al
order; however I liked it. I had an easy time, nothing to do, and others
to help me.

I continued here for about two months, until the hospital was ordered to
be removed to Old Point Comfort. I had become a great favorite of
Lieutenant Russell, the officer in charge of the hospital, and a nice man
he was. When the order came to move, the fixtures, furniture, in fact
everything in and about the building was ordered to be sold. I was
detailed by Lieutenant Russell to remain behind and superintend the sale
of the stuff, keep accounts, make a report when all was sold, and turn
over the proceeds. That detained me there two weeks longer. I sold the
beds, dishes, tables, everything. There remained about thirty tons of coal
in the yard to be disposed of. I sold it in any quantity to poor people;
took any price for it I could get, the same as everything else. Finally,
everything was sold off, and I was ready to depart the next day for Old
Point Comfort. In the evening, the two men I had with me and myself, used
to get our pipes and sit in front of the office and smoke. We were sitting
there talking about the sale, when it occurred to me that I had overlooked
the "deadhouse." We went back to it and found seven coffins. What was to
be done; they must be sold, as they must be accounted for, and we were
going to depart early in the morning. The street was crowded at that time
in the evening, so I took the coffins and stood them up on the sidewalk,
and everyone that passed by, I would ask him if he wanted to buy a
coffin. Finally, I struck a man who offered me seven dollars for the lot,
and I took it quick. I learned afterward he was an undertaker.

The next day I landed and reported to headquarters at Fortress Monroe. A
day or two after, Lieutenant Russell sent for me; he wanted a foreman in
the Government Printing Office. I was down for occupation on the pay-roll
as a printer. He asked me if I understood the business. I said yes, I had
some knowledge of it, so I was detailed with an extra eight dollars per
month. I took charge of the office at once. The first day I had orders to
print fifty thousand official envelopes. The press-boy brought me the
proof, I looked it over, and marked it correct; they were printed and sent
to headquarters.

A few days after Lieutenant Russell sent for me to report at his office. I
didn't know what was up. Thought perhaps I was going to be sent to
Washington to take charge of the Government Print