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

New bern, June, 4. '62 Dear All, Just think on it, have got to go to the - "Jail" - day after tomorrow. Am detailed in a General Court martial & we meet at the Jail. I wish I could have a whipping & stay with my Co. instead. Almost all the members are entire strangers, in fact I know but one, major stedman the 11th Conn. I was introduced to Col Upton the 25th mass. Who is president of the court, while were in Annapolis but of course he is as much of a stranger as ever. I do hope there will be but a few cases & that it will be soon over tho' likely as not it will continue a week, perhaps two or three. It will be anything but pleasant this weather to tramp over to the city & back all harnessed up with sword &c (members of court martials have to attend in full dress) & then I have no fancy for courts of any kind. I am very thankful that I shall not be the junior member for he has to express his judgement first. I am relieved from all duty with any Co. & with the regiment while the court holds but shall not claim entire release from the Co. simply because I have a great deal more faith in my own management than Lt. shepard's, my opinion of Lt. s. grows beautifully less each day, has not reported for duty yet tho' I cannot but think he is perfectly able & has been for several days at least, he will however probably resume duties tomorrow. So I have been alone all this time. Yesterday fornoon three officers of the Regt called upon Lt. Shepard (Lt Ripley was one,) & he brought out a bottle of wine & one of whiskey, whether they asked for it or not. I dont know, I think very likely. - I got this far at one sitting & left suddenly to attend Dress Parade & I now resume six days later, that is after taps June 10, - I must write breifly & close to night or I shall not get this off by the boat in the morning I did not realize I had dropped it so long but the days more than fly - . After the liquor that Lt. S. had on hand had been disposed of they sent at different times to the sutlers for no less than 3 bottles of wine & 5 of whiskey. Any officers they saw passing the tent they would call in & insist upon his drinking, I was in a very few moments at first, not know- ing what was going on, but declined drinking anything of course & left almost immediately. When my dinner was ready I ate very leisurely & then went out on the bank behind the tents with a book & sat down to read all this time the carnival been going on & a very considerable time it had been. Members of my Co. had been sitting on the bank & could hear all that was said & knew just what was going on. They grew more noisy & boisterous until I could stand it no longer, so I went to the tent & ordered them off of my Company ground, told them I did not approve it & would not have it going on in the presence of my men & then left them. I tell you there was no more noise & they almost immediately dispersed. Lt Ripley had left sometime before he says he drank nothing but wine & he certainly did not get tight. Lt Cone who I think was the leader was pretty well set up. I went to the tent a few moments after they left & found Lt. Shepard on the bed with a basin before him he was sick as could be & throwing up, if the liquor he drank had had time to opperate, I think he would have been as tight as a brick. His servant a contraband whom they had been been stuffing, making him drink to the health of Genls Scott, McClellan, Col Harland & every body else (that was the unruliest part) was sick as death out side, rolling on the ground through the ashes where we had had a fire & groaning. I made my man & another colored man who was there carry him in the tent & lay him on the floor beside Lt. S. where he would be a little more comfortable. So I had the master & servant who had been drinking together keep company still & throw it up together. I thought Lt. S. deserved it. I did this out of charity for the poor niggar & did not think that there was a funny side to it until I saw how amused the men of the Co. who were present were & then as it came over me the sight that would greet Lt. Sh. eyes when he waked up, I burst out into almost a roar. Lt. S. went to bed leaving all the front sides of the tent turned back so the boys were all looking in laughing at him & having a fine time over it so I shut it down & fastened it & I rather guess he had a sweet time of it in there for I could not bear the stench when all the front was open. I certainly never knew any thing more laughable than some things they relate of the darkie, but I cant stop for them. When he waked he thought he had slept over one day, did not mention anything, could not imagine how his hat got down the bank &C. I reported what I had done to Col H & he approved entirely only wished I had done it sooner, he has since reproved severely each one connected with it & largely on account of it, the sutler has been forbidden selling liquor to either officers or men. The Col. Gave Lt. Cone the choice of being court- martialed or resigning (he chose the latter & is probably home by this time) partly on account of this, tho' there were other serious reasons. It made a great excitement in the camp but I believe my course is approved by the best officers, certainly the col. Lt Col & Major ward approve. tho' several are quite angry with me particularly the Capt of the Co. of which cone is 2d Lieut. This Capt. calls me a "damned telltail", this is Lt. Ripley's Compy. This Capt - Gleason - recommended cone to Col H as a Lieut & & the Coln appointed him on his recommendation only showing personally that he had been a good sargeant but he has proved a very poor officer as he seemed to think that when a man becomes an officer he had only to enjoy himself as he liked. The Court-Martial has now been in session three days - we skipped Sunday - I have made a number of pleasant aqua intances there, major Stedman of the 11th is a member, I like him much, the Judge Advocate is Capt Cutts, brother of Mrs senator Douglass, he is on Genl Burnsides staff, very smart. Court martial duty is of course very unpleasant but I am much pleased that the members are so agreeable. There are are several more cases to come before us so we may be confined several days longer tho' we hope to close tomorrow. I go over at 9 AM & shall take this letter with me to mail in the city. How severe Genl Mc Clellan is on Genl Casey's division, I am very glad I am not on his staff. I am afraid he is too old as well as some others. I guess col. Mathewson does not pretend to drill his regiment, I think he leaves it all to major S. tho' I don't know. Col. M has not been very well since his return major s. says. Had a Brigade Drill yesterday, it has always rained before so this was one first, as I was in the C.M, Lt. Shepard commanded the Co. & the officers laugh a good deal about his performance, they say the co. would go thro' the maneuvers & he would follow them round. I fully intended writing Mr Ward Treasurer of Savings Bk this evening but I have been busy making out some discharge papers & it is now past eleven & we begin thursday with reveille at 5 A M. I have neglected him shamefully. Capt Moore Co D Major wards old Co received a box from the soldiers Aid this P.M. By it Miss Greene sends me with "compliments" Atlantic & continental Monthly for May. Am very much obliged please thank her for me. She may send each month if she wants to. Your letter of 3d inst rec'd. I am not at all supprised Henry Goddard has resigned, never thought he was in the right place. So Steve & Lou are really to be "jined" are they, - well I dont care. That Lt. shumway who Mr. Trait brought to see you is considered a rather hard case here & the standard at the signal corps is not very high I imagine. I dont know exactly who he is. I must say I am not as much in favor of a west Point education for Georgie as I used to be I believe he will be a better man & do more good as a merchant or any thing else almost, Regular Army ^officers are a hard set as I have seen them. Hope you have received the money ($ 250.) I sent, sorry Plunkett has turned out as poorly. I dont imagine Bela is in the "fore front" in all those McC battles, that would hardly be the place where heavy artillery would be likely to be. I do wish I could have heard Dr. Phelps sermon. Dont seem as tho' I had heard any real preaching since I left home.