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

Camp of 8th Rg Conn Vols near Falmouth Jany 1, '63 Dear All, A new year is indeed upon us & what is to be the result. How little we seem to have really accomplished during the last twelve months. I can better imagine the time as twelve years than as many months for indeed in this delightful business we sometimes experience a greater variety if sensations in one day than in an ordinary life time. The year has gone & yet I would not recall it. Much as all of us must have suffered, still the - pleasures - have also been great & the experiences to me a quiet home body, truly wonderful. And I am sure I do not now forget God's great goodness to me in protecting me in the midst of such dangers & in granting me so great measures of health & strength and in strengthening me to resist temptations as that, have been before me. All this & much more has He done for me but I remember that He has not been so good to me ^only but has been with all of you at our dear old home. Shall we not praise Him for His wonderful kindness during the past year & trust Him more in future. I hope I shall. About this time last year we were packing up & embarking for No. Carolina and during the whole year we have been almost constantly in the "front". I think few Regts can show a years record of such constant activity. This is a decidedly dull New Years day. Have been at work all the morning on my muster Rolls & am now waiting for dinner tho' its half past two, we are to have stewed beef with onion & hard tack. Potatoes have played out. Monday Jany 5 Have been intending each day to finish & forward this letter & I dont know why I have not done it but some days I cannot write & I do not feel entirely certain that I shall reach the end to day for I feel bull headed & as stupid as possible. I suppose it's because I did not sleep much night before last. I retired thinking (I am just as well & hearty as I can be.) of a little homestead I know in the state of connt, not 1000 miles from the city of N- I lay awake until 1 A.M. & then got up, made a fire, and smoked my pipe until about 2 1/2 A.M. When I again laid down but did not sleep till about day light. After losing a night's rest I always feel more stupid the second, than the first day after. I sent you a day or two since two Washington chronicles. I like the paper exceed- ingly because it shows up the bright side of every thing & in all things supports the Government & I like to read such a paper when I have to risk every thing for the Government. Its not very pleasant to read of the "rottenness of the Gov." & then think I am fight- ing for it. I wish I had sent you the chronicle's editorial on Burnside's letter - t'was tip top so diff erent from the - Herald's -. What did the Tribune say? The chronicle is called the Gov. organ, I dont care. I think the papers (many of them) published at the North & the letters recd by the soldiers are doing the Army an immense amount of evil. The Herald is - the - paper for circulation here - I mean has altogether the largest circulation & I believe does great harm. I am writing with a steel pen & can hardly make it go. It's time for our mail & I hope for a letter from you - have not recd one for several days. Recd the gloves. My Harper's Ferry bundle has started again, this time from Baltimore, but not arrived yet. Lt. Goodrich returned from Washington last night - says all the talk in the street is that the 9th corps is going to move back around that city to do duty there & that the Regts there at present are to take our place in the front, and before I forget it again, let me refer to what I wrote sometime since about the 8th & 11th being recalled to Connt. It was all a hoax & I was completely sold. It was started while the Connt committee was here & every one supposed it came from them but I guess Capt. Ripley was the guilty man. We are not dissappointed for we never expected it - Letter has come - Your sheet of Jany 1 recd & the contents - a V - pock- eted. Rather new times seems to me for the lady of the house to run off to distribute treats New Years day. Has calling been given up entirely? Glad to have such good news from Steve Meech! How pleas- ant to meet col. Birge, Bill miner, &c. They will be truly fortunate if they are to be stationed at N.O. They are fortunate any way that they are not in the Army of Potomac for the hardest fighting & poorest accomodations are surely found here. If the 9th Corps goes back to Washington (I do not think we can move until after the river rises but I may judge wrongly.) I shall make - one - attempt to get home for a few days . The weather continues mild & very pleasant but the streams & springs are - way - low. We hear nothing from the soldiers Aid box yet. How was it directed? You wrote as tho' it would probably come right through.