ght boat, speaking every vessel, and
inquiring affectionately about the welfare of the men.

Storm succeeded storm, while the fleet was yet at the inlet; many days
elapsing before the principal vessels could be got over the "bulkhead,"
as the bar is called, which still intervened between them and the sound.
To add to the sufferings of the troops, the supply of fresh water gave
out. Much of that with which the transports had been provided by
dishonest or imbecile contractors, had been put up in old oil casks,
which imparted to it a taste and odor far from agreeable. But even of
such wretched stuff as this, there was at length none to be had.

"We had ham for dinner yesterday," wrote Frank; "but as we had nothing to
drink after it, we thought we should die of thirst. I never suffered so
in my life; and O, what would I have given for a good drink out of our
well at home! We were as glad as so many ducks, this morning, to see it
rain. O, it did pour beautifully! I never knew what a blessing rain was
before. I went on deck, and got wet through, catching water where it
dripped from the rigging. But I didn't care for the soaking--I had filled
my canteen; and I tell you, that nasty rain-water was a luxury."

The noble-hearted general was grieved to the soul by the sufferings of
his men. Neither day nor night did he seem to desist for a moment from
his efforts to atone, by his own vigilance and activity, for the culpable
inefficiency and negligence of others. He hastened to Fort Clark, where
there was a condenser for converting salt water into fresh, and attended
personally to putting it into operation. By this means a miserably meager
supply was obtained,--enough, however, together with the rain that was
caught, to keep the demon of thirst at bay until the water vessels could
arrive.

Ten days elapsed after the schooner entered the inlet before she was got
over the bulkhead into the open sound. And still ten days more were
destined to slip by before any general movement against the enemy was
attempted by the fleet. In the mean while the troops confined on
shipboard resorted to a thousand devices for passing away the time. There
was dancing, there was card-playing, there was singing; and many new
games were invented for the occasion. Frank learned the manual of arms.

Something else he learned, not so much to his credit. Before saying what
that was, I wish to remind the reader of the peculiar circumstances in
which he was pl