Waiting, waiting,
waiting, with thermometer at 80° F. this bright Sunday. Great sandbanks like
snow, atmosphere shimmering in the hot sunlight, while the young, tender
foliage softens the landscape into beauty.
At daylight this
morning we left Fernandina and arrived off the bar at the mouth of this river
at 9.30 A. M. The gunboat Uncas came off to meet us and considerably before
noon we were anchored in here with the Uncas, the Norwich and our transport,
the Burnside. Why the John Adams has not reached here, we cannot imagine. This
delay warns the rebs of our approach to Jacksonville and, if they choose to
dispute our landing, I do not see why some lives may not be lost. James [Capt.
Rogers] and I have been ashore this afternoon and have seen various wild
flowers unfamiliar to us. The Colonel is deep in consultation with gunboat
captains, and a steady frown indicates his impatience and perplexity about the
John Adams. Rough and ready Capt. Dolly remarked when we passed her, that he
was d----d if he didn't admire the Lt. Col. because he was always to be found
just where we left him. His theory however about the non-arrival of the Adams
is that the chaplain has gone for the last well to be dug. Wells are one of the
chaplain's specialties and it would not be surprising if the theory proved
correct. To me the worst feature of the delay is the exposure of our men to
disease. I dread confinement in close air for them much more than I do rebel
bullets.
Yesterday I heard
of a little coincidence which quite amused me. One of our captains is not so
broad and catholic as Theodore Parker, and very constantly manifests a jealous
nature by petty complaints and watchings for evil. Yesterday morning he was
speaking to me of the Colonel and remarked that the only fault he could find
with him was a lack of discipline, that the men ought not to be allowed to
insult their officers without severe punishment. I replied that I did not know
of an officer in the regiment who was obliged to cross the track of the men so
much as I, and yet, without any specific control over any but those in the
hospital department, I never dreamed of being insulted and that if I were, I
should feel that the fault were mine. This captain happened to be the officer
of the day and, towards evening, I noticed that he was looking very demure and
that he was minus his sash. On inquiry I found he had permitted some slight
improprieties among the men and that the Colonel promptly put another officer
in his place. I have not heard of a better disciplinarian than Col. H. and I
doubt not Capt. is getting convinced on the same point.
Just now I found
one of our men in a collapsed state, which will prove fatal.
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