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

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.