift. I got almost crying while reading his letters home, I could appreciate them better than before. Everything to day has seemed to remind me of home. & I am real glad I am so constantly busy. I fear I should be real homesick if I was not. several of our officers have their wives here in camp with them & others are sending for them. I wish I could afford to send for you all if we were to stay here long, but I should not want you after all. we had a very good service in chapel to day but I was thinking of the old granite church at home & this noon while writing in my tent I could think of nothing but the sabbath school. while I think of it let me speak of the catholic question you say I have not mentioned it. I have thought so much of it as of anything not immediately pressing, but have always forgotten it while writing. I hope to send home in zany, nearly if not quite $200, but I shall have to receive a pretty considerable amt as we cant tell when we shall be paid again or where we shall be. my pay will be something over $250. If Harland should be made Bridr & I AAGen1, I should be obliged to go to Washington & get new coat, hat, &c. I suppose that would cut into my pay considerably as every thing costs in W. but I should get good ones. I would not trust Thompson to make me a nice coat for this bus mess again, mine is ripping out under the arms I have had it mended twice & now a piece let in, it is always too tight, but it was a present so dont say so. Dear Eddy said to day that he understood Burnside said that no young officer in the service had brighter prospects before him than Col. Harland, but I think it is only the old report we heard some time ago. Nothing new has turned up on this subject. Took dinner with Coln to day had stewed rabbits, mashed potatoes, &c. was very sorry he had no pastry for me, but Johnson had not learned to make that. The stew was very nice better than chicken I think, served up with a kind of rice gravy. Thus goes tattoo. You are probably just coming home from lecture. wonder who delivered it Dr. Bond or Deacon Perkins & whether CC Terry or Hawkins prayed whether Ed Clapp set times or one of the forum & whether they were pitched so high that only Geo P. was tall enough to reach the high notes. I am sure that I dont mean to make fun, I would like to have been there myself. Speaking the word fun reminds me of Eddy Coit at Dress Parade who stood between the Guard drawn up behind the Coln & the line of the Parade of course I mean off one side not exactly between & the position he took was decidedly amusing. I wanted to take off my hat and "holler". There are a great many funny things happening all the time of course amoung 6,000 men. This morning one of the orderly sergts, or first if Geo read will read in Army Reg about Guard mounting he will find "supermuneries" mentioned, they are extra men to take the place of any one of the datail who can not pass the inspection & after the Guard marches off the orderlies march the odd men back to the respective quarters & dismiss them or rather him as they are only one. well, this morning the orderly of Co. I marched his man into the Co. street & halted him & then ordered him to right face, without doubling & then Arms Port & break ranks march. The idea of one man facing right without doubling was rather ridiculous. I told the major of it & he said was like one of the Capts in the 4th Reg, all his men had been detailed on extra duty but one & the rapt was directed to detail more for Guard. he told them he had not enough left & was commanded to bring out all he had so he marched his one man out himself, brought him to the front into line & then called out why the h&&l dont you double. You will think this queer stuff to write home Sunday I fear, but it comes right out almost before I thought, & I feel pretty well to write anyway tho' I have not been taking a "drop". I am very sorry to say that about 1/4 of uncle Geo's bottle, a bottle of nice brandy, has leaked out, it does not stop tight I shall look to it in future if I cant save it in any other way I think I better drink it. I have only used it twice, once for stomache ache & night before last for tooth ache, I dont see why you wrote about my teeth. I had forgotten I had any (except when I am brushing them which I do oftener than I used to do at home) until I recd that letter & then I suppose they thought they had been slighted & so commenced aching. I have had liquor offered me many times at other Camps but never except as above tasted any. Yes I have some currant wine the major recd from home in his box & it was best I ever saw, old & smooth. The chicken pie that worried you so much has appeared from the horizon quite a time since & although the crust allowed none of the poisonous gases to escape I still enjoy & think a kind Providence a fair degree of health & strength. Part of it attained a green old age before disappearing but perhaps that neutralized the baking with the crust on. I think you will say I had better be in bed than writing such nonsense Sunday night. I bought a new blanket yesterday ($2.75) coarse but thick & double, dont like the color white, but could do no better. Never slept better in my life than last night. I have written all this without thinking of the review yesterday, it was altogether the finest sight ever witnessed. nine & a half regiments of infantry & one of cavalry, a greater number than I expected. It was in an immense field & our position was on the highest ground just about incenter, so we saw the whole of it, how I wished you could have seen it. the solid New England regts, the picturesque zouave & Cavalry each in succession passing in review, first in quick time & then in double quick, the whole review lasted three hours & it was only too quickly passed. I must mention the zouaves again with their red turbans and tassles blue cloaks, if they can be called cloaks, blue baggy pants & white leggins & their magnificent band, all the regts except 8th have fine bands, but they are continually playing but the Barons Band and some clarinets & the music is of a higher type. As the different pass the reviewing officers (Genl Foster with full staff) the bands turn out & take position opposite him, playing the regt marching between & as the colors are dipped in passing the music salutes. we saw the first four regts that compose the 1st Brigade pass & then came our turn our two drums turned out (playing Yankee Doodle Hail to the Chief, or white cockade dont remember which perhaps not either or perhaps it was one of the familiar old Methodist tunes in slow time that they are particularly partial to, so much so that one of our fifers who was confined in the Guard Tent piped it all day long without any intermission except for his bread & water at noon to the amusement of the whole camp) and Genl Foster says they were the only musicians who sounded the ruffles &c as the colors were dipped correctly. I was sure it was by accident or mistake for that is not their style. we were back in position in time to see the zouaves. two other Regts & the cavalry pass then came the "double quick" with arms at right shoulder shift & the drums beating rapidly, tap, tap, tap, all together it was a sight long to be remembered. Geo. will find the fun of Review word for word in first part of Army Reg. remembering that we passed in quick & double quick instead of common & quick time, that there were 11 instead of one Regt, that they were formed in line one behind another & followed each other round. once more the zouaves. At the Review Friday of 2d Brigade the 8th was on the right that is found in front of the other regts & was down on the lower ground - there is a considerable distance between every two regts - and the zouaves were on the left, the last regt.- the regts you understand are formed in battle order - the three first regts had formed in front & on the side of the knoll when suddenly we heard strains of the sweetest & most fairy like music & presently saw the head of the colmun of the zouaves marching by the right flank exactly on top of the knoll paralel with us. Looking up the hill the sky furnished a blue back ground & the zou zous seemed to be marching (in perfect time) apparently on nothing I was perfect enchantment I could not realize that I was standing on the ground, did not know where I was, in fact I was entirely carried away, twas perfect magic. It was a few mo - ments of perfect enjoyment & as I recall it how I wish you could all have seen it. You see what a long letter I have written unto you with mine own hand & that with pen & ink which I have not wasted much in any home letters. It is long past "taps" & my light should have been out long ago. & I have my bed to spread yet, & all the other arrange ments to make, but I put up steam & had to hold onto the safety valve & let her quit. Good night dear mo sis & bro. I hope Ellen & Geo will write oftener. Is it Geo's vacation yet. I shall expect a letter from him every day then. Chas.