through the wall of his bedroom, and carried off his
mosquito curtain in its transit.

Little knew we how soon these small entertainments would be over.
Colonel Montgomery had gone up the river with his two companies, perhaps
to remain permanently; and I was soon to follow. On Friday, March 27th,
I wrote home,--"The Burnside has gone to Beaufort for rations, and the
John Adams to Fernandina for coal; we expect both back by Sunday, and on
Monday I hope to get the regiment off to a point farther up,--Magnolia,
thirty-five miles, or Pilatka, seventy-five,--either of which would be a
good post for us. General Hunter is expected every day, and it is
strange he has not come." The very next day came an official order
recalling the whole expedition, and for the third time evacuating
Jacksonville.

A council of military and naval officers was at once called, (though
there was but one thing to be done,) and the latter were even more
disappointed and amazed than the former. This was especially the case
with the senior naval officer, Captain Steedman, a South-Carolinian by
birth, but who had proved himself as patriotic as he was courteous and
able, and whose presence and advice had been of the greatest value to
me. He and all of us felt keenly the wrongfulness of breaking the
pledges which we had been authorized to make to these people, and of
leaving them to the mercy of the Rebels once more. Most of the people
themselves took the same view, and eagerly begged to accompany us on our
departure. They were allowed to bring their clothing and furniture also,
and at once developed that insane mania for aged and valueless trumpery
which always seizes upon the human race, I believe, in moments of
danger. With the greatest difficulty we selected between the essential
and the non-essential, and our few transports were at length loaded to
the very water's edge on the morning of March 29th,--Colonel Montgomery
having by this time returned from up-river, with sixteen prisoners, and
the fruits of foraging in plenty.

And upon that last morning occurred an act on the part of some of the
garrison, most deeply to be regretted, and not to be excused by the
natural indignation at their recall,--an act which, through the
unfortunate eloquence of one newspaper correspondent, rang through the
nation--the attempt to burn the town. I fortunately need not dwell much
upon it, as I was not at the time in command of the post,--as the white
soldiers fran