Mt. Pleasant was, before the war, a resort for Charleston people and was then finely kept. When Co. G arrived there the place had a terribly neglected appearance. There were many pests to annoy the boys, of the day and of the night variety, so there was little comfort anywhere. There were drunken negroes strolling about and drunken whites likewise, and quarreling and fighting. It was a bad place for Co. G and the boys longed to get away from the stenches and the fleas and bad society generally, of the degenerated spot.
The muster-out rolls were completed and on the 10th of July the 157th N.Y. Vols. were mustered out of the United States service. On the same day they sailed for Hilton Head.
Co. G left Hilton Head, soldiers; they returned civilians. The freedom of the town was offered the boys while waiting for transportation. Some one in the regiment got into trouble, for which the whole of them were to do penance. They were marched aboard a steamer and a schooner and anchored two miles out in the harbor. They lay there four days rocked on the bosom of the waters.
On the 15th of July the regiment were transferred to the steamers Gen. Custer and Clyde and steamed for the North.
Co. G were with the party on the Gen. Custer, an old, worn-out hulk with new paint and a newer name. Off Cape Hatteras the old trap threatened to go down. Her crew were afraid she would go to the bottom. The crew worked the pumps and the soldiers worked the pumps to keep afloat. The winds raved and the boys kept on pumping until they weathered the stormy cape. Who shall be so bold as to deny that the buoyant hopes of Co. G did not lighten the vessel considerably?
On the 19th the boys landed at a North River dock in New York, and marched to the Soldier's Rest on Howard St., and were fed.
July 20th, headed by their own band and escorted by policemen and small boys, the regiment moved through Broadway. The men made a nice appearance in clean uniforms, brasses and guns and the ladies smiled upon them, and the men waved their hats to them, and their uncles, Aaron, Levi and others who sold clothing cheap, sadly turned away, for the boys were leaving the city.
A steamboat was waiting at the dock to carry the boys to Albany, where they arrived safely early on the morning of July 21st.
It was then fix-up and prim-up, as the good people of Canastota had obtained permission for the train carrying the boys, to stop at their place.
Mike Miller once more drew out the well-thumbed picture of his better-half, as was his usual custom mornings, kissed it and said, "Goodt morning, oldt lady!" Then he proceeded to darken his mustache with shoe-blacking.