Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) to his family
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03603.095 Author/Creator: Coit, Charles M. (1838-1878) Place Written: Morehead City, North Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 16 April 1862 Pagination: 2 p. Order a Copy
Discusses feeling very ill and being treated with quinine pills which seemed to make his fever worse. Also writes of having to fire his servant, Charles, because of drunkenness and various brushes with trouble.
Morehead City N.C. Apl 16 Eight days since I last wrote all the dear ones but I told you must not expect one soon as I had a great deal of writing to do in straightening out my accounts. well eight days are past & I am very near where I was when they began as to my work tho' I have had much work to keep it there for I have had two of my long (monthly) reports to make besides payrolls to look over & correct and added to all this I have been sick again. But fortunately so comfortably that, after moving down into this nice house where I have a nice room to my self, I have been doing my writing just about as usual & turning back & forth between the Hd. Qts of the two Co's quartered here. In truth with the exception of two days I have been writing part at least of each day & have been out of doors each day. Dr. Storrs brought me one day some pills with quinine in them, to be taken one every four hours, I took two but they so increased my fever that I was confined to the room & most of the time to bed for two days. My greatest plaque has been a terrible stiff neck, & shoulders so that it was very painful to write. That is all over & in fact I am getting well very fast. My tongue shows a marked improvement each day now. April 17) Have been writing considerably on my reports & will add a few lines home his evening. Rec'd your four last letters yesterday, the 1st 5th 8th 9th and one from Capt Upham who is in Morehead vt. doing nicely, hopes to be with us again the 1st of may. Dr. Storrs says he cannot so soon. I will write a few words about my moving down hear & my discharging Charlie. our six Co's that were just settled in our new encampment rec'd orders the 9th to break camp & go over on the Banks so everything was packed & transported accross that day & the troops were going the 10th. well in the morning I found I was quite chill, & fevery. I saw Dr Storrs & he said I must not go over but must go up to Morehead where the Coln had already gone, for the col. had been under the weather several days. So about 11 AM I started on a hand car for Morehead leaving baggage & every thing with Charlie to attend to. The trunk & chest came up soon, but I saw nothing of Charlie until 9 P.M. when I found him over on the steps of Capt ward's Qts. so drunk he could not stand. If this had been the first time I might have excused him tho' the circumstances were quite aggravating, but he has been tight three times, once when on the march down here, then he stole a horse from a union man & made considerable trouble had to carry it back after riding it some time so I saw nothing of him that day. I could not depend upon him evid. I knew this failing when I hired him, but he promised so faithfully & I supposed it would be impossible to get it here, he must buy it in my name. Paying him for his whole time draws rather heavily on his two months pay. it is $53.33 & the care of the Governor at $1 1/2 since leaving Annapolis is $21. Which I have paid our Wagon master. I have sent to Geo. D. Colt care of Norwich Fire Ins. Co. $140. all I dare spare just now but we expect another two months pay early next month. I can send more then. I must have a new trunk. My Regt chest has furnished me about half my trunk room & I shall lose this as captain. My old trunk you know was quite small & it is now about used up. I need a large & strong one, some two feet high & three long. a real large one. I think wooden ones covered with leather & strongly bound with iron & with a strong lock can be bought at from 8 to 12 $. Will you please inquire & write next letter. Good night. My head is getting tired. I have been writing so much to day. Remember me to uncle Geo & Aunt Mary. April. 18. This letter has been hanging along long enough. So I shall say good bye & close. The dimensions of the trunk may be larger than I think as two or three inches would make so much difference in size. I have not as completed that business for Mr. ward, sickness of col. & myself has delayed it. The Coln is getting better tho' I have got the start of him. Sits up all day does what business is necessary & walks out every day. Is hoping to be all right in a few days. The weather here is perfectly delightful I have been sitting with air from window blowing on me all day. it is hard to realize that this is such a sickly states. Love from Chas Regards to all.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.