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

Camp Monday 18 July near Petersburg Va.
Dear All,
Yours of 11th recd yesterday & while I am waiting for the desk to be vacated so that I can get at work on my papers - in the mean- time I scribble a line on my knee to you dear ones. I thought I was in time for the today's mail but I find it's now 5 P.M. & too late for to day. I have been engaged all day composing and correcting the Rolls of the Regt. I mustered the Regt the 30th June & I am ashamed to send in such a miserable set - it's partly owing to the absense of so many officers. I do wish I had Geo. with me as you propose to assist me about my papers - there seems to be no end to them & we have so little time to work on them & then I am at present not exactly any where for Col. Ward assumed command of the Regt when we went to the front Wednesday evening & I returned to my Co. and then assumed the responsibility but we returned to Camp last night & Col. ward has gone back to the wagon Train unwell & is reported sick so today every thing is done in my name & I fear it will continue so - one day commanding Regt & next company. Dont' understand me as finding fault with Col. ward. I do not mean to. I do not think he is able to really return to the full command. while at the front he did not remain with us but stayed with Capt. Hoyt at Division Hd. Qts. a quarter mile at the rear & came up each day to us tho' he did not remain over half an hour at a time. Friday night he had a slight attack of fever & ague - a chill with some fever. How I am grumbling - I'll try to stop that now. It's cloudy & sprinkling and there's every appearance of a good rain - the first rain I believe since - May -. Dont repeat any thing I have written concerning Col. W. we have been much amused by the Herald's account of Lt. Col. Smith's "cool audacity" when captured by the Rebs on the Baltimore R.R. It's all about as unlike Col. smith as possible and - we dont believe it tho' its so good a story. Capt. Goodrich is getting along nicely but we have that fear has lost his leg. I hope it an error - under the circumstances he would suffer most acutely and we should lose a good off.
As we were in the trenches yesterday - Sunday - we could have no services & there was nothing to remind one of the day & tho' I tried I could not make a Sabbath of it myself. It's one thing to have good thoughts & read good books when one is surrounded by every thing tending heavenward & it's quite another in the trenches where one is - comfortable - only when asleep. Let me record one fact for which I hope I am thankful - the moderate weather that we had our last four days in the trenches, not so - extremely - hot as heretofor Your letter mentions the vegetables we are now receiving. The Commissions - both - are doing a great work truly, but a vast supply goes but a little way in this army. The rations we now get are quite complete, the men receiving pickles &c occasionally and lately the off's have been able to buy of our commissary - new potatoes - & we feast on them. While we lie here we shall feed very comfortably. I don't need any clothing. I shall "seyugle" the sanitary Comm. out of what I need. of all the onions the S. Com. issued the - officers - of our Regt did not get one as far as I know except as their men may have given them - their stores are issued almost entirely to the men & often during this campaign the men have lived better than the officers.
so uncle Bill promises does he - well. I think we can trust Geo. for invesetments & all financing. I shall expect him hereafter to do all that business for me, cause I cant. when you write that you are all in good health I do feel thankful but I always think how blessed I have been in that respect not to have lost a day's duty since the campaign commenced. I close here for to night. Geo is I presume with you again err this. July 19 P.M. Recd yours of 14th this morning - only five days from home. So mother & Geo. are enjoying the cool breezes of the Litchfield hills. I hope they may be greatly benefitted by the change. I am so sorry that George returns from his Norwich trip without any real gain I hope it would prove just the medicine he needed. And in two weeks you will be in Pomfret I dont know why that seems so far away to me but so it is. It adds at least another day to the letters but I am sure I am very glad you are going & hope you will have a real pleasant visit & return as tough as I am that's the best wish I can express for any one's health. I think Geo. managed the rents grandly and he wrote me a first rate letter. I think he excels in letter writing. I would like good such letters as he would write if he was in the Army. I am so sorry uncle Geo. has not been well. Dont expect any speedy - surrender - of Petersburg and I begin to doubt whether we shall attempt to take it but rather imagine we shall again change our base. Many things look like another move & if we move we probably cross the James again but Grant keeps his commands & no one here knows any thing & we have almost ceased to guess. I do hope the Rebs will not be permitted to get safe back with their plunder. I believe its almost a vital point with us whether they carry off these supplies or not. I had rather hear that the troops all get back empty handed than that the troops were
[second paper] captured while the supplies reached Richmond if this last supposition were possible. How pleasant it would be for you if Miss Woolsey was to be in Pomfret with you this summer. I remember you liked her very much. Please make my regards to Miss w & every body who cares enough about me to enquire. I cannot state positively about Etta Russell Independents. I have seen Gammell's direction in her hand writing a number of times but I have not been with the Co. I have known little what they receive. I have no doubt however. I have written you before I believe that we get a bundle of Independents every week & one is distributed to each Co. so I presume Gammell sees the paper every week before receiving his. She is very kind to send. It's about so with the Bulletin Aunt Mary so kind ly sends me. I love to get them from her but I almost always get the Courier from our weekly bundle before I receive hers. Col. Stedman I rarely see as he commands a Brigade in the 2d Div. Met him at Corps Hd. Qts. a week or two since. I think he is striving for a star & he would more worthily wear one than the majority of our Brigs.
Every one speaks of him as rashly brave. It's raining most soundly to day - all day long but I have a good tent over my head & I have passed a most comfortable day, hard at work on my papers. Hope it will hold up before we go to the front to night. I can't help smiling at mother's letter calling me her "curly headed Charlie". My hair is cut off tight to my head - fighting trim & of course sticks out perfectly straight as far as it can stick out at all - almost a quarter of one inch I dons use either comb or brush. In fact my dressing case compares favorably with Genl Grant's as I carry only a tooth brush & pipe. I shall send within a day or two another package of my papers for you to keep - safe. - My papers are now in a perfect shape as it is possible to keep them at such a time. Shall send by Express if possible. I wrote you several days ago to buy me a valise I hope I may get it soon for I have been greatly troubled with my baggage my bag is so inconvenient to carry papers in I have to pull every thing out to find any thing & its a pretty nice job to pack them all in again. Please send me express receipt to me. Have decided to send my papers by mail. Mother must remember me to cousin Abby Perkins.
Best love. Affct son & bro Chas Hardly think Col. Ward will go out to night.