Saturday, April 22, at 4:25 a.m., the U.S. steamers Valley City and Whitehead got under weigh, and at 8:30 a.m. arrived at Plymouth, where we anchored. At 3:20 p.m., the Valley City and Whitehead got under weigh, and arrived at Edenton at 5:30 p.m., and at 11 p.m. the Valley City and Whitehead got under weigh and steamed toward Hertford, N.C., where we arrived on Sunday, April 23, at 7½ a.m. At 10 a.m. the officers of the two vessels in full uniform went to an Episcopal service held in a church in Hertford. The members of the congregation were sparsely scattered on seats throughout the church. Upon the officers entering and occupying two pews on the left hand side of the church, that portion of the congregation occupying the same range of seats as ourselves very abruptly and hurriedly sought seats on the other side. After listening to a sermon which was nervously delivered, we quietly and orderly returned aboard our respective vessels.
Hertford is a small town on a body of water extending from Albemarle Sound, called Perquimans. The people were usually kind and courteous, after they discovered that our disposition was to be friendly toward them. There were people living there who were in sympathy with the Federal government, and to whose hospitality we were kindly invited and welcomed. One day during our stay at Hertford, Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself procured a buggy and horse, and drove to Edenton, a distance of twenty miles, and returned to Hertford in the evening. The trip was not considered a very safe one, on account of the number of bushwhackers there had been in that vicinity.
Monday, May 1, at 8½ a.m., the Valley City got under weigh, and arrived at Edenton at 2:10 p.m.; and at 5 p.m. left Edenton and arrived at Plymouth at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, the Valley City got under weigh for the purpose of clearing the Roanoke river of torpedoes. The U.S. steamer Iosco, commanded by Lieutenant Commander James S. Thornton, accompanied us.
Saturday, May 13, the Valley City and Iosco arrived at Hamilton, N.C. Captain Thornton, Third Assistant Engineer Amos Harris, Ensign Hull, and myself went ashore and spent the afternoon. In the morning before arriving at Hamilton, Lieutenant-Commander James S. Thornton of the Iosco went ashore, and visited Rainbow Bluff. Captain Thornton made the remark that the place would have been very difficult to capture with any naval force, so strongly was it fortified.
Lieutenant-Commander James S. Thornton was executive officer aboard the U.S. steamer Kearsarge at the time this vessel sunk the rebel blockade runner Alabama, in which the transaction was so quick and complete. Captain Thornton stated that at 11 o'clock a.m., of a Sunday, when he received the report of there being a ship in sight, he was seated in a chair, with his feet resting on the wardroom table, reading the Bible. The rattle for general quarters was rung, and the Kearsarge got under weigh, and proceeded toward the Alabama, sunk her, and by 2 o'clock of the same afternoon the Kearsarge arrived at Cherbourg, France. Comments by the citizens of that place were made on the cleanliness of the Kearsarge after sinking so formidable a vessel as the Alabama.
Monday, May 15, at 1 p.m., the Valley City arrived at Palmyra, N.C. I visited the town. It is a place of about a half-a-dozen houses, about a mile from the right bank of the Roanoke river. At this place Captain J. A. J. Brooks joined the Valley City with the Cotton Plant and Fisher, two steamers which the Confederates had captured from the Federals at Plymouth at the time the Southfield was sunk by the rebel ram Albemarle. There were aboard these boats fifty bales of cotton. In the evening, pilot John A. Wilson ran the Valley City hard and fast aground, so that it took the greater part of the night to get her afloat.
Thursday, May 16, the Valley City steamed up to Ergot's Landing, and took aboard thirty-nine bales of cotton. Thursday, May 18, the Valley City got under weigh and proceeded down the Roanoke river and came to anchor five miles above Hamilton.
Saturday, May 20, at 9 a.m., the Valley City got under weigh, and proceeded to Hamilton, where we came to an anchor. On Tuesday, May 23, in the morning Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself went hunting for squirrels. Paymaster Sands separated from us early in the morning. The Captain and I soon came to a mulberry tree, on which he shot a squirrel which was after mulberries; another came and was shot, and before night we shot a dozen. In the evening, upon returning to the vessel, we met Paymaster Sands, who was also returning to the vessel. He had been traveling all day in the woods, but did not shoot a squirrel. We all proceeded to the Valley City, and had the squirrels cooked for supper, of which we ate heartily, for we were very hungry. This was the last supper I ate aboard the Valley City.
The following morning, Wednesday, May 24, at 5:30 o'clock, I was relieved by Acting Assistant Surgeon L. W. Loring, and ordered North on a two months leave of absence; and now I am to say farewell to the officers and crew of the Valley City, with whom I have shared their dangers, their sorrows and their joys, and the old ship I am also to leave, which has buoyed us so safely over the short and rugged waves of the waters of North Carolina, amidst the torpedoes, the sharpshooters, and the artillery of the enemy. This is certainly an occasion of joy, yet mingled with sadness. "Farewell is a word that has been, a word that must be, a sound which makes us linger—yet we must say, farewell."
HOMEWARD BOUND.