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

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03603.292 Author/Creator: Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 June 1864 Pagination: 4 p. Order a Copy

Writes about marching from Point of Rocks to a camp and then on towards Petersburg. Describes the 8th regiment driving rebel soldiers back into the woods. Gives more details about the fighting and says that the loss was very slight. Writes that the officers have taken up residence in a house and that he has been able to stand very close to General Grant.

In the field June 16

Dear Sis & all,
We landed about noon day before yesterday at Point of Rocks, that's a point six or eight miles up the Appomattox & marched a mile & a half back from the river to the ground we had occupied last before our visit to white House. During the P.M. I rode with Geo. Ripley & Capt Johnson of the Genl's staff. I speak for our whole Regt when I write that we all lay down that night tired & ready enough to sleep when an orderly from Hd. Qts come to my shelter (I dont know where our baggage is) with an order. I read it by the light of a match - it was to wake the men at 12 1/2 A.M. & get break-fast & be ready to march at 2 A.M. No more sleep for me that night - but the Regt was ready at 2 A.M. the next morning. off we marched towards Petersburg. About nine A.M. after marching until that time the 8th was deployed as skirmishers. (the black troops had been in advance until this time & had taken a partially finished line of works with one gun.) we advanced & almost immediately found the Rebs & drove them several hundred rods thro' woods & jungle to their line of works. We remained deployed within a few hundred rods of their works until about 6 P.M. when we were ordered to charge them in connection with the 13th N.H. & another Regt both of which had been deployed to our left. Two of our Cos K & G had expended all their ammunition - Sharp's rifles - & as we could get none to supply them they had been relieved & forty men of the 118th N Yk had supplied their place in the center of my line. Aso only 8 cos of 8th were in the charge. ^ under cover of the fire of sixteen cannon we charged the rifle pits & forts - the left of the line struck the works first & the whole line swept in & the
works were ours greatly to the surprise of all engaged. In advancing the chief part of the 8th for quite a distance advanced thro' a dense jungle so that the Rebs could not get good aim at us & our loss was very slight for such a charge, only twelve we had lost eight earlier in the day. By the charge we captured five cannon & a large number of prisoners. If the Rebs who held this line of works had done any thing our skirmish line could never have taken it & if it had been fully garrisoned nothing but a heavy massed column could have carried it. The Rebs were greatly disgusted that they had been whipped by a skirmish line. The heavy cannon fire helped us greatly. You never saw such a crazy crowd of men as those who captured the fort. I attempted the first instant after we got in ^& had sent the prisoners to the rear^ to have my Cos form to be ready to receive a Reb charge if they should attempt to retake, but as not either of the other Regts attempted to form & their men were running all round I found it next to impossible. Genls smith & Brooks were in the fort in five minutes after we had taken it & by their orders we were immediately pushed forward to this place a few hundred rods in rear of the fort. We are now posted around a house owned by a family by name of Friend, on a knoll in plain sight of Peters- burg. Here we have remained since dark last evening. Why we have not advanced I do not know the 2d & several other corps of Grant's army joined us last night & this morning & Gents Grant, Hancock, Burnside,& others have been up on our line during the day. I stood within two or three paces of Genl Grant & watched him for some time. He does not look like a man to give up a point, a smaller man than I suppsoed Genl Burnside came up & our men all took off their hats to him, it was best not to cheer & when some of the men attempted it he immediately checked them. Benl B passed us with his hat off & seemed very much pleased. He did not stop at all but drove right back I think he was looking for Grant who had just left. I am well & hope to get a good sleep to night. Last night we commenced digging our line of rifle pits here & were then moved forward to dig & hold the front line & then moved back & finally were all forward in line at 3 A.M. but for all that I managed to sleep some for every place we stopped I sat down & off I went. Once I slept on a low limb of a tree arms & legs round it to keep from falling. Write often. Love.
Affct son & bro Chas

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

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