Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay

3. 1863

3 4 APRIL 1863, SATURDAY T EFT NEW YORK AT NOON-GOT INTO ROUGH WEATHER IN THE L course ofthe afternoon-made an enormous dinner with a light and defiant heart-cast it up with great heaviness of spirit-solitary agonyweariness of living--disgust for the sea-enthusiastic promises of future land residence-cold-blooded preparations made bythe Steward-distant echoes of troubled diaphragms-Sleep! 5 APRIL 1863, SUNDAY Feebleminded determination to get up-miserable failure, coldblooded "bad sign" of Steward. Dr Green's Champagne-contemptuous scorn of an irascible abdomen-Soup better success. Visit from CaptainComforting assurances-Details ofsufferers around the table--heroic retreat and advance ofVogdes.2 Van Wyck specially punished. No servicesAppearance ofsufferers on deck. Vows for the future 6 APRIL 1863, MONDAY Fear and trembling. Try an apple. Breakfast. Large muster. Careful eating . Solid viands most popular. "Nobody much sick." On Deck. Discussions of the future. "The reign of rogues & demagogues over. The soldiers begin to reorganize their men. A battle knocks the nonsense out ofa man. Charlie Train. Anecdotes of Camp-Discipline. The Alabama.3 Dinner. The porpbises-immense delight of the freshwater soldiers. Vandal tricks. Cocachilunk and the Greek initials. Rage ofthe Vultures & love ofthe turtles. Dreams go by [contraries?] The Fresh breeze in the evening Sunset & moonrise. "Don't like it. It flavors of sea-sickness" Red & gibbous moon starting like a bloody portent out of the tumbling waves. 42 7 APRIL 1863, TUESDAY Too far to hear the sound of bombardment. The lost dinner. Abreast of the Forts. Golden Gate comes alongside. Cunningham & Capt. Carbin. General on board-who? News from the North. The ball opens today in Charleston Harbor. The attack on Ft. Sumter begins at 3 oclock. Going ashore. Hilton Head. Search for transportation. Smith Skinner & Hawley.4 Come aboard again. Vogdes asserts himself. The sunset scene. The wild tropical splendor of the dying day. The weirdlike mist that hangs over the woods. The gathering shadows of the water, & the lights glimering up one by one from the black bulks of the fleet. A splendid harbor going to waste. A great country aroused & filling it with hostile power. Wabash.s Early night. A great city with its.scattered lights. Moonrise. The liquid distances and sleeping ships make a city in the sea. On board the propeller "Christian Commission" 8 APRIL 1863, WEDNESDAY A rough morning. Lying at anchor in Edisto Harbor. Transports. V. W. leaves us. Picturesque scenery ofthe circling shores. White cottages nestling by the shores. Village to be burned Out ofEdisto. Smoke seen at Charleston Different surmises. Ch "Com" again. Banyan. At 21/2 saw the Nahant going back disabled. Turn of the tide ofsurmise. Nearer approach. Flags ofMoultrie & Sumpter. The Weed. Debarkation . Gen. Hunter & Col Halpine Recounting & prophesying-6 Supper on board the Canonicus.7 Seymour. Duncan &c Oysters. Black Republican Congress. [ 9 APRIL 1863, THURSDAY Gen Terry's boat. Cruising up the Folly River. Bad news. The Admirals Despatches Col. Fess. & I take Navy Dep. to the Admiral. On the Lecor. The Ben De Ford. Up to the Bar. The wreck of the Keokuk & the watchers on the shore.-The Ironsides. Arriving on board the Ironsides I was met by an orderly and conducted to the Admiral in the after Cabin. Captain Rodgers presented me & I gave him the Adl my despatches which he at 43 INSIDE LINCOLN'S WHITE HOUSE once sat down to read.s Rodgers said, "Mr Hay, you come to us at an unhappy time. Though unfortunate in view of the lively hopes that have been raised, as the issue is, we think that we may be grateful that what is an unsuccess , is not a disaster. The matter has been fairly tried. The Monitor fleet has been given into the hands of officers in whom the Dept. & the Country had confidence. Admiral Dupont has spared no possible effort and the only issue ofit all is that we have reason to congratulate ourselves that with a loss of one vessel and the injury of many others we are still safely beyond the range of the enemy & the coast is still ours. The country must either follow its preconceived idea of the invincibility of the Ironclads and condemn us for too hasty a retreat, or take the deliberate and unanimous verdict of the Naval offleers and justify us. We sailed into the harbor not sanguine ofvictory, we fought only about 40 minutes iR the ffiiclst sfa CSR ceRtl'ated fire never...