December 14th. Astounding intelligence reached us through a telegram to the Admiral, stating that Major General Banks, with his entire expedition, was on the river coming up to the city. The North Star came up to the lower part of the city and landed the General. General Banks comes to supersede Major General Butler in command of the Gulf Department, and will perhaps at this stage of affairs serve the interests of the Government better than Butler, who is much the harsher man, could. When General Butler first took charge of affairs here a strict, energetic man was needed,—one who would not hesitate an instant to punish severely the first act of insubordination. Butler was the man; but latterly this severity is uncalled for, and the public need a milder rule, and General Banks in my opinion is the better man for such.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton
November 19th. Since my last entry nothing has occurred worthy of note. This morning, at nine o’clock, we hoisted the Spanish flag at our fore, in honor of the Queen of Spain’s birthday.
November 13th. To-day the French Admiral came on board. Saluted him as he was leaving, with thirteen guns, which the French steamer returned.
November 11th. The Admiral left the ship to go on board the English sloop-of-war Rinaldo. At noon the Englishman manned yards for Rear Admiral Farragut.
November 10th. Everything quiet; weather clear and pleasant. This morning a mail steamer arrived from the North.
November 9th. Arrived off the city of New Orleans at noon, and came to anchor. Here we were saluted again by a French and an English man-of-war which were laying at anchor here. We are once more occupying our old position as the Flag Ship. As a matter of course all business for the fleet is transacted on board of this ship. As soon as we dropped our anchor the business began. All commanding officers attached to vessels lying here come on board to report to the Admiral. The city looks about as it did when we left, with one exception; there seems to be a little more business going on about the levees; there are also more vessels in port than when we left here.
November 8th. Came to anchor off South-West Pass at nine A. M. We were saluted with thirteen guns by a large French man-of-war which was lying to anchor at this place. We returned the salute. At three thirty P. M., Richmond got under way and attempted to cross the bar, but unfortunately she grounded; signalized for steamer Tennessee to assist in getting her over; after about two hours hard working they succeeded in passing over; in the meantime we got under way and steamed over the bar without any difficulty.
Again in the old Mississippi river. At six forty-five P. M., passed the steamer Potomac going down, bound for New York. At ten P. M., arrived at the forts; here a gun was fired as a signal for us to come to; after ascertaining who we were we were allowed to pass on. It will be remembered that on the eventful morning of April 24th, 1862, there was more than one gun fired at us as a signal for us to come to. Not deeming it expedient to stop, we continued on our course. Our conduct in this particular was considered by those occupying Forts Jackson and St. Philip at that time impudent and insulting in the extreme. Finding that we took no heed to the gun which they first fired, they immediately fired another, and another. Thinking therefore, that we had been very finely saluted, it was considered proper that we should return it, so accordingly, finding that our battery was in order and in fine trim, we paid our compliments to Mr. Secesh by giving them a few broadsides, making brick and mortar fly in all directions. Not liking our style altogether, the firing soon became general, and it was not long before it was ascertained that somebody was missing. However, continuing on our course we passed the quarantine grounds at eleven P. M. Having a very good pilot on board, we were able to run all night, reaching the city on the following morning.
November 7th. It is just two months and eighteen days since we first cast our anchor in Pensacola Bay. Up to the present time nothing has occurred worthy of note. It was the general impression on our arrival here that we came to Pensacola for the purpose of making every necessary preparation for an attack upon Mobile. All of the vessels attached to our fleet required more or less repairing, particularly the old Hartford, but now it seems the programme for the season is changed, and we are once more to pay our compliments to the old Mississippi river. Our Admiral has been informed by the commanding officer whom we left in the river to guard the city, that the rebels are building more batteries along the banks of the river some miles above the city. We are informed that they are strongly fortifying Port Hudson, which is one hundred and sixty-four miles above New Orleans, situated on high bluffs similar to Vicksburg. I sincerely hope that if we are called upon to do more fighting in this vicinity, as I presume we shall according to the aspect of things at present, then may we clean them out thoroughly.
Our ship is once more under way, bound for New Orleans. This morning at ten o’clock we weighed anchor, and started ahead, followed by the U. S. steam sloop Richmond, and U. S. transport Tennessee. Arrived off Mobile at six P. M., found the U. S. sloop of war Brooklyn at anchor here, which vessel has been lying here for some time, doing blockade duty. We came to here, while Capt. Bell of the Brooklyn came on board to report to the Admiral. At eight P. M., started ahead, shaped our course for South-West Pass, Mississippi.
August 27th. At six P. M., called all hands to muster, when Lieutenant Commander James S. Thornton transferred the command of this ship to Captain James S. Palmer, late of the Iroquois, which was the occasion of a few remarks from Capt. Palmer to the ship’s company. At nine P. M. Lieutenant Com. Thornton left the ship, to take command of the gunboat Winona.
We sailed August 13th from New Orleans, and reached Forts Jackson and St. Philip, where we remained over night, and received a salute for the Admiral. We got under way on the following morning, and proceeded to Pilot Town. We found several fine U. S. ships here, among them the U. S. ship Pampero, with which we slightly collided, doing little damage. We here took in our spare spars and rigging, which we had stripped off on entering the river, and also removed the chain cable from our ship’s side.
On the 16th we left for Ship Island, getting aground on the bar as we went out, and arrived off Ship Island on the same evening. We went into port on the following morning, and found lying here the U. S. frigate Potomac, and U. S. sloop-of-war Richmond. The Rhode Island arrived on the 19th, and we left the same day for Pensacola, via Mobile Bay. On arriving off Mobile we found on the blockade the U. S. frigate Susquehanna, with several gunboats. We received and returned a salute from the Susquehanna, and passed on to Pensacola. We arrived off the place in the evening, and went into the harbor on the following morning, and moored the ship off the Navy Yard.
