March 10th. At five thirty A. M. got under way; started ahead, steaming up the river. At nine A. M. beat to quarters, passed Donaldsonville; at this place a few companies of General Banks’s army were encamped. As our ship passed on, we were saluted by the soldiers on shore. At six P. M. brought ship to anchor off Manchac.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton
March 9th. At ten A. M. called all hands to up anchor. At ten forty-five A. M., got under way, steaming up the river, followed by the U. S. steam sloop-of-war Richmond and Monongahela; while steaming up the river, the men were employed in snaking down the rigging. At seven P. M. brought the ship to anchor for the night.
March 2nd. To-day we have been engaged in coaling ship.
March 1st. This morning, at ten thirty, had public worship on the quarter-deck, after which a general muster of the crew took place. Weather clear and pleasant.
Feb. 22d. We fired a salute to-day, of seventeen guns, in honor of the birth-day of Washington.
Feb. 17th. To-day the U. S. steamer Mississippi got under way with a schooner in tow and proceeded up the river.
Feb. 11th, nine thirty A. M. Arrived off the city and brought the ship to anchor.
Feb. 10th. Still aground; at two P. M., succeeded in getting off by the assistance of two river tugboats which had been sent to our assistance; in the meantime the steamer Che Kiang had been sent down the river with despatches for the Admiral to return to the city. Just as we got nicely over the bar, the despatches were brought on board; the ship was immediately turned around, and back we started again, and in attempting to cross the bar the second time we grounded; the tugboats fastened to us again the Che Kiang hitched on, and with considerable difficulty we succeeded in getting over. If we had not been so unfortunate as to run our ship’s nose into the mud in our first attempt at crossing the bar, the Che Kiang, in my opinion, would have had a fine time in overhauling us, and at the same time we might have enjoyed a fine sea breeze.
Pilot Town, Feb. 9th. We have been lying to anchor here for over two days, for the reason that there has not been sufficient depth of water on the bar to admit of our crossing. At eleven thirty A. M., pilot came on board and reported water enough. At noon, got under way and steamed down. Unfortunately for us, in attempting to cross the bar at South-West Pass we ran the ship hard aground.
Feb. 6th. Since my last entry nothing has occurred worthy of note. This morning at ten thirty all hands were called to up anchor; got under way and stood down the river; at seven P. M., came to anchor off Pilot Town.
