The boat stopped last night about eleven o'clock on account of the density of the fog. This morning the fog was still very thick, could not see fifty paces ahead. About nine o'clock there were signs of clearing & the Captain ordered the engines to get up steam. We are still thirty miles from Hampton Roads. Some time after we started, we had dinner at half past 12 o'clock, and we went on deck. Soon we saw the masts of vessels looming through the fog. Then the red light boat, the [Kiptopeke?] Sewells point and Fortress Monroe There were three men of war - the sailors manned the yards and cheered. We cheered in return. We soon recognized some of our acquaintances. The New York, New Brunswick. We dipped our flag as we came in. We anchored off the fortress toward Sewall's point. The [?] are a heap of rocks out to the left of us, with some stone walls, 2 stone houses, and some poles with ropes stretched. I saw but one cannon perched up pointing toward Sewall's point. It looked an acre or so in extent, and is exactly like the summit of Mount Washington. Willoughby point was [?] on the red light boat. The day cleared, but it was still smoky - we looked with interest upon the places we had so often read about. We were all soon in the cabin preparing our letters to send home. I wrote one to Aunt Margery, one to the Chronicle and one to Annie. We went up after supper, but saw nothing but a gunboat out towards Sewalls point, used as a watch-boat. Lt Col Bell came on board and took tea with us. It was so foggy that we could see nothing until we entered Hampton Roads. Sewalls Point is a long low reach of sand, covered with woods. I could see a house and barn a mile perhaps from the point. We could not distinguish anything at all on the point, except that the sand appeared who reached up along the edge of the wood, but that may have been done by the action of the waves. The fleet here is not so imposing in appearance, as up at Annapolis - perhaps because the harbor is wider. Hassenflug, and John Smith, the Col's servant were the only ones that were sea-sick. The adjutant has a great time with his consolidated reports, and each Captain has to make one every time, to rectify mistakes &c. It is the great bore of all of us and especially the adjutant. Blair remarked that he expected that the adjutant, when he died, would take the form of a consolidated report.
