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

Feb. 10th. Still aground; at two P. M., succeeded in getting off by the assistance of two river tugboats which had been sent to our assistance; in the meantime the steamer Che Kiang had been sent down the river with despatches for the Admiral to return to the city. Just as we got nicely over the bar, the despatches were brought on board; the ship was immediately turned around, and back we started again, and in attempting to cross the bar the second time we grounded; the tugboats fastened to us again the Che Kiang hitched on, and with considerable difficulty we succeeded in getting over. If we had not been so unfortunate as to run our ship’s nose into the mud in our first attempt at crossing the bar, the Che Kiang, in my opinion, would have had a fine time in overhauling us, and at the same time we might have enjoyed a fine sea breeze.