lies of the place--in fact, one of our
officers afterwards married an Edenton lady. Edenton was a sort of
neutral ground, at which the Federal officers and Confederate officers
often met. On August 31, the day was clear and cool. Nothing took place
of any note except a false alarm that the ram was coming down the
river, causing some excitement aboard the Valley City.

Thursday, September 1, 1864, the double-ender Shamrock came up from the
fleet. Last night some army gunboats took an armed body of men up the
Chowan river, to be landed and marched across to Plymouth for the
purpose of destroying the Albemarle. The project was not successful.
The day is cool and hazy. The double-ender Wyalusing came up from the
fleet during the night. The Albemarle ram is expected out to-night.

2d.--The ram did not make her appearance. The double-enders all went to
Edenton. The weather is pleasant.

On the 4th I went to Edenton and spent the afternoon at Mr. B.'s, and
made the acquaintance of his daughters. On the 6th, H. T. Wood,
paymaster's clerk, and myself, went aboard a tug, and were conveyed to
the United States steamer Shamrock, from whence we boarded the
Trumpeter, where Dr. P. H. Barton and myself held a medical survey upon
H. T. Wood, and sent him to the United States Naval Hospital at
Norfolk, Va. I accompanied him. We left the Shamrock at 7 o'clock p.m.,
in the Trumpeter, and anchored at 1 a.m., September 7th, and at 6
o'clock a.m. weighed anchor, and arrived at Roanoke Island at 8 a.m. We
left Roanoke Island at 1 p.m., and at 8 p.m. we changed to the Fawn,
and after steaming two hours anchored for the night. On the 8th we
weighed anchor at 5 a.m., and changed boats to the Undine at 11 a.m.,
and arrived at Norfolk at 1 p.m., when I immediately took H. T. Wood to
the hospital. I stopped at the National Hotel.

On the 9th I went to Quartermaster's office at Norfolk to procure
transportation to Roanoke Island, but I was a half hour too late, the
boat Undine having left at 8 o'clock a.m. At 5 p.m. I heard that the
Fawn, which had made connection with the Undine in the Dismal Swamp
Canal, and the boat I would have been aboard had I not been too late
for the Undine, was captured and burned by the Confederates. In the
evening I went to the theatre. I passed the time pleasantly at Norfolk
in viewing whatever there was of beauty and interest in the place. On
Sunday morning I attended service at the Episcopal church, and also in
the