May 26th. Commences with pleasant weather, and only to find us engaged in shelling the woods around Port Hudson, which proved a big scare to the rebels, so much so that they deserted two fine river steamers they had concealed among the bushes upon what is called (it is a small stream) Thompson’s Creek, and [...]
May 25th. Commences with pleasant but warm weather. From four to eight A. M. heard musketry-firing in rear of Port Hudson. This morning Lieut. Watson went across the point to communicate with lower fleet; at eleven A. M. steamer Bee came down the river and communicated with us. Received on board three more rebel prisoners [...]
May 24th. Commences with pleasant weather. Light winds from S. E. Transports in sight coming down the river, and cavalry and infantry landing at the levee at Bayou Sara from four to eight A. M.; at eight thirty A. M. hove up anchor, got under way and steamed down the river; at nine thirty A. [...]
May 23d. Commences with pleasant weather. Two steamers came down the river about two o’clock this A. M., at three o’clock this morning, the mortar schooners below, opened a heavy fire on the batteries at Port Hudson. Between the hours of four and eight A. M. a steamer loaded with cavalry went alongside of the [...]
May 21st. Firing was heard before daylight, down the river; at nine A. M. the steamer Gen. Sterling Price got under way and went up the Mississippi river; at nine A. M. as usual, inspected the crew at quarters. Commodore James S. Palmer went up Red river in steam gunboat Sachem; at two P. M., [...]
May 20th. Another pleasant day dawns upon a sleeping world; at seven thirty A. M. finished coaling ship; have been engaged at it since yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon, and working all night received some seventy-three or seventy-five tons on board; at ten thirty A. M. the U. S. steam ram Gen. Price [...]
May 19th. Commences with clear and pleasant weather. Heard firing from twelve, midnight, to one A. M., in the direction of Port Hudson. From four o’clock until eight this morning, fresh easterly breezes; at five thirty A. M. steamer Price got under way and went up Red river, at twelve noon, the river steamer Empire [...]
May 18th. At nine twenty A. M. the Sachem came down and out of Red river, and anchored ahead of us. The Albatross got under way and went down the Mississippi river. Saw the smoke of a steamer up Red river; at twelve, noon, the ram Switzerland came out of Red river, and communicated with [...]
May 17th. Commences with calm, warm weather; at ten A. M. inspected ship and crew; and at ten thirty A. M. called all hands to muster, and performed Divine service on the quarter-deck; at four thirty P. M. the Albatross came down the Mississippi with a coal barge in tow, and anchored ahead of us. [...]
May 16th. Commences with light southerly breezes; at seven A. M. saw a wreck floating down, and sent the gunboat Sachem to see what it was; at nine A. M. inspected crew at quarters. The supposed wreck proved to be a snag; at 10 A.M., Commodore Palmer, and his clerk Nathaniel P. S. Thomas, also [...]
May 15th. At eight forty A. M. the iron-clad Lafayette made her appearance, coming down Red river; she soon came out of same into the great Mississippi, and communicated with us. Between the hours of twelve and four o’clock P. M., picked up out of the Mississippi, which came down from above, supposed to have [...]
May 14th. Commences, “for a change,” with stormy weather, squalls of rain, and continued so during forenoon of this day; at seven A. M. the despatch steamer L. A. Sykes came out of Red River, direct from Alexandria, and made fast alongside of us, bringing despatches from Gen. Banks to Commodore Palmer; also the gunboat [...]
May 13th. Commences with pleasant weather; firing commenced between the hours of one and two o’clock this morning, and continued up to three o’clock; it was heard to the southward; at daylight the gunboat Benton, with the General Price and tug Ivy, got under way and steamed up the river; at 10 o’clock a steam [...]
May 12th. This morning, at 1 o’clock, heard heavy firing down the river in the neighborhood of Port Hudson, which ceased in twenty minutes afterwards; at five forty -five steamer L. A. Sykes arrived from Alexandria, and at six thirty steamed back up Red river again; finished tricing the logs upon port side of ship; [...]
May 11th. Is ushered upon us with pleasant weather, and light breezes from south-east. From noon to 1 o’clock, A. M., heavy firing heard down the river; at five fifty U. S. steamer Estrella came down Red river from Alexandria, with despatches to Commodore Palmer; at six forty-five the Albatross got under way and stood [...]
May 10th. Commenced with pleasant and clear weather, which continued until six fifteen; at ten A. M., called all hands to muster, and read a general order from Rear-Admiral D. G. Farragut, after which performed Divine service; nothing more worthy of note occurred during the remainder of this day, except it be that firing of [...]
May 8th. Lying to an anchor in the Mississippi off the mouth of Red river; all quiet on the “Father of Waters,” up to four A. M., when a scene of great excitement occurred on board of the Flag-ship Hartford. The reader may ask what was the cause of it? Was the enemy near? No; [...]
May 7th. Commences with pleasant weather; at six forty-five A. M., sent the Albatross down the river in search of the Sachem; at 9 A. M., inspected crew at quarters; at two P. M., the Albatross came up the river and made fast inshore ahead of us; at two forty P. M., the Sachem came [...]
May 6th. Commences with clear and pleasant weather, and light breezes from the northward and westward; at six thirty-five A. M., the steamer Sachem got under way and steamed up the river, exchanging signals with lower fleet from mast-head; at eight forty-five called all hands up anchor, got under way, and proceeded up the river; [...]
May 5th. Commences with a sky overcast and cloudy, and thunder and lightning, precursors of a storm; finished repairing Albatross’s wheel broken in action of 4th inst.; at three A. M., at daylight, sent a party on shore to dig a grave; at five fifteen sent the body of Mr. Hamilton, pilot, on shore, in [...]
May 4th. Commences with clear and pleasant weather; at one-thirty A. M., lights reported coming down the Mississippi river; the rattle was sprung, calling crew to quarters; soon however, signals were exchanged between us and the approaching vessels, each vessel making her number by means of displaying different colored lights, by means of which we [...]
May 3d. Commences with clear and pleasant weather; inspected crew at quarters, and performed Divine service at ten o’clock, this morning, on quarter-deck. While at service the gunboats Albatross, Estrella, and Arizona got under way and started up Red river on a reconnoissance,—the little Albatross taking the lead.
May 2d. Commences with clear and pleasant weather. Nothing occurred worthy of mention during nearly the entire day, the regular routine of naval discipline being gone through with on this day as upon all other days; at eight thirty o’clock, P. M., lights seen up Red River and reported from lookouts at mast-head; beat to [...]
May 1st. The first day of May commences with clear and pleasant weather. This afternoon the Admiral despatched the ram Switzerland up the river as far as Grand Gulf, for news of what was going on in that quarter. At nine o’clock this evening, a rocket was reported as seen sent up Red River, and [...]
April 30th. We have information, through Col. Ackelon, I believe, that a battle has been fought to-day at Grand Gulf, between our naval forces under Rear-Admiral Porter, and the rebels, in which we lost one of our gunboats, but were successful in driving the enemy out of some of their batteries and silencing some of [...]