Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-05-01
U. s. FRIGATE MINNESOTA,
HAMPTON ROADS. VI.

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (
Feb. 27.-Drilling with howitzers. They
are 24-pounders, brass, on wheels, and are
for boat and land service as well as ships
use. They are Dahlgrens. = 1t is the
9th army corps that is on shore here, 81
regiments, $4,000 men. So my informant
tells me. He belongs to the signal corps and
is stationed on board of us to make and an
swer signals for the army. We can see the
rebels tents and the loom Of their camp fires
at night.
March 1st.-Our singing in worship is &C,
companied now by the violin and clarionet
The only officer who sings is VanBrunt, son
Of Capt. VanBrunt and Secretary to the Ad
miral. All hands called aft to-day on the
spardeck to hear tho sentence of a court
martial on Masters Mate for abusive lar
guage on board of some ship. 1t was thai
he be dismissed the service and that for good
conduct in action he be renstated but only
in this case
All A. NJ. The boatswains mates arc
now piping and believing for all the star
board watch to turn out, hcave out, arise
and shine, lash and carry, and bear hand
and lash and carry their hammocls on deck
They are now coming up from eight steps
and four hatchways, a steady stream, each
with his hammock under his arm or on his
shoulder. Tomorrow morning it will be on,
turn (Port-watch) to be reused out grumbline
and growing at boatswains mates, men-of
war and everything connected with the serv.
ice. Then we will have wash, a comb, a
dispute with somebody, get breakfast, light
pipes, and all be quiet again as we settle
down to our humdrum life, reading, writing
EARNING, and exercising with big guns and
small arms.
3d.-Wrote letter for Bateman yester.
day. To my first question, for the address
he replied: Who is it toe To Mr.. Gun.
ningham, of course. You will say, MY Dear
Friend, Of course" 0 yes, of course, said
I, yes, yes, ahem of course. Yes, yes, ol
course. My Dear Friend, of course. So, o
course, began it with that He is near.
sighted and must accommodate him, but
it is awful to write for him as in every othe,
line almost he is sending his everlasting love
and respects, and regards, and the deuce
knows what to every man and woman in
Portsmouth. He seems to know every one
Of that town and every one seems to know
him. When we were there last he kept full
of al! kinds Of drinkables, and ranged thro
the streets, singing out /: Here comes Stone
wall Jackson Ge. out Of the way, I'm
a-comiag!" He would buy handkerchiefs
sugar plums, &C., for the crowd that was al
ways in his wake, giving everything away
to the great delight Of all the servant girls
and children in Portsmouth. He is quite
harmless and childish in his cups. He say.
heis going to reform. It will be the grogshol
and the Navy again after he has been two o.
| tnrec months ashore. The last time he wa.
paid off he was ashore but three months
after long cruise Of four years, spending
$500 in that time.
4th.-Gensral Quarters last night at 4
o'clock Time in getting up hammocks ant
to the stations, seven minutes. Iunderstan,
that the Capt. did not like it, not being quicl
enough to suit him. It was for exercise
- picked up a dispatch today that ha
been carelessly dropped BY the printer SUP
pose. One Of our crew being printer an
furnished with hand press our dispatche
are printed before they are sent off.
5th-Old Bateman was wanted today o
his station, to let 60 and make fast some rie
ging. He was not there. John B. Bate
| man, foremastman bawls the boatswain'
mate. No answer. John B. Bateman
Y 4 - q 3