Baltimore Wednesday mar 18. Dear Both, Last night on my return from Washington I found a letter from Charlie which I enclose. Also contain-ing one from both of you date of mar 11 a week ago to-day, by which I should judge that you espected letters by every mail. Now I think I have been very good about writing letters. First one from Brooklyn then Baltimore. Then two or three from Newport News, then one from Baltimore & now another. Isn't six (or seven) letters in thirteen days pretty constant correspondence. I leave here to-morrow morning at 8.30 A.M. and espect to stop at Philadelphia half a day or so just to see what sort of a place it is & reach Brooklyn to-morrow evening. That is what I shall try to do. Though don't be alarmed if I stay in N.Haven or N.York till Monday. I am really very sorry to leave Baltimore. I have had such a pleasant visit here. went up the monument & saw the Peabody Institute with Dr. Elisha this A.M. Yesterday was in Washington & saw more mud & shoulder straps than I could imagine before. went over the capitol, President's House, Treasury Department, Smithonian Institute, willards, &c and had a good time generally - You will not probably hear from me again until I have the extreme felicity of addressing you in person at our dear old Home. Aff Son & Bro Geo. D. Coit Going to James to tea with all the Perkinses & Julia Pratt Camp pf 8th Rg C.V. Suffolk Va, mar. 18. Dear All, Although I did not write George to come on again from Baltimore still I have been hoping & rather expecting he would. when I wrote him the day after we arrived, we thought it quite probable that we should be ordered back to N. News immediately & many think so still. How I do regret that I sent him away as I did. Almost all the officers said let him go with us but as it was rumored that we were going on to repell an expected attack. I - could not - have him go. Now that we are here we find every thing quiet, officers wives with them &c & I can hardly forgive myself that I did not bring him along. The moving of course was unpleasant, we were up all one night & cold, but as a whole I think he would have enjoyed even that part of it as it would have been all new & been another experience. He could also have seen a little of Norfolk & all he would wish to of Suffolk. It's a muddy place & _nothing but the close proximity of the Dismal swamp to render it attractive_ That one of the sights Geo. would have witnessed had he been with us as the rail-road crofses it. As we saw the swamp from the cars it was simply a dense wood. the groud seemed solid enough - my idea of it has always been quite different I expected patches of trees & pools of water and all the ground marshy. I do wish Geo. was here to night. The three days were so short & I expected so much more. I am roasting an apple in the stove & he might have half. Recd a letter from cousin Lemuel a few days ago - He says "Geo. wants to go to war very much & I'm in hopes Genl Casey will give him a situation." - also that Deacon Job Williams is dead & also that there is a possibility of his filling the old place. A Providence man has asked his price & he has stated it. The matter is not determined as yet. I will send you the letter if I ever make out to answer it. A reconnoitering force of artillery & Cav from this command had quite a skirmish yesterday out near the Blackwater. Ours was probably the largest loss. we hear to day that major Genl John G. Parke our division commander in No. Carolina has been assigned to command of the 9th Corps & that - Genl Burnside - commands the department. Hope it may all prove true & also that charley Johnson's idea of the 9th beibg stationed at Newport News as a corps of observation may be realized. - little hope of the latter I imagine. Recd to day yours of the 14th inst. writ ten chiefly to George - if he was only here to read it. I suppose he will be home about the time you receive this. I walked down to the town to day for the first time. It is not a particularly attractive place. The streets are terribly muddy so that pedestrians a large portion of the time walk inside the fences along the edge of the gardens & yards. There are two or three churches, very plain & small, two taverns, & a large number of stores kept by sutlers. Did not see a fire building or a fire place in the town and I walked from one end of it to the banks of the Nansemond, the other extreme. The troops - i.e. infantry troops - that I have seen since we arrived are the poorest fighting material if I am any judge, that we have ever come in con-tact with. All I have seen are either conscripts or Corcoran's Legion. Deliver me from such a legion as that. It's a cold rainy night. I ought to be thankful for my nice new tent & warm stove I sit all alone writing you & I can think of nothing but George. I have had the blues & the dumps ever since he left. Good night dear all Your aff son & bro Chas [top margin first page] This place is strongly fortified. we have built forts on every side.