ankle
deep, avoiding the highways and stopping only at negro huts to inquire
our way. We arrived at T. W. Jacobs' house quite late and began our
search; right here I want to say our search was orderly, endeavoring not
to unnecessarily annoy.

About midnight a great commotion was raised outside the house by the
tramping of horses, rattling of sabres, and loud voices. We were
surrounded by a troop of cavalry (our cavalry). They were very excited,
and they threatened us with everything, until I took the Commandant
aside and made him aware of who we were; even then he soundly upbraided
me for giving him such a scare. He finally departed.

The next day we went over to the Chesapeake Bay side of the peninsula.
When we arrived there we divided into two parties, in order to approach
the harbor from two directions. When we arrived on the bluff (about
twenty feet above water) my party of four was first to discover that
there were a number of sailing vessels at anchor in the little bay.
What to do was the question. I determined that we four must capture the
whole fleet. Which we did in this way: As quietly as possible we
possessed ourselves of one vessel and from it, under the persuasive
influence of our revolvers, we compelled the men on all the other
vessels to go below deck. Then we searched the vessels in detail,
detaining only the "Frances E. Burgess."

This harbor was an ideal place for such "traders," i. e.,
blockade-runners. It was perfectly land-locked, could not be seen from
the bay, and was very hard to get in or out of; it was impassable for
gunboats, and so it was well chosen for the business.

The Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are indented almost continuously
with smaller estuaries, which make excellent hiding places. Beautiful
places for residence, and likely spots for romance.

While laying at Point Lookout on our way home a severe March storm came
up, dreadful to a land lubber like me. The point is where the Potomac
empties into the Chesapeake. Storms are felt there nearly as greatly as
at Old Point. It blew so hard I feared it would blow us over onto the
wharf. The water was up to the wharf's surface, and there was no sleep
for us that night. Next morning, when we started for Baltimore (ninety
miles away), as we were rounding the Point a big boiling sea took the
yawl of the "Burgess," davits and all, throwing it high in the air. But
to turn back spelled death. Our pilot was Captain Cannon, an old bay