ot mail that told of home doings, and almost every
letter finished with, "I suppose that you will soon be home, now that
peace is declared." But still we lingered.

We knew that we could hardly expect to be relieved at once; that there
were many arrangements to be made in the Navy Department; many orders to
be signed, and new plans to be formulated. But the thought carried
little comfort with it. The pangs of homesickness were getting a strong
hold on us.

Dr. "Gangway" McGowan had the ship's carpenter nail a nice, smooth piece
of board over a hole in the wire netting of his cabin door; some wag
took advantage of the opportunity, and lettered plainly the following,
on its white surface:

[Illustration]

He would have done a rushing business if he could have found a sure cure
for homesick "heroes."

On Tuesday, August 23d, our depression reached its culminating point,
for the word had been passed unofficially that we might lay here
indefinitely--two weeks, a month, three months--there was no telling
when we would get away from what had become a hateful spot to us. The
men went about with a dejected air, and while all were good-natured
enough, there was little inclination to talk.

As night drew near, we saw several troopships pass the harbor homeward
bound, and the sight did not lighten our gloom.

When the sun finally sank, we were as melancholy a crowd as ever trod a
deck.

The men gathered in little groups, bewailing in monosyllables the
decidedly gloomy future, when some one glanced up and saw that Commodore
Watson's flagship, the "Newark," was showing the general signal lights.
Then, as the answering lights blazed on the other ships, the red and
white lanterns began to spell out a message.

The news spread at once that the flagship was signalling a general
message or one of interest to the whole fleet.

Soon the rail was lined with signal boys, and signal boys, _pro tem_.

Those who could read them, spelled the messages aloud, letter by letter.

"'Y-A-N-K-E-E' A-N-D 'N-I-A-G-A-R-A' W-I-L-L
S-A-I-L F-O-R T-O-M-P-K-I-N-S-V-I-L-L-E T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W.
'D-I-X-I-E' A-N-D 'F-E-R-N'
W-I-L-L G-O T-O H-A-M-P-T-O-N R-O-A-D-S."

With a single bound all was changed from gloom to gladness.

No man could say how glad he was, but every man felt his heart grow warm
within him. There was a deep feeling of gratitude for the providential
care we had received, and for the happy release that now had come.

"