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

Camp of 8th C.V. Inf Deep creek, Mar. 22, '64
Dear All, Its ten P.M. so its just my time to write before retiring. Have been busy all day, have had a man writing all day straightening out Lt. Morgan's clothing accounts on my Co. books. I preferred to have it done under my own eye rather than trust Lt. Morgan with it. I have been my self at work answering letters some of which I have had on hand a long time. All of them business letters. One was from a Justice of the Peace at Antietam during the fight & has never been heard from since. I have told you about him I believe. In reply I wrote a letter covering three pages of this size paper & I hope that will close the correspondence. While writing of deserters I will answer a question that George asks about some men that we met as we were on the way to the boat the night the Regt left New Haven. They did not come aboard but got drunk in the city & were left. They reported to the Provost Marshall the next: day & were sent to Fort Trumbull & some of them ran away from the Fort for a spree & went home remaining one day & coming back the next day were arrested in Hartford as deserters & three or four are now in - jail - in Hartford. George's friend Steele among them. Eight of my company who went home are now reported as deserters only one or two I think intended to desert & they have taken themselves off so that I dont think we shall hear from them again. My stove has commenced smoking so that I can hardly see. I guess the wind has changed. This has been a terrible day snowing hard all day long & real cold. Am glad I have not been on duty & that I have such comfortable quarter's. Every one says they have not seen such a wintry day this winter. Yours of the 19th recd this evening. I am ashamed of my self I have not written for nearly a week. I fully intended to write a long letter Sunday but that day was quite off the books. Had been on duty the day before & visited the pickets - horseback - quite a long ride & was up the greater part of the night & took cold & when I finally pulled my self out of bed Sunday morning I found one side of my face was about twice as fat as the other side & I was so lame from riding & taking cold that I could hardly walk and I spent the chief of the day on the bed. That's why I did not write Sunday. I slept most all day. My face is still a little swolen but I have had no trouble with my teeth except a little soreness. I am perfectly well otherwise to day. I do hope you have secured the front room in Dr. Malley's house & if Geo. has the back room you wll all be together, under the same roof again. How nice that will be. Which is Dr. Malley's house I'm sure I dont know and on which story are the rooms. I should think the price quite remarkable considering all things. Do students board there. I am so glad Charles Farnsworth is free again. I suppose he was ex- changed. So you go to Norwich next week & I cant be with you as it seemed probable a few weeks ago. Remember me to all there. Good night dear all. I mean to get this in the mail at reveille tomorrow tho' I fear there will be no mail leaving Fortress Monroe - its too stormy to night for the boat to come through. Dr. Storrs goes to the Fortress tomorrow to meet his wife who is expected on this boat but I think he will be disappointed, the chaplain's wife is expected at the same time & other off's are sending for their ladies - wonder if mine would come if I sent for her & I wonder when I should send. I think our camp will be quite gay with so many ladies - four or five - I dont think its the place for them any way. You know I escorted Dr. Storrs & the chaplain's ladies on to Connt last January. How about the prize Geo. is to get, isnt it time for that. Best love. Chas.