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

May 5th. Commences with a sky overcast and cloudy, and thunder and lightning, precursors of a storm; finished repairing Albatross’s wheel broken in action of 4th inst.; at three A. M., at daylight, sent a party on shore to dig a grave; at five fifteen sent the body of Mr. Hamilton, pilot, on shore, in charge of Lieut. Watson, for interment; the grave was dug on the left bank of the river, a short distance below Col. Ackelon’s house; at eight A. M., got under way, and steamed down the river, Albatross and Sachem in company with us; at eleven o’clock saw a flat boat ahead crossing the river opposite Bayou Sara, having two hogsheads of sugar on board; called one gun’s crew to quarters, and fired the Sawyer rifle on forecastle ahead of same to bring it to, and sent the second cutter in charge of an officer and an armed crew to take it in tow; took her in tow, and brought her alongside of us and made her fast: received a white man and boy, and several negroes, prisoners from off the scow, on board; at eleven forty-five called all hands to bring ship to anchor; at twelve, noon, came to anchor five miles above Port Hudson; at one P. M., the Albatross and Sachem engaged shelling the woods on the point opposite Port Hudson, and in burning two frame buildings used by rebel pickets. Making signals from masthead to U. S. sloop-of-war Richmond, and receiving answers from her to same; paroled the two white prisoners; received no mail this time from lower fleet.