July 10th. At six o’clock this morning we hove up anchor, got under way, and steamed up to the batteries at Port Hudson, the Albatross in company with us. Came to anchor off same; hove up anchor and shifted our berth on account of eddies; some of our officers left the ship to visit the place which had lately gained so much notoriety; at eleven thirty Major-General Banks visited the ship, and at twelve forty-five left same to go ashore; the blue jackets manned the rigging and gave him three cheers, which he acknowledged by uncovering his head and politely bowing; at one o’clock got under way again and started down the river. When a short distance below Port Hudson passed and spoke the gunboat Winona coming up; she stated that she had despatches from the Admiral for Commodore Palmer and Capt. Jenkins of the U. S. steam sloop-of-war Richmond. We told her to come within hail, but since she did not seem to hear us, still keeping on her course, we sent the Albatross up after her to get the despatches for first-named party. We continued on our way down the Mississippi; at five thirty came to anchor off Baton Rouge.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton
July 9th. At one A. M., received despatches from General Banks, and half an hour afterwards ordered the transports to get under way and report at Mount Pleasant Landing. Colonel Smith came on board, a bearer of despatches form General Banks, with orders to report for passage to Vicksburg. At three thirty A. M. the transports went down the river; at four thirty our Paymaster went below, in steamer Bee, for stores; at eight thirty called all to up anchor, and never before, during the Hartford’s cruise, was the anchor hove up by the boys with such a will and light hearts, or in a shorter period. The reader may here ask what was the stimulant administered to produce all this? In a few words I will tell him. The lads had been made to believe that the ship had been ordered home, and would leave New Orleans for the North very soon after she should arrive at that point, and general liberty had been given them; also there was another thing which made them light at heart: it was, that Port Hudson and Vicksburg had fallen, leaving the Mississippi clear from the Gulf to Cincinnati and St. Louis, and they had been in part instrumental in bringing about this work and felt proud of it. At nine A. M., came to anchor above Port Hudson batteries on account of some part of our machinery getting heated; at ten o’clock got under way again and stood down past Port Hudson; at ten ten the army firing a salute when the American flag was raised over the place; at ten forty-five came to anchor below Port Hudson; the gunboat Albatross accompanied us down; made signal to Richmond and New London at anchor here; finished taking provisions from steamer Bee on board during the afternoon; at seven thirty P. M., the steamer Laurel Hill passed down loaded with troops; at ten o’clock the transports St. Maurice, Empire Parish, Union, St. Charles, General Banks, and Louisiana Bell passed down the river with troops.
July 8th. At eight o’clock in the morning an orderly from General Banks’s headquarters came on board, bringing despatches for the Commodore. Very soon after he had left the ship we started fires and got up steam, as did also all the gunboats and army transports around us. Between the hours of four and six P. M., heavy squalls of wind and rain came up from the northward and westward, accompanied with thunder and lightning. At six thirty, received the news of General Gardner, C. S. A. at Port Hudson, having surrendered to Major-General Banks, U. S. A., “in rear of same.” The event occurred at two o’clock of this day, and was received with great joy. From six to eight o’clock, the army forces at Port Hudson signalized to us, we answering their signals.
July 7th. The miniature army steamer Bee (General Banks’s despatch boat,) came down from Bayou Sara, at 12 o’clock midnight, bringing the cheering news of the fall of Vicksburg, which she had previously received from the steamer Gen. Sterling Price, just arrived from Vicksburg, and now lying aground off Point Coupée, opposite Bayou Sara. General Pemberton of the C. S. A., in command of the forces at Vicksburg, surrendered that city to General U. S. Grant (or, as he is more familiarly known, “Unconditional Surrender Grant”), in command of the Union forces, at ten o’clock on the morning of the glorious Fourth of July. An armistice between both armies had taken place on the evening previous. At eight A. M., steamers Gen. Price and Empire Parish came down the river—the former with despatches and a mail for us. Lieutenant Watson started for General Banks’s headquarters, and Ensign Hazeltine for the lower fleet, with the news of the surrender of Vicksburg. From twelve noon until one thirty P. M., heavy cannonading at Port Hudson, on the left and right wings of the army; between the hours of five and six o’clock, the steamer General Price, with our mail on board, left for Vicksburg.
