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

Camp Deep creek, Va. Sunday evening
Dear All, Another Sabbath evening & down I sit to write you feeling about as thick headed & stupid as possible - my stove has smoked until I can hardly see. Had a good sermon from Mr. smith this morning & this P.M. I read Mr. Beecher's sermon in the last Independent & then went to sleep & slept over Dress Parade, after a severe march there is no limit to a man's capacity for sleeping. Please not send me the Independent hereafter. Mr. Smith supplies us regularly with the paper for that week. To day received your Parsin's Thoughts & Heavenly mama & have recd your letter of Apl 11th. Twice since I commenced this letter I have had to assist Alf. mend his bed stead, every time he gets on it down it goes. He now has a box under it & says its as firm as the rock of ages. Last Wednesday at 8 o'clock A.M. we marched to Getty's station five miles distant to attend the execution of a deserter, arriving there found that it was postponed & marched back to camp thinking the ten miles a pretty good days work. During the afternoon orders were received to march to Bowers Hill as soon as we could cook two days rations & at 8 P.M. we were on the tramp again. Another five miles to Bowers Hill & a horrible road to travel. At one place the water was over my knees & continued nearly that depth for several rods. Arrived at Bowers Hill pretty thoroughly soaked & took cars for Suffolk. We left the cars at Government farms, three miles this side of Suffolk, about 12 midnight & bivouacked then until 2 A.M then off for Suffolk where we remained an hour to cook coffee & then started with the remainder of the expedition. Marched ten miles out rested a couple hours at noon & then back again arriving at my old station, Fort Jericho a mile below Suffolk at 8 P.M. & bivouacked until 2 A.M. then by cars to Getty's station with five miles more march to camp where we arrived between 7 & 8 A.M. just forty eight hours from our setting out to attend the execution, having marched forty five miles & traveled by cars about twenty more. We laugh heartily now over some of the incidents of the march though it was sorry enough while it lasted. The first night at the Government farms where we were to rest four hours all the officers were without blankets for they had been put in our wagon which had not come up. The men rolled themselves up in their blankets & went to sleep & the officers after wandering round wet & - so cold -, started one after another for the quarters of a company of nigger Cavalry that were doing picket duty there. We piled into the shanties with them sat round their fires with them & Alf. Goddard highly edified our party with this exclamation "I would like to see a nigger with a skin so black that I would not sleep with him if he had a good blanket." There were five of us in that room. Capt. Hoyt Capt McCall, Alf & myself & Capt. Roberts, a dozen or so darkies & several of our men. It was the jolliest & at the same time the most miserable night I have spent for a long time. I did not sleep a wink but dried myself considerably, which was as necessary perhaps. The darkies made us a world of fun. Dick, officers man, fell asleep on a board about two feet from the ground & then rolled his head & shoulders onto the floor with a tremendous thump but without waking at all & slept the remainder of the time in that position. We officers got boards & propping up one end against the wall laid down & tried to sleep but I believe Capt. Hoyt was the only one who succeeded. On the march out from Suffolk I picked a fresh bunch of Trailing Arbutis. I think the finest I ever saw. How I wished Ellen could have had it. I have noticed lately that the wild Sessianinun that is so sweet is quite plenty round here & nearly in bloom. You remember I wrote you about it on No. Carolina. I never knew a short march tell so severely in the Regt. Almost all of us have blistered feet & many come in with eyes bloodshot & hands swolen. My hands were so swolen as to be quite stiff & I shall [top margin first page] need a day or two more rest to put my pedal extremities in marching trim again, I presume the soaking that they recd at the start increased it. More in the morning - Good night Monday morning. Have overslept & shall miss the mail if I write more. Alf. wants you to tell his mother how my new shirts are made. I should like one more, an inch or two longer, they suit me exactly. I also want a couple of pairs of woolen socks I have entirely worn out one pair & I think lost another. Please send on pr. stockings by mail soon. There are rumors that our Brigade will go to Newport News this week. Love & regards to every body Affct son & bro, Chas