the Valley City
has often caught shad and herring by the barrel, in a large seine which
the inhabitants of that vicinity use for the purpose.

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 7-1/2 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 8-1/2 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 Th