Headquarters Co."B" 8th Rt C.V. Newport News, mar 11, 1863 Dear Both, Your letters of Saturday 7 inst received this noon. You seem very much troubled for fear that I shall get sick &c; but I really think I shall do very well, and I hope that you will not give yourself any unnecessary trouble on my account. Of course it is very difficult from my former life but I enjoy it so much the more. i wish you could see how comfortably we are at present. The tent is nicely warmed by a little sheet iron stove, for seats we have the bed, trunk, a box, and camp stool which Charlie got at Ft. Monroe when he came down for me. I have had four meals in camp, the bill of fare at each being as follows. Dinner, the day I came, (yesterday) at which only Charlie & I were present. Ham, fried- potatoes, boiled, - some of Mrs. Lee's pickles, bread & butter, coffee with condensed milk, and sugar, & salt. - supper, bread and butter, coffee & a cake which Capt. Goodrich fur nished from a box which he has received. Breakfast this morning. - Ham, poataoes, bread & butter, & coffee. Dinner sausages, potatoes & bread & butter & pickles. That they thought excellent soldiers fair and I found it much better living than I feared. It rained all yesterday and last night "they say" it poured. I did not know any thing about it till morning. About two o'clock this morning it cleared up and the mud & water is fast disappearing. we "turned in" soon after tattoo and "turned out" at reveille (6 1/2 A.M.) we lay about as close as sardines, but I went right to sleep and did not wake until morning. Don't be troubled about my not sleeping warm enough. I was very comfortable & do not care about col Terry's caps. I was surprised to find how warm a tent was, even without a fire. Charlie seems to really like to have me here & told two or three "you dont know how pleasant it is to have George here with me." we see by the paper (N.Y. Tribune) of Tuesday (10) that col. Harland is confirmed by the state as Brigadier. Charlie went right up to see him & took me with him. Harland had heard it before. Col. Dutton was with him at the time The Brig. Gen. shook hands with me very cordially and wanted me to stop and make him a call. Then Charlie went out to see about serenading him & then went down with Capt. Hoyt. The subscriber attending as escort, to ask the 103d German band which performed at the other serenade to furnish the music for the occasion. They will come if their commander has no objections & will be on hand at 9 P.M. to day. So I shall have at least one chance to hear good music while I am here. I wish you could enjoy it with us. This afternoon I walked out on the splendid parade ground on which Genls Dix & Smith held the grand review, and went up to the further end to the last encampments. Saw the famous Benjamins regular battery & several others & a New Jersey (25) Regt out drilling & miserably enough too. It is one of the new 9 mos. organizations, the same one which Charlie men - tioned being in front of them in the streets of Fredericks - burg. Also I saw a quantity of company drills and heard the 3d Brig. -Band (13 N.H.) which was the one Charlie mentioned serenading Maj. Crosby that night that the 8th brought out the Dutchess in honor of col. Harland. Also the wrecks of the congress & Cumberland & the Minnesota, Carolina, & the monitor. Charlie is just getting ready for Dress Parade & so I must stop. Evening 7 1/2 P.M. Charlie has gone into the "school", for the officers to recite their tactics, and so at present I am "keeping house" alone. So I will pass away the time very pleasantly in telling you something of all the scenes which interest me so much. But first - let me tell you. - The day before I came Gen. Burnside's horse and baggage came here, his old 32 year horse which he used in Mexico, and now is spryer & will jump high fences better than many a horse of a quarter of his age. So the general is daily expected and when he comes they all think of course there will be another grand review to which plan of course I am very much aware. I think the plan which C. Johnson mentions for the 9th corps to stay here as a corps of ob-servation would meet with general favor. As I lie here on the bed, with my slippers in true "obitum cum -" style; & a good warm fire to comfort me. I hear the men all about singing and laughing away as if they were very happy, and they are. All through the day (the tattoo is just beating, but very early it seems to me, not yet Eight) they are playing balls, shoving each other and laughing & shouting as they could not do if they were much unhappy The officers say there is the greatest change noticible in that respect, Asince the time they were at Fredericksburg. There they were sober and silent with no games or amusements to relieve the monotony of camp life. Now the case is entirely different. The officers are all very pleasant & kind, what I have seen of them. Capt. Goodrich I like best of any of them. He calls me George, the same as Charlie. He, Capt. smith, "Dad" weed, Charlie & myself constitute "our mess". I like Capt Smith &c so what I have seen of him which is only at at meals. I dont see where he keeps himself at other times. He appears very well on parade. Both he & Goodrich look vastly better in flesh & blood than they do on pasteboard. Capts. Smith & Hoyt each keep a horse. Capt. Hoyt I also like very much, He is often dropping in to make Charlie a call & is very pleasant. He told Chas this morning that he (Chas) & I must get a couple of horses and ride up the river and about the different camps & show your brother about and added that his horse was at our disposal. And said that Chas. must take me over to some of the vessels, iron clads &c lying in the stream. said just any of the officers of the vessels, he was from the 8th cv & they would very likely send a boat for us. I just mention these to show how he seems to want to be close. I like Charlie & Thompson wants to make my visit agreeable. In fact I like them above all. I saw John Beck -with the afternoon I came, early & gave him the letter. He was looking very well, not only good health but bright & happy. Charlie says he is acting corporal at present. I also met Lt. Jos. Nickerson as I was passing through the camp of the 11th to day He was officer of the Day & wanted me to come down to morrow when he will consequently be relieved from duty. Charlie espects to be out as Brigade officer of the day, consequently cant go at night but has the most of the day to himself. The Band has come so I will close at once. Good night wish you were here & want to write soon Your loving Son & Br Geo D Coit.