very
much crowded.

Between ten and eleven o'clock the night of the 11th, amid a furore of
signals, whistles, ringing of bells, etc., we left Hampton Roads and
headed out to sea. I had turned in when we started but soon realized that
we had left the placid waters of Chesapeake Bay, and that the good ship
"Northerner" was plowing its way through the waves of the open ocean.

It was midwinter. The wind was blowing strongly; the ship rolled and
plunged and as I lay in my bunk I soon became aware that many of the boys
were sea-sick. I felt a little peculiar myself, but decided the best thing
for me to do was to lie right still in my bunk. I soon went to sleep and
slept until morning. As soon as I got up I was sick, too. I ate no
breakfast and was sick most of the forenoon, but during the afternoon my
stomach became settled and during the rest of the voyage I was able to eat
and was as well as usual.

The next day our destination was revealed. We were bound for Hatteras
Inlet and the North Carolina coast. The cape, a narrow belt of sand, came
into view. The waves breaking on the sand made a white line all along the
cape and we could hear the roar of the breaking waves. The forts at the
inlet that looked like two piles of earth could be distinguished but the
sea was too rough to attempt to enter the inlet so we anchored in a
sheltered place and waited until the next day when the wind and sea having
quieted down we were able to pass safely through the inlet.

Cape Hatteras is known to mariners as a rough, stormy place. The wind
blows almost a gale there nearly all the time. We were thus heartily glad
when we found ourselves safely inside the inlet. Our ship was among the
first to arrive inside; for many days ships of the squadron continued to
come in.

This was the first trip on the ocean for many of us, but while it was very
rough and fraught with exposure and danger, the spirit of adventure was so
strong among the boys that on the whole it was welcome experience.

After we arrived in harbor we learned that the captain of the ship was
found dead drunk, by General Reno, the night of the 12th, at the very most
critical time when we were approaching the inlet. He was put under arrest
and command of the ship was turned over to the first mate. The captain
intended to run into the inlet that night, which would have been a very
perilous thing to attempt.

Just before running into the inlet we witnessed a new and weird
cerem