ss, succeeded in
running past the batteries. The other ships were disabled by the
enemy's fire and dropped down stream. The Mississippi, which had no
consort, grounded and to save the lives of her men was abandoned and
fired.

March 15th. We started at two o'clock on our return march for Baton
Rouge. When we had been on our way a short time, a hard thunder shower
came up, and it rained hard until we halted for camp about eight miles
from Baton Rouge. It was a wet, muddy place, and we named it Camp
Misery. It was very dark and it continued to rain at times during all
that long dreary night. Our quartermaster, John Ives, furnished us with
coffee which he brought from Baton Rouge. I think that we must have had
it about every hour during the night.

[Illustration: DR. ALDEN B. SKINNER
Deceased
1st Surgeon 25th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, who
enlisted at the age of 62.]

I cannot refrain from speaking right here of our first surgeon, Dr.
Alden Skinner, who went out with the Twenty-fifth Regiment. For it was
at Camp Misery that Dr. Alden Skinner, father of Town Clerk Francis B.
Skinner, contracted a cold that developed into pneumonia and resulted
in his death a short time later. Dr. Skinner, after whom the Rockville
Sons of Veterans named their camp, was a highly respected Rockville
physician, who went with us down into that Rebel stronghold in 1862, as
many in town will remember. He was a man of many noble qualities. I
knew him personally, for I had lived with him one winter when I
attended school in Rockville. I felt it a great personal loss, as well
as a loss to the regiment when he died. I desire to express myself at
some length relative to this good man who gave his life for our
country's cause fifty years ago about March 30th, 1863. He was very
kind to me when we were encamped at Baton Rouge and especially when
that thunder shower came up, as we were marching back from our first
advance on Port Hudson. This experience was on Sunday, March 15, 1863.
Dr. Skinner was on horseback and I can see him now in memory, as he was
in that drenching rain, wet to the skin, as all were. That was the last
time I ever saw Dr. Skinner, for he died a few days after in the
hospital at Baton Rouge. He was brought home and was laid to rest in
our beautiful Grove Hill Cemetery.

March 16th. It cleared off very pleasant this morning. Had breakfast of
hard-tack and coffee. We had orde