Rough weather experienced the first night out soon became a gale, which lasted for two days, playing the deuse with company cooks, and prevented any use of the galley situated between decks. Those who could eat at all had to subsist on hard bread and raw, salt pork. Nearly all of the men and all of the officers were very sea-sick. The galley fire was started several times, but rolling of the steamer would cause fat in the pans to run over upon the galley stove, and blazing up quick would set fire to the deck. Quick work with buckets of water would put the fire out and prevent any serious damage.
The gale moderated during the night of December 7th. On Monday, December 8th, after passing Cape Hatteras during Sunday night, the sea became smooth, when men began to show themselves on deck. Somewhat hungry, and not liking the regular allotted fare, on Monday night a few men broke open the ice-chest and stole some fresh beef, cooking it at the galley. Next morning the culprits were picked out. Corporal Sanford Wood, Company I, was broke, had his chevrons stripped from his uniform, and was put in irons by order of the colonel, as he was ringleader in the affair. Privates J. Colson, Company I, Frank McConlow and Fitzallen Gourley, both of Company D, detailed cooks at the time, were also put in irons for not revealing the thieves names.
The Saxon proved to be the safest and fastest boat of the four vessels. She made a fine run to Key West, where anchor was cast at six o’clock December 11th, without anything of an exciting nature to enliven the trip except striking a school of finback whales about ten o’clock on the morning of the tenth. The orders to transport-captains were, to sail forty-eight hours out to sea and then open their sealed orders, which were to rendezvous at Ship Island, Gulf of Mexico, with permission, in case of distress, want of coal, water or provisions, to stop at Port Royal, Tortugas or Key West. Taking in a supply of fresh water and coal the steamer left Key West at six o’clock on the morning of December 12th, bound for Ship Island direct; but early on the morning of December 15th, which was very dark, the mate in charge of the deck lost his course, and at full speed almost ran by the blockading fleet off Mobile Bay. The gunboat R. R. Cuyler hailed them at two A.M., and was answered, when a blank shot followed by a cannon-ball from the gunboat Montgomery caused the mate to slow up and heave to. Not provided with a steam whistle there was nothing to do but to wait for something to develop, and soon the Saxon was boarded by naval officers, who gave the unwelcome intelligence that the transport was off her course, heading direct for Mobile, and was then past the inner line of picket boats, about one and a half miles from Mobile Bar.
The Saxon then proceeded on the correct course for Ship Island, arriving there at nine o’clock A.M. About twenty-five tons of coal was taken aboard from coal vessel General Berry, that had lain at Ship Island for four months without a bushel of coal being removed until the Saxon took her small supply. After receiving orders and coaling, at five o’clock in the afternoon a start was made for New Orleans, encountering a severe northerly gale during the night, which caused the vessel to roll worse than at any time previous on the voyage. At seven o’clock, December 16th, the bar at South-West Pass of the Mississippi River was in sight, and at nine o’clock she was on her way up river, passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip at noon, tieing up at the left bank at nine o’clock for the night; two sentinels were placed upon the river bank as a protection from any possible guerilla attack.
Early on the morning of December 17th, say about three o’clock, the vessel proceeded to New Orleans, arriving at seven o’clock, after a trip of twelve days from Sandy Hook, New York harbor. At four o’clock in the afternoon the Saxon steamed up river to Carrollton, arriving at seven o’clock, and anchored for the night, the men landing to go into camp late in the afternoon of next day, eighteenth.
The Quincy was the first transport to get away, passing Sandy Hook at night December 4th, in face of a threatening gale that lasted about three days. While passing Cape Hatteras the gale became so severe that the vessel was in great danger of not being able to weather it, as Captain George W. Clapp, an old and experienced navigator, afterward acknowledged. Had she foundered, few, if any, could have survived to tell the tale. Except the crew and Captain Cogswell, all hands were in that state of sea-sickness they did not care whether they lived or died. The Quincy was an old freight propeller with two light masts, and one small upright boiler to work her machinery, previously in the merchant marine on one of the western lakes. She was lost December 12th, 1863, while making the voyage from New York to New Orleans, having sprung a leak during a violent gale, going down in sight of Hatteras Light. Out of twenty-five persons aboard nine were saved. Captain Clapp was lost.
On the evening of December 8th a leak in the boiler was discovered. The fire was put out to admit of repairs being made; the steamer drifting through the night. Fortunately the weather was all that could be desired, and no bad results from the accident were to be feared. Steam was got up on the morning of the ninth, but the same evening another and worse leak in the boiler was discovered. At a council of officers convened it was decided to instruct the captain to put into Port Royal for repairs. The weather continued magnificent, with a smooth sea. Port Royal was reached at noon on the eleventh under circumstances which did not admit of a doubt that had the steamer been delayed twelve hours longer her engine could not have been used at all. A Board of Survey, granted by Brigadier-General Brannan, U. S. A., commanding the District, and Commodore Dupont, pronounced the vessel sea-worthy, while the boiler and engine were altogether too small for ocean service, besides being very much out of order.
The troops were landed and quartered at Hilton Head while repairs were made. Lieutenant Powers was sea-sick from the start, refusing nourishment part of the time, and not able to retain any on his stomach when he attempted to take it; wrapped in his blanket he lay a picture of helplessness, losing strength day by day until it became a question whether he would survive to reach Ship Island. The landings at Hilton Head and Tortugas enabled him to recuperate sufficient strength to stand the strain while upon the water, for when going to sea after each landing he was flat on his back again the moment the long ocean swell was reached. While the gale lasted for the first days out from New York, sick as they were between decks, in an atmosphere almost stifling from combined effects of stench from the cooking-range and stench of another character, the men did not miss the funny scenes that constantly occurred, causing laughter from men too sick to raise their heads. One of these scenes was when the vessel gave a lurch, that came near putting her upon her beam ends and threw the men below promiscuously out of their berths, when one of them scrambled to the other side, clung to a bunk and shouted, “for God’s sake, boys, all on this side and right her!”
Buckets of water were kept in readiness for use in case of fire, because in a heavy sea fat in stew-pans on the galley would be thrown out and flash up in a blaze, causing danger to constantly exist of a fire breaking out among inflammable material. This was so in all transports conveying the Forty-Second, notwithstanding every precaution was taken to guard against such a danger when cooking ranges were placed on board.
Surgeon Hitchcock had a few severe cases of fever under his care, attending to them faithfully, with a loss of one man by death. To his care and attention many men owe a debt of gratitude, and for assistance he rendered in placing them on their sea-legs; dealing out nourishment suited to the debilitated condition they were in until sufficient strength and appetite was gained to go on with the army ration. When fairly over their sea-sick attack appetites of men became voracious.