May 13th. We have been lying here several days coaling ship, &c., while our officers have been going ashore both on business and pleasure. This afternoon two steamers arrived from New Orleans loaded with troops for this place; they landed, and after parading the streets for a couple of hours returned to their boats for the night.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton
May 9th. Arrived at Baton Rouge in the afternoon, where we found the Brooklyn and Iroquois. This city is the capital of Louisiana, and a very pleasant place, with some four or five thousand inhabitants. The capitol is a beautiful building; also an asylum for the insane. There are also here the state prison and U. S. Arsenal. The city is elevated some twenty feet above the river, and the buildings roofed with slate.
May 8th. Weighed anchor early and proceeded up the river. The same succession of beauties met the eye at every turn. In the afternoon met a gunboat from Vicksburg with news from our vessels at that place.
May 7th. We weighed anchor this afternoon for up the river, and stopped for the night at a plantation some ten miles above Carrollton and twenty above the city. The scenery along here is perfectly beautiful, reminding one of pleasant scenes at home.
May 3d. A serious accident occurred this evening, resulting in wounding more than twenty men. The men were heaving up anchor when the ship swung off with the current, bringing up on the cable with such violence as to whirl the men from the bars, breaking the pawls of the capstan, and the bars throwing the men in all directions. The injuries were one dislocated shoulder, one fractured fore-arm, one do. finger, one do. skull, one do. jaw, and many jammed, bruised and bleeding.
May 2d. In the midst of the excitement the U. S. steam transport Rhode Island came in with a large mail, which gladdened many a heart as they read letters from friends at home. This afternoon a collision took place between the Brooklyn and a gunboat, the latter drifting afoul of the former, when she dragged her anchor and both dropped down the stream; after going half a mile they were disengaged with the loss of the gunboat’s smoke pipe, foremast and quarter boat.
May 1st. To-day General Butler’s troops arrived to the number of some three thousand, in various craft: first came the Mississippi, a large screw steamer, literally so thronged with soldiers that they were hanging to the jibboom and almost every other conceivable part of the ship; after her the Miami; then a large ship and the river steamer Diana, all well filled with soldiers, and as they passed our ships cheer upon cheer rent the air, while a band discoursed music to us.
April 30th. At 2 P. M., a steamer came up and landed the prisoners from the forts. This day, between the hours of ten and twelve o’clock, the carpenter of the fleet held a survey on this ship, and reported her not seaworthy, on account of a shot under her starboard counter.
April 29th. We have been lying quietly at our anchorage here for two or three days, negotiating about the city and its flag and transfer. The river is alive with steamers which our people have taken possession of, and are gliding about seemingly practicing for duty by-and-by; among others, a fine steamer, the Tennessee, has been taken possession of and will doubtless prove quite a prize for us. The rebel gunboat McRae came up from the forts with a flag of truce, asking permission to bury her dead, but instead, watched her chance and scuttled her in deep water.
This morning a gunboat from the forts brought the pleasing intelligence that Forts Jackson and St. Philip had both surrendered to our forces below, and that a powerful floating battery, mounting eighteen guns and covered with railroad iron, had been fired and drifted down the river and blown up. This intelligence called all hands into the rigging, and they gave three times three cheers for the Union. At nine o’clock A. M., the marines of the squadron, under the command of Capt. J. L. Broome, went ashore to hoist the flag, backed by the howitzers; they proceeded to the Custom House and gave the Star-Spangled Banner to the breeze; thence they went to the Council House and lowered the State flag and brought it aboard as a trophy. Crowds of people frequent the levee to gaze on the shipping from day to day.
At 6:30 A. M., Capt. Bailey brought word up from below, that both forts had surrendered, and the Stars and Stripes were waving over them. At 3 P. M., Mr. Osbon, Flag Lieutenant, left the ship to go on board the gunboat Cayuga; as he was leaving, gave him three cheers. Cayuga, Capt. Bailey in command, went down the river, bound North with dispatches. Manned the rigging, and cheered ship.
April 26th. The Mayor of the city has surrendered it to Flag-officer Farragut, and a battalion of marines, under Capt. J. L. Broome, went ashore to raise the Stars and Stripes, but were opposed by the citizens and returned to the ship. In the afternoon we went up to Carrollton and captured sixty or eighty guns without firing a shot, they having been deserted and the gun carriages destroyed.
