April 12th. Lying off mouth of Red River; at ten A. M. inspected ship and crew, and half an hour afterwards, performed Divine service on quarter-deck. Nothing more worthy of note occurred during the remainder of these twenty-four hours, except that at 10 o’clock P. M. a sudden alarm was given, caused by a lookout hearing a bell tolled on shore, and reported it to be that of a steamer coming out of Red River; the rattle was sprung, calling all hands to quarters. The men turned out of their hammocks, got them up on deck and stowed in the hammock nettings, and were at their guns, ready for action, in five minutes after the alarm was given. It proved to be a false alarm, and one watch went below and turned in on the soft side of a plank.
Cruise of the U.S. Flag-Ship Hartford – From the Personal Journal of Wm. C. Holton.
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