ery pleasant. We were still out
of sight of land. Spying an English vessel, we ran up the Stars and
Stripes and they ran up their flag to let us know that all was right.
Some of the boys sang out, just for a little fun, that the old Rebel
gunboat Alabama was in sight.

December 12th we came in sight of the coast of Florida. We had seen the
trees and the snow white beach about all day. We also saw several
lighthouses. The porpoises and flying fish attracted a great deal of
attention and when a school came in sight, all eyes were turned upon
them.

December 13th. It has been very pleasant and there has been a smooth
sea, consequently we have had a very pleasant day's sail, with a cool
breeze. We have been out of sight of land all day, and we long to be on
shore once more. As we are so dove-tailed in, when we try to lie down
at night, we get very little sleep.

December 14th, Sunday. We were now in the Gulf of Mexico and there had
not been a living thing in sight all day. We had a sermon preached on
deck. The text was, "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord, thy God,
in vain."

December 15th. We arrived at Ship Island at noon and found about the
most God forsaken, miserable hole, man ever got into. The sand was
ankle deep everywhere. And such a lot of Negroes; shiftless, lazy dogs,
black as the ace of spades and twice as natural. But the little "nigs"
kill me outright, they looking so much like a lot of monkeys, I know of
nothing so comical. I could sit half the morning watching them and
hearing them jabber.

December 16th. We arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River. A
pilot came aboard and took us over the bar in the river in compliance
with the rules of navigation. We had a very pleasant day's sail coming
up the old Mississippi. We saw many half clad slaves on the banks who
seemed much pleased to think that Massa Lincoln's soldiers were coming
to set them free. We arrived in New Orleans, La., on the 17th of
December and got our fill of oranges and victuals before the peddlers
were stopped from supplying us.

I want to tell you here what a beautiful sight a sunrise and sunset is
at sea. There is something very fascinating about it.

We arrived at Carrollton, just above New Orleans, and went ashore at
Camp Parapet, on the morning of December 18. We pitched our tents in
the afternoon and were very glad to be on land once more and have room
to lie down at night.

This completes my narrative of our sea voy