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to his father and his sister, Edith M. Phelps

Writes to his father and sister from Camp Pierpont. Says that he received his letter and the cheese that his mother sent. Mentions having very cold weather for this part of the country. Says that they only have boards, no furs, in their tents to...

GLC03523.49.06

to mother

Writes to his mother from Harrison's Landing. Comments about the warm weather that they are having. Says that it is thundering and he hopes that it rains so they will get water. Reports that Lieutenant Forrest is at home and does not believe that...

GLC03523.49.18

to Hannah E. Russell

Writes to wife from camp outside of Somerset, Kentucky. Admonishes wife for making fun of his living conditions. Informs her that their living conditions have not improved and that they are upon hard times. Describes having to march on three...

GLC03523.50.06

to Hannah E. Russell

Reports that he is not well and has been suffering from lung fever for the past eight days. Writes that he is slowly mending and can now walk around and eat a little. Comments that he is not in the general hospital but in a private house with 18...

GLC03523.50.09

to his sister

Writes to his sister from camp. Discusses the weather. Comments they have been living off of hard crackers for a week and are expecting bread tomorrow. Complains about the bread being sour and dirty. Discusses two new tunes that their band has...

GLC03523.52.06

to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from Camp Douglas. Complains about the rainy weather. Describes a dance that the sharpshooters had with the wash women. Requests that she send him his razor when his father sends him a turkey. Discusses the theater and the...

GLC03523.52.27

to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister from camp. Reports on the sickness back home and in camp. Writes, "we have 8 or 9 kinds of lice five or six kinds of [each] put these altogether would make it rather sickly…" Notes she should not fret too much about the...

GLC03523.52.42

to Henry Kessler

Writes to his brother from camp. Describes living in small tents with three other men. Reports not having a cook or a stove. Notes they do all their cooking over the fire, meet twice a day for bread and coffee, and get three meals a day. Writes,...

GLC03523.52.49

to his friends

Writes to his friends. Describes being in some hard fighting. Writes, "the shells came poring in like Hail stone only had more affect than a hail stone would have…" Reports driving the enemy back and capturing their artillery. Complains about the...

GLC03523.52.54

to Henry Kessler

Writes to his brother from the battlefield. Complains about someone stealing his letters and the photograph of their mother. Describes shelling being fired above their heads. Reports his band is no longer playing and most of the members are...

GLC03523.52.56

to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father. Informs him he received the memorandum book, paper, envelopes, and stamps. Discusses the hot weather. Notes they have plenty of ice water, lemonade, and a sutler who supplies almost everything. Reports they are preparing for...

GLC03523.52.57

to Elizabeth N. Kessler

Writes to his sister. Complains about having to wash his clothes in cold water. Comments he does not care how he looks or what he wears; however, she would find him dirty and ragged. Describes being sick with a bad case of dysentery. Notes he has...

GLC03523.52.58

to A. P. Kessler

Writes to his father from camp. States it is quiet in camp but they are under marching orders. Describes being in the masters department where he cooks for six and has first rate living. Discusses the possibility of his father visiting him this...

GLC03523.52.67

to his family

Writes about the activities of setting up the encampment and of the use of nearby farmhouses for shelter and food. Mentions that he is dreading the Dress Parade. Closes by saying he must form the regiment for church.

GLC03603.013

to his family

Describes the Dress Parade and writes that he believes his performance to have gone very well. The townspeople are very kind to the soldiers and have given them bread and apples. The field staff, including Coit, are staying in an empty house which...

GLC03603.014

to his family

Describes being immunized and his ill reaction. Also mentions the food he has eaten and the trouble with his nervous horse, "the Governor." Comments on the equipment provided to the Connecticut soldiers in comparison to that of other states.

GLC03603.028

to his mother

Writes about having a poor meal and about the camp sutler, who sometimes supplies food to the soldiers. Explains that he was forced to re-submit the monthly report because of the Assistant Adjutant General's incompetence.

GLC03603.030

to his family

Describes all of the regiments in Annapolis being "reviewed" by General Burnside and other notable men including Seward, Cameron and Governor Andrews of Massachusetts. Believes his regiment will stay in Annapolis for two months and complains about...

GLC03603.031

to his family

Thanks his family for sending him $5 and describes his meal expenses. Requests coffee from home and his skating cap. Also mentions "franking" soldiers letters for them.

GLC03603.034

to his family

Still unsure about Daly's status and writes that he has been checking the station daily for him. Declares that the Major has given him a whole roasted chicken and about baking cakes with cornmeal and buckwheat. Says that General Foster spoke of...

GLC03603.042

to his family ("Dear old Anne and all there")

Describes a package he received from his cousin Ellen, which contained food. Also asks that his brother, George, tell him what rooms and stores are rented.

GLC03603.056

to his family

Written on board the ship "H. J. Brookman." Mentions still being anchored in the sound and finally receiving mail from home. Discusses what he is reading and how he wishes he had brought a book of poetry. Reports receiving a pair of stockings from...

GLC03603.069

to his family

Written on board the ship "the Sentinal." Complains about the captain and of the Brookman's price gouging and tells of Colonel Harland's response. Writes of a missing soldier who is assumed to have fallen overboard during the night.

GLC03603.073

to his family

Written on board the ship "the Sentinal." Believes that the 8th regiment and other regiments in the brigade will sail tomorrow. Gives details of life on the ship including the poor quality of the food, water and sanitation. Also mentions five rebel...

GLC03603.074

to his family

Responds to his mother's concerns expressed in a previous letter. She had written that "Rev. Mr. Hall" had reported to her that Coit was looking very thin through the face. Coit responds by saying he has never seen or met Hall and that his mother...

