Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

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

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03603.151 Author/Creator: Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878 Place Written: Pleasant Valley, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 10 October 1862 Pagination: 6 p. : Order a Copy

Describes the views from the march from Antietam. Also predicts that Colonel Harland will soon be promoted to Brigadier, but is concerned that the Colonel will not ask men to be references in his favor. Writes about the other men he is sharing a tent with, Lieutenants Weed and Goodrich, and responds to news from home about his brother George's career choice. Also reflects on marching past the battlefield and seeing the dead bodies as either "losses" or "gains." Writes, "Live rebels, with theirs pointing towards me, I find is a much more horrid sight than heaps of them dead." Responds to a report of the Battle of Antietam by Lieutenant Eaton that may have been published in the local Norwich newspapers.

Coit, Charles M., 1838-1878

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources