Yesterday, Sunday, we knew that we were to break camps and embark. We were busy making preparations: packing and fixing. About four o'clock the paymaster came. We had the mall signed, and towards seven o'clock were paid. We had orders to cook three days provisions, but they did not draw provisions until late in the evening, and the men were nearly all night cooking. It commenced to snow a little on Saturday night, was cold and blustering during yesterday, sleeted during the night. It was hard work. Besides the wood gone wet, and the men had to go to the woods and get wood. Then we were busy bringing up packages for the men to send money home. This morning dawned a wintry scene - snow about two inches. Our beautiful camp was soon destroyed - It was wonderful what amount of truck gathered [?] housekeeping for six weeks. The men gathered boxes and barrels and made bonfires [?] I used was dispatched to town with the money packages amounting to some fifteen hundred dollars. The little ground moles that burrowed about our tent [?] had to [?] fare well - our shrubbery, urch & I went to the Bonfires. About twelve o'clock the general beat, and we marched, leaving only marks of where we had been. Lots of n____ around gathering the odd ends of crackers, old shoes & other things which necessity made us wasteful of. We marched through town, and at the centre at the church, Companies C, A, K & L separated, carrying with them the old [Fourth?] colors, now attend to 51st and so command of Lt Col Bell, marching to the city wharf to embark on the Scout. The rest of us went down into the Navy Yard, and after little delay we embarked on the Cossack steamer. This is a fine ocean steamer and the officers have the ladies cabin for quarters. Most of my company are in the state rooms. But the poor fellows left with the baggage have not come on board yet. The officers have no baggage and nothing to eat. We managed to get a poor cup of tea. The scene in town was awful. The shop keepers were set crazy and many in despair closed their stores. Everything was bought out. The bakers were fairly demented. The express office gave out and drove everybody away. All the troops here were paid off - everybody was saying - the 21st Mass got drunk. Every fellow that could get liquor got & how was a mystery to us. Sunday was an awful day in town. Stores closed - troops marching - everybody on the street. Tonight it is a beautiful scene on the water: we got aground and had to be towed off - We drifted down the stream - It is a bleak wintry night - the waters dark - the river full of black hulled vessels, with their signal lights aloft. The ships full of men, the bands playing - the sound of the fiddle, the song and shout of the men. If we only had something to eat. The reporters for the press, six of them, occupy a table and state rooms - a table by themselves, with little slips of paper written full - Then they had a meal - coffee and ham fried, which was particularly tan- talizing to us. We ate a full breakfast this morning, but a breakfast don't last all day. We have luxurious quarters down here, but after all one's comfort should very materially on the arrangements made for your stomach. My canteen full of water tastes delicious. Dick filled it for me at the spring just before we started. Our Brigade now consists of the 21st Mass 51st N.Y. 51st Penna 19th New Jersey 1240 strong 69th New York. Tom Grier goes with Gen Reno on the Northerner. As Seth could not get into the Express Office, Beaver gave my package of money to steamer $340 of my own, $50 of [bandine?], $40 [Seth's?] & $30, in all. We fortunately carried our knapsacks with us, in which I have my portfolio, & writing material, cigars, and a blanket: so that we are comfortably better off [?] other officers. We managed to get 30 loaves of bread - so that we are not starved - but it would be a luxury to have our coffee hot, and that boiled ham that we have in the camp chest together with a morsel of butter.
