at Washington Irving, which got under
weigh and steamed till 9-1/2 p.m., when I changed into the boat Arrow,
which steamed two miles up the Dismal Swamp canal, and passed by the
wreck of the Fawn, which had been previously captured, sunk and burned
by the rebels, and there came to an anchor. During the night I slept on
a bench, with my boot for a pillow.

Sunday, May 28, the boat Arrow left Coinjock at 5 a.m., and arrived at
Norfolk, Va., at 1 p.m. I took dinner at the National House in that
place. At 2-1/2 p.m. I took passage from Norfolk in the Louisiana, and
arrived at Fortress Monroe at 3-1/2 p.m. We passed by the wreck of the
rebel iron-clad Merrimac. At 5 p.m. the Louisiana got under weigh for
Baltimore, where she arrived Monday, May 29, at 6 o'clock a.m.; and
then I went by way of Philadelphia home, where I arrived about noon of
May 30, 1865.

The atmosphere never seemed to me more salubrious than at this time;
the grass never appeared greener, the flowers never seemed to exhale
more fragrance, and the people never seemed kinder. It seemed a perfect
Paradise compared with the swamps of North Carolina.

During the time of my "leave of absence," I met with the following men
of note, all of whom are now dead: Hon. Thaddeus Stevens I met in the
reading-room of the United States Hotel at Harrisburg, Pa., seated on a
chair with his feet resting on a table, reading the newspapers, a
number of files of which he had lying all around him. He would first
glance at one file and then at another, till he had examined all. I
have heard of two anecdotes told about him. One was, whilst meeting an
enemy face to face on the street in Lancaster, Pa., his enemy said to
Mr. Stevens, "I never turn out of the road of a fool." The latter said
sharply, "I do," and passed around the former. The other incident
occurred whilst Mr. Stevens was very ill in Washington, D.C. A friend
visited him and complimented him on his appearance. Mr. Stevens very
jocularly replied that it was not his appearance that interested him
(Mr. Stevens) so much as his disappearance. I have since visited his
grave in Lancaster, Pa., which has the following inscription upon the
tombstone:

Thaddeus Stevens,
Born at Danville, Caledonia County, Vermont,
April 4, 1792.
Died at Washington, D.C.,
August 11, 1868.

STEV