Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford–Wm. C. Holton

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 Parish, “direct from New Orleans,” came out of Red river with a coal schooner in tow, and brought same alongside of us; at one P. M. the Empire Parish returned up Red river; and the crew employed coaling ship remainder of the day. Received fresh beef on board.

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 us; at two P. M. the iron-clad Pittsburgh got under way and went down the Mississippi. Ram Switzerland went up Red river. A steamer reported coming down the Mississippi river; at five P. M. the ram Gen. Sterling Price, arrived from Vicksburg; at nine thirty P. M. ram Switzerland returned from a reconnoissance up Red river, having nothing, though, to report, and anchored ahead of us.

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. She had been up to Grand Gulf. The Sachem got under way and went up Red river. Light breezes from the northward and westward.

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 the Paymaster, Mr. Wm. F. Meredith, left the ship to go on board of the steamer Sachem. Sachem got under way, and steamed up Red river. Between the hours of eight and twelve (midnight), firing was heard down the river, inland, in the direction of Port Hudson.

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 been thrown overboard by some gunboat steamer, sixteen bales of cotton, in the production of which Dixie is famous.

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 Sachem arrived; at seven thirty the Sykes got under way and went up Red river. This is a fine and fast little steamer, and is of great service to us; at six forty five P. M. the U. S. steamer Arizona came down and out of Red River, with Brig.-Gen. Dwight as a passenger, on his way to Grand Gulf to take command of some of Gen. Banks’s forces there. He came on board and paid his respects to Commodore Palmer. Let me here remark that this gentleman and soldier but a short time since had a brother killed near Alexandria by some guerrillas, while in the performance of his duty, whose loss he feels very much. He was a Captain in the army, and at the time he was killed was carrying despatches from Gen. Banks to some part of his command, and was mounted, but unarmed; at seven P. M. the Arizona steamed on her way up the river, bound to Grand Gulf. Nothing more of importance occurred during the remainder of these twenty-four hours.

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 tug came down and out of Red river alongside of us, with despatches for Rear-Admiral D. D. Porter; gave her some coal; at two P. M., after finished coaling, the tug got under way and steamed up the Mississippi river in chase of the flag-ship Benton, and I think she was not long in overhauling this slow, cumbersome, and ungainly specimen of river craft. This afternoon the Albatross got under way and steamed up Red river; at six o’clock Albatross returned from her foraging trip up Red river; received from her a quantity of fresh beef.

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; at 3 P. M., the steamer General Price came down Red river; light, easterly breezes; at four twenty the ironclad gunboat Pittsburgh, from Black river, came down and anchored ahead of us; ten of our men, volunteers who went on the expedition up Red river on board of her, returned to this ship with bag and hammock; at seven thirty-five the iron-clad Benton, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Porter’s fleet, came down and out of Red river also; sent steam tug Ivy for our men, some twenty in number, detached on board of her for above referred-to expedition; the lads returned in good spirits, having had a pleasant trip to Alexandria and back, which place is now occupied by General Banks’s forces, and has the glorious stars and stripes once more flung to the breeze, whose colors the inhabitants are thrice glad to see once more. The boats did not come across the enemy during their absence. Many of the beautiful plantations of noted secessionists on Red river, left in charge of overseers, furnished the boys plenty of good food, such as chickens, turkeys, eggs, &c., and greatly did they enjoy this change of fodder from hard bread and salt horse.

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 up the river; sent our pilot, Mr. Carroll, on board of her; at nine o’clock inspected crew at quarters, employed placing logs on port side of ship to protect the boilers and machinery against assaults from the enemy’s rams or iron-clad boats; Albatross came down the river and anchored in her old berth; at noon, a tug came down from upper fleet, Porter’s, with despatches and a mail; at one P. M., the gunboat Estrella got under way and entered the mouth of Red river on her return to Alexandria; at one thirty the tug-boat followed her, steaming away very fast; at three o’clock the steam tug and tender to the ship Benton came down and out of Red river, having Rear-Admiral Porter on board, and came alongside of us; Admiral Porter came on board of us and communicated with the Commodore. These are all the important occurrences of this day, also all the arrivals and departures of vessels at this station.