[Diary] February 25.
Rosie, Will, Mr. and Mrs. Philbrick, Charles Ware, Ellen, Nelly, and I rode to the ferry, took the Bythewood and crew and rowed down to Camp Saxton, taking Quaker back to his regiment and getting him excused for absence without leave. When we arrived, Colonel Higginson was just drilling his men. Had a nice long talk with him, and with Colonel Montgomery, of Kansas, who walked with Ellen and me to the cypress swamp. Colonel Montgomery seems to me like a fiery westerner, full of fight and with sufficient confidence in himself. He told us about how he had been sent by General Hunter or General Saxton to recruit in Florida, and how he was ill-treated and scowled at by the officers of the steamer he was in. He wanted to have his men landed at Smith’s plantation, but the captain of the boat ignored his request and kept on up to Beaufort. Meantime, General Hunter and General Saxton had both gone to Smith’s to see the new men. When the steamer went past they were astonished, and General Saxton rode up to Beaufort to see why it was so. When he learned the reason, he put the steamer under Colonel Montgomery’s orders, and the reluctant officers had to obey him whom they had so slighted.
Rowed home by moonlight.
