ng day at 1 a.m.

Friday, March 31, at 3 o'clock, a.m., we left Newbern, with Commander
Macomb still aboard, and arrived at Roanoke Island at 5-3/4 p.m. At 7
p.m. we got under weigh, and proceeded as far as Croatan Sound, where
we got aground, and stuck fast till the following day, when at 12-1/2
a.m. we got afloat, and anchored till 5 a.m., when we proceeded to
Plymouth, where we arrived at 2 p.m. Commander Macomb went on board his
own ship, the Shamrock. At 4-1/2 p.m. we got under weigh, and proceeded
by way of Albemarle Sound and Chowan river to Winton, and then up
Meherrin river to Murfreesborough, N.C., in company with the U.S.
Steamers Shamrock, Wyalusing, and Hunchback. We dragged the Meherrin
river for torpedoes from Winton to Murfreesborough, but found none,
arriving at Murfreesborough on Monday, April 3, at 6:35 p.m.

Murfreesborough is a small, beautifully-located town, on a high plateau
of ground on the right bank of the Meherrin river, surrounded by woods.
There were two female seminaries in the place, one a Baptist, the other
a Methodist. The people were intelligent, but very much interested in
the success of the Confederacy. This place was opened up by the fleet
for the purpose of being a depot of supply for Sherman's army, and was
intended to be the next point of landing after Sherman left Raleigh. In
Murfreesborough there were about one thousand rebels, who gave us great
annoyance till they were finally captured by the 3d New York cavalry.

On the following Tuesday, April 4, Acting Ensign Milton Webster and
myself went ashore for the purpose of ascertaining the whereabouts of
Paymaster J. W. Sands, who had previously gone ashore. At a point
midway between the cliff of the river and the town, we met a colored
man who told us we had better be careful, as there were rebel cavalry
in the town. We then went away from the town in a line parallel with
the river, across a ravine which was at right angles with the river.
Just as we had crossed the ravine, we saw the rebel cavalry coming down
on the opposite side. We took to our heels and ran under fire till we
got to the woods, and thence to the fleet. When we arrived aboard the
Valley City, we found that Paymaster Sands had returned on board, and
had taken about the same route ashore as we had.

On Wednesday, April 5, the marines were put in line and marched into
the town under cover of the fleet; but as they marched in the rebels
marched out. Acting Ensign