GLC03603.096

to his family

Writes that he is showing his new servant, "Napoleon," how to make baked beans with molasses. Discusses the difficulties he is having with his new position, particularly the Battalion drills. Written from "Camp on the Neuse."

GLC03603.105

to his family

Tells of Colonel Harland being asked to command a Brigade consisting of the 8th, 11th of Connecticut and 4th of Rhode Island regiments making him a Colonel Commanding with the powers of a Brigadier. Coit is very sad as Harland will have his offices...

GLC03603.116

to his brother

Writes about the ability to get day-old New York newspapers in Newport News and comments on the contents. Also mentions that he has in his company "two contrabands:" Napoleon and a 13-year-old who hid on the boat when they left Morehead. Pities the...

GLC03603.125

unknown

Writes that he is doing well and describes what he had for breakfast.

GLC03603.154

to his family

Describes waking and reading aloud the "testimony of generals before the Conduct of the War Comm." and then preparing and eating a large Christmas dinner. Describes trying to make "lasses candy" and suspending "a Castor trimmed with evergreen and...

GLC03603.176

to his family

Describes a new military plan that is meant to alleviate the financial pressure caused by the long period of time between visits from the paymaster. The new plan allows officers to purchase two rations of food daily in order to feed servants that...

GLC03603.181

to his family

Writes that he has been using his new knife and passed part of an evening whittling. Gives an update to the news of Sumner's order regarding food purchase at the commissary. An order by General Burnside has dictated that the men may purchase whatever...

GLC03603.183

to his family

Believes the winter campaign to be over. More men are allowed furloughs and there are plans to improve the camps. Hopes that arrangements will be made to have better mail service and that the sutlers will be supplied more efficiently.

GLC03603.187

to his family

The regiment has received orders to cook three days rations and prepare to leave for Fortress Monroe. Believes that this is connected to "the raid of rebel rams at Charleston & the temporary raising of a blockade" and that they may in fact be headed...

GLC03603.188

to his mother and sister

Describes camp life and goes into detail about the meals that he has eaten. Remarks on the good spirits of the men in the camp and says that Captian Hoyt has offered to lend Charles and George horses so that they can ride to all the different camps.

GLC03603.207

to his family

Thanks his mother for sending the newspapers and clippings. Writes of experiencing a very bad snow storm and the poor conditions of the enlisted mens' shelters. Whiskey was served to the entire regiment for warmth. Believes that his regiment is...

GLC03603.212

to his family

Writes that there is a "heavy force across the river and the firing has been incessant." Notes that his Regiment is split in two with one half out on a mission and Coit's half camped in the woods. He passes on descriptions of fighting near the river...

GLC03603.229

to his family

Writes that part of the regiment has been commanded to prepare three days rations and march as soon as possible. Coit and his company are to stay on duty at Fort Jerico. Says that there is nothing for him or the company to do at the fort and that he...

GLC03603.234

to his family

Writes about the trip into the swamp that he took with the other officers last weekend. Also writes of a soldier who causes him trouble. He requests black pepper, black tea and other food and mess items to be sent to him. Responds to the request for...

GLC03603.238

to Delia Slocum

re: Cranor refers to the Copperhead movement and Vallandigham's unsuccessful run for Ohio's governorship. He mentions that it has been a while since his brigade has seen action and was not involved in the most recent skirmish and has instead been...

GLC03791.008

to William B. Taliaferro

Describing various kinds of food available, and inviting Taliaferro to come and take some for himself.

GLC03812

to R. West

References his mother's letter of 26 November. Says the Confederates are trying to avoid the blockade by stopping in Nassau and transferring their cargo to smaller ships to slip past the Union Navy. Says the Union controls the sea islands off South...

GLC03836.28

to Mary West

Written by Lewis to his sister Mary. Continues the letter on 30 August and 5 September. Disparages where he is stationed, saying it is desolate and lacks civilized life. Says he has been made an executive officer again, due to personnel changes on...

GLC03836.37

to Mary West [incomplete]

Written by Lewis to his sister Mary. References receiving her and Weir's joint letter. Says he will "not be altogether satisfied" if Lee is allowed to escape across the Potomac. Wants to know who General Meade is. Hopes to add Charleston to the...

GLC03836.53

to Harriet Moore

References receiving her latest letter. Speaks cynically about the situation off the South Carolina coast, saying "It really seems as if there was a fatality about all our operations. here, every thing being put off too long. Everybody knows now that...

GLC03836.61

to Harriet Moore

References receiving her letter of 5 January. Says his Christmas was subdued, but that he did manage to get a turkey for dinner. Says "By the way, was not Sherman's dispatch to the president presenting Savannah as a Christmas gift, a neat thing?"...

GLC03836.85

to sister

He estimates that two-thirds of the company is sick though he boasts that "since I joined the army I have had better health [than] I ever had before." The Cavalry had a skirmish with the Confederates and the Union forces took 2,00 head of cattle...

GLC03858.02.04

to: Drazilla Churchill.

Churchill explains that he is sick with "disinterry," as are most of the soldiers in his camp, and twice asks his mother to do what she can to bring him home. He divulges that "the boys don't find it as they expected," and that rations are only...

GLC03859.01

to Drazilla Churchill

Reassures his mother of his safety by confirming that his division has been successful in the area of Corinth, Mississippi. Discussing Confederate General Sterling Price, writes "Wee have give Genrel Prise Hell in Mississippi and tenn He was...

GLC03859.08

to: Drazilla Churchill.

A train with 900 prisoners passed through Grand Junction, and another 1500 are waiting to be transported from Holey [Holly] Springs. The 900 passengers cheered Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy upon pulling out of the station. Churchill...

GLC03859.13