Year: 1861

plenty Of freedom on board. All the men
have to do is to behave themselves. If they
do not they are punished by confinement
The prison is called the brig. Some are in
for not being at muster, some for getting
drunk, one for stealing, &c. They get their
regular food. The Brig is dark room on
the berth deck.


Every month clothing is served out 70 any
who desire it-either ready made or the stuff.
The stuff in the navy is good, all but the
shoes, and in this the fault is in the contrac-
tor or in the inspector. When am
at quarters, am on the gun deck at gun
This is about one hour day. The rest of
the day and night, except my watch below,
l am on the spar deck. / sleep on the gun
deck. No man can sleep with greater COM
fort anywhere than in the navy, where we
have the best Of mattresses, heavy blankets
and good hammocks. At my station when
the guns are worked, my duty is to see that
the gun is properly loaded and pointed, and
do all the execution can. 1t carries a shell
of nine inch diameter. You ought to
be here just after dinner to hear the talk for
an hour. Such hubbub! Two or three
here disputing-half dozen around one
reading paper, with their necks run out a
foot, listening with the utmost attention.
another party running down Lincoln for not
sending bigger army-and with all this
there is rush for letters, which are deliver
ed every day at noon or soon after Yet
with the whole of our hard and soft crowd of
over five hundred there is no trouble. Ev-
erything goes quietly and smoothly. No one
sings when working as they do on board
merchantmen. There is no confusion. Even
the ponderous anchor comes up to the bows
to the lively tune of Jacks the Lad" or
" The Girl l left behind me-" or something
Of that kind by the band.


As to eating and drinking here, everything
is weighed or measured-pork, beef, bread,
butter, cheese, pickles, peas, tea, coffee, su-
gar, molasses, etc. We get fresh beef three
times week, and two gils of grog day for
all who choose to take it. About one half take
their grog. do not draw mine, but draw
the allowance instead of it, 81 20 month,
payablein good currency every three months.
We have pint of good coffee in the morn
ing and pint of tea at supper. A
man fell overheard last eve and though he
could not swim he had no kind of chance
to drown, even if he wanted to, so many
modes arc there of rescue. He fina'ly
caught hold Of boat hook, and is now eat
ing his regular allowance as usual.


BY invitation from our Chaplain, Rev. L.
STONE, of the Vermont Regiment, preached
for us. He is cleans shaved, wears standing
collar, and spectacles, dresses well and is a
first-rate preacher. lie brought every man
to his bearings So attentive were they, YOU
could have heard pin drop. All the ser
vices are conducted on the after part of the
gun deck-ports open, guns run out, matches
off, making it as light as on the spar deck.
There is prayer meeting on the berth deck
every Sunday afternoon, to which all are in
vitcd.


We have a tame crow on board. He PLAYS
with any one, takes food from the hand, goes
all over the ship, and appears to be well sat
isfied with the Union, although he is one of
the F. Fs of Virginia. + Last night
was stormy one. The wind arose to a gale
driving the rain along the decks and drcnch-
ing oil who were exposed to les fury. We
housed top-gallant mast, braccd the yards
sharp, and let go another anchor. The port
watch got orders to 60 below on the gun
deck and keep themselves dry. That was
favor. In all merchantmen we should have
had to stand our watch on deck in the rain,
but scarcely any one was on deck during
the night, except the regular lookouts, the
officers and schtrics. In the morning it
cleared off fine. We hove up one of the an
chors, squared the yards, swept down the
decks and everything went on as usual. I
saw the crow after the storm. He had been
on deck all night and looked miserable
enough. He was arranging his feathers and
| suppose he is all right now. will sec him
by and by, II.