August 6th. At nine A. M. made all sail; sent aloft the royals and set them; practiced ship’s company at general quarters, without powder; made Cape Florida light; four sails reported in sight during watch; saw a large steamer standing to the southward.
July 6th. At nine in the morning inspected crew at quarters. Ship’s company engaged in repairing fore and main standing-rigging, which has been shot away in action. Between the hours of four and six in the afternoon, U. S. naval batteries were engaged with the enemy at Port Hudson. From eight o’clock till twelve midnight, heavy squalls of wind and rain, accompanied with thunder and lightning. All quiet at Port Hudson at this hour.
July 5th. At ten A. M., ship and crew inspected by the Commodore. Performed Divine service on the quarter-deck. Occasional firing at Port Hudson all this day.
July 4th. This is the eighty-seventh anniversary of our national independence–a day dear to every true American heart on account of the event it commemorates; but since no salute has been fired by us in honor of the day, and Jack looks rather crest-fallen in the phiz on that account, still we have far more and greater reasons for being of the opposite cast of countenance than we had one year ago to-day. Let us look back into the past, as long ago as a twelvemonth since, and see what was our situation and condition then, and what our prospects of success in struggles about to take place for the supremacy of our arms. By reference to the author’s remarks of what occurred on the Fourth of July, 1862, one year ago to-day, you will please note the fact that Vicksburg, although having withstood, about three weeks since, a terrific naval bombardment from our vessels, still defied our powers. Now the tables are turned; General Grant, in command of U. S. forces, has invested the place and cut off supplies reaching same for the rebel army by railroad from Jackson, Miss., and a surrender of this rebel stronghold is looked for at an early day; in fact, I must say it was not Grant, even Unconditional Surrender Grant, or any other general, who has been mainly instrumental in bringing about this condition of things, although he has performed, as I have before stated, no mean part in the programme of action, but this ship, under the superintendence of Admiral Farragut, by taking the lead of the fleet in the experiment of running the rebel batteries of Port Hudson, on the ever-to-be-remembered night of the 14th March last, and by the mercy of Almighty God, being fortunate enough to pass safely through that fiery ordeal with so little loss of life, with a gunboat (tender) lashed to her port side; also a few days afterwards, another battery of the enemy at Grand Gulf on our way up the river to Warrenton, to have communication with Major-General Grant and Acting Rear Admiral Porter, and again on our return, permitted to repass the above-mentioned battery at Grand Gulf with little loss of life and injury to ship, arriving off the mouth of Red river, which it had been previously decided upon we should blockade for the purpose of cutting off supplies from being transported by rebel steamers out of this stream to the rebel army at Port Hudson and Vicksburg, and aiding General Banks with his forces coming round from New Orleans by way of Berwick’s Bay. Alexandria, and Atchafalaya river to get in rear of Port Hudson. While Admiral Farragut has rigidly enforced the blackade of the mouth of Red river, commenced by him with but two vessels, the Hartford and Albatross soon after the passage of the rebel fortifications at Port Hudson, cutting off relief from Texas reaching them by transportation down and out of this channel, or that of their fellows at Port Hudson, and starvation is now staring them in the face, making and early surrender of both places highly probable.
July 3d. At seven A. M., sent some ammunition ashore to our naval battery; at ten thirty, Mr. Jas. B. Kimball, chief-engineer, left the ship, being detached and ordered North; at three P. M., steamer Bee came down from Bayou Sara and communicated with us. Firing in rear of Port Hudson still going on.
June 30th. At eight in the morning the steamer St. Maurice came down the river with a load of contrabands,—men, women and children,—which she got off of some plantation near Red river. Brisk artillery and musketry firing heard in rear of Port Hudson all this day. At three thirty in the afternoon received a mail on board from the lower fleet.
