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Monday 20.
This is a bright lovely morning - the first one we have had - it is like a summer day. We were loaded on to the Patuxent again, swung away from the Cossack. She ran up turned around, came down on the rate of 20 miles an hour, ploughed through the first bar, stopped, swung around aground again, Gen Reno was on the Patuxent, and as he saw the Cossack go through, fairly danced. But feelings slightly changed when she got [hard?] fast again. We went up to help the Scout out & with the help of the Pilot boy pulled her in to safer anchorage. Then we devilled around to [?] Captain Bennet of the Patuxent's expression, and were put on board the Cossack about half past twelve, in time for dinner. Bennet says he never saw such a tide - when its high tide its low water, low tide high water - he'd be devilled if it wasn't. Many of those on the Scout we had not seen since we embarked, and it was comical to hear the mutual greetings of the men. So here we lie, high & dry again. With how much truth I cannot say, but Morris says it was the intention of the Expedition to go to Yorktown. It is supposed that we will be embarked on schooners and taken up to Roanoke Island. is very dreary and monotonous staying here, though this getting out and cruising around makes one feel better. I only fear sickness breaking out among our men. Necessarily the ship is getting very filthy. Half the ships are aground again, though this morning there a good many of them afloat. Lt. Col. Potter & Maj. Legendre of the N.Y. 51st came on to see us this evening. We are still hard aground. I was up and with the Captain well it appears that the man divorced from a former wife on account of some improper conduct, and married a second time. This was made in favor of the second wife in order to prevent any difficulty that might arise, if the legality of the divorce was called in question.