March 12, 1862

2nd Lieut. Elliot:
Diary:
     March 12-Wednesday
     Morning cold and cloudy. commenced raining about 9 O Clock AM bids fair for a stormy day.
     No drills to day on account of the storm.
     Noon a vessell have in sight that looks very much like the Constitution, there is much speculation about wether it is her or not.
     3 ½ O Clock P.M. the Constitution now lays out in our harbor at Anchor. for the vessel spoken of above appears to be her. She has on board for troops. a Wisconsin Regiment. the one that relieved us at the Relay house last summer and a Minnesota and an Indiana Regiment in all 2,900 and some old men Dr. Kimballs son is also on board. they report the Mississippi at Port Royal with Major Gen. B.F. Butler and staff on board, she put into Port Royal to repair damages done her by running aground are a shoal. she has 1 whole and some 600 men of another Reg’t. on board. I also hear by the Constitution that Billy Fiske has command of a Company of Zouaris in the Western Bay State, or Mass 31st Reg’t. I hope this is so.
     Constitution was fired into from [Sewalls - ?] point by the Rebels one shot [---] between her smoke stack and main mast. a number of then struck quite close to her, 5 shots were fired she had to go up to Newport News to get her troops as Gen. Wood would not permit them to land at Fortress Monroe.

Corpl. B. B. Smith:
Diary:
     Wednesday 12
     Rather a cool morning the
     Pay master has begun to pay off
     Our regiment Our company
     Have signed the pay roll and
     Will be paid off this evening if
     Nothing happens.