er to Chincapin Ridge, where Captain J. A.
J. Brooks, Acting Master's Mate O'Neill, and myself, with two crews of
men, fourteen in number, went ashore and marched three miles into the
country, through pines and cypresses. Along the road we put up a mark
on a tree and fired at it; and although I was not an expert marksman, I
put a ball nearest the mark. We finally came to a house occupied by a
man and his wife and their children, who were very poor. The house was
illy furnished, and had only one apartment. The appearance of it,
inside or outside, was not very inviting. Captain J. A. J. Brooks asked
the man whether he could provide dinner for the party. He demurred at
first, but finally agreed to provide such a dinner as the viands in the
house would permit of. All the party were very hungry, and were glad to
have the opportunity of sitting down to any sort of a dinner. The woman
went to work to cook a dinner. In the meantime, the officers, men, and
host, employed themselves in shooting at a mark. During this time the
host told us the war had been a benefit to him, in so far as it had
made a temperance man of him. Before the war, he said, he had been an
immoderate drinker of intoxicating liquors, but now he was temperate
from necessity, as he could get nothing stronger than water to drink.
Dinner was soon announced. It was set on a table about two feet square,
without a tablecloth. Our dinner consisted of bacon, corn bread, and
coffee made from corn. Only four could be seated at the same time
around the table, consequently there were five successive tables
served, occupying altogether about two hours in eating. We all enjoyed
the dinner, as we were very hungry from traveling through the pines.
After remunerating our host in a substantial way and thanking him for
his hospitality, we returned to the vessel.

Tuesday, February 28.--The Valley City got under weigh at 9 a.m., and
arrived at Roanoke Island at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, at 7 p.m.,
we weighed anchor and proceeded to Plymouth. At 10 p.m., we got aground
near Croatan Sound. Thursday, March 2, at 5-1/2 o'clock a.m., we got
under weigh and proceeded to Plymouth, where we arrived at 2 p.m. We
brought with us as passengers Messrs. Douglass and Winslow, from
Roanoke Island.

Saturday, March 4, at 11 a.m., we proceeded to the mouth of Roanoke
river, for the purpose of towing a coal schooner to Plymouth. We
arrived at Plymouth at 3-1/2 p.m. The weather has been very w