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

In Camp Fburg Va Jany 9, 1863 Hoped for a letter by mail to day but am dissappointed. Recd the towel handkerchief & knife by mail. All suited exactly, particularly the latter, its very nice, guess Geo. picked that out. Capt. Henry M. Hoyt has just recd a leave of absence for twenty days & starts for old Ct. this noon. He is a first rate fellow - Marvin wait's Capt - & will probably be in Norwich to visit Mr. Wait. I told him to be sure to call upon you & I hope he will find you at home. He has been unwell (chronic diarrhea) & unfit for service since the battle of Fredericksburg. I proposed to him to change a few letters in the name on his furlough & give it to me. I thought I could make it read Chas M Coit without great trouble but he could not see it. I think he will be major if Col. Harland should be made a Brigdr. I am sitting before a blazing wood fire, and as this is the second since passing twenty four hours on picket of course I am just as sleepy as I can very well be. We are all so crowded that lying down in the day time is impossible. Capt. Ripley has applied for another furlough & will undoubted receive it in a day or two. I dont know why shepard dont apply. He's dreadfully in the way here. Until - day before yesterday - he had never done the first thing to help me about muster Rolls or any thing tho' he would come into our tent & sit in the way grumbling about the way the Gov. treats - wounded - officers &c. He had so good a time at home that he cant bear to come back to a soldier's living. He would be much more comfortable if he would do something. He is now expecting to - force - him -self on Genl Burnside's staff but I hardly think he will make out. He is the butt of the whole line. I would not stay a day here if I was treated as he is. I used to try to speak for him but I cant do it lately. Perhaps I am too hard on him but he does trouble us greatly. I sometimes think he is ashamed to go home as well as he is for tho' he would not drill or march yet he could do about as much as he ever did & would be the better for it. He is doctoring himself all the time. Goes to the Hospital for advice every day & often at night. I am wrong to write all this but a grumbling sick man gets very little sympathy in this army. Lt. Henry Morgan has returned but will have to go back again for his wound is yet unhealed & continually discharging. It's rather funny I have for Lieuts the most popular & unpopu- lar men in the Regt. I wish you could see Lt. Alan T. Good- rich. He is a splendid fellow. He has lately been to Wash- ington on business for Regt & you should hear him tell of his adventures. He wore his new regulation hat & a large dark blue loose military overcoat & was about the finest appearing officer -I ever saw. - He was mistaken for some Col. Pope by an officer & after shaking hands he told him he was mistaken in the man. Says every body called him captain & then he would strut off. He is very tall & straight & has he stand among the other officers, he is head & shoulders above them and with all the rest is a real good fellow. He is much older than I am & it's so funny to have him my Lieut. He has had charge of Capt. Ripley's Co. (C) so he cannot help me much & tho' he is - always - willing yet I am to all intents & purposes have been alone since last September. How much did the knife cost & you have not yet written the price of valise. I must stop writing & make out a furlough for one of my sick men. I am just as well as can be & am growing real fat. Very best love to you all Affct son & bro Chas Genl Sumner by this order, says, - because the Government has not paid you any thing for the last six months, therefor in order that you may not really starve, you may draw of the commsry two rations daily - i.e. one for yourself & one for servant - the Commissary will give you what is con- venient & you must pay about double the price for them. The payment must be made in a manner that every officer wil object to & in a manner in which the Gov. cannot by any posibility suffer loss. well the result of all this is that when we get out of money entirely we shall have to resign for none of us will remain here & suffer such an imposition even tho' the penalty be a - dishonorable discharge. - No one is blamed except Genl Sumner & he is. It is all we could expect from the source. It applies only to officers of course & I am happy the privates do not suffer by it. Dont repeat what I have said of Genl S. I might be home sooner than present if known. I must write you concerning one order of Genl sumner's that has gone into effect since Jany 1. - it is this - officers of the Regt that have not been paid off lately are - allowed - to draw two rations daily, on - provision returns. - In drawing thus any one is obliged to take what ever the commissary has in mind to give, perhaps not even a full ration of any kind, & he is charged thirty cents for each ration, (the - commutation - value of an officers ration is thirty cts. while the actual value is only from 15 to 20 cents.) which is about double what the same articles would cost if we had money to pay for them. These Provis- ion Returns are given to the Paymaster & he is to deduct the amount of same from our Pay Rolls so in an event the U.S. cannot lose a single cent. If we have the cash we can buy of the same commissary just what we wish & only pay the actual cost. Perhaps I have not made this plain so I review it