March 14, 1862

2d Lieut. Elliot:
Diary:

     March 14-Friday
     Colorado came in this morning
     My turn on gaurd again this morning an unpleasant day for it to.
     Sent home by Adams Express $150.00 to my wife insured and paid the express charges to Lowell, $4.00 No# of Check 42. No# Capt check for $200. No# Bills Check for $100.00. Capt sent $25 besides his check. My check was for 125.00 and 25 in treasury notes. It goes on the Con-stitution.
     Today has been the roughest days gaurd duty done on this Island since we have been here. a tremendous storm came on. and it has rained and blown all day very heavily. The tide rose the homes from the Battery up near Reads Sutton store. and even they were knee deep in water. Our plank walk but nearly all floated from the lower end of the island. and on the South shore. The water has come up so far it was found to be necessary to move the tents of the Maine & Vermont to Battery’s all those that had not already blown down. About 8 O Clock in the evening I was called upon to clean out our Sutton place. when was some 10 or 12 Maine Officers (belonging to the Colorado and other War vessells in our Harbor) who came getting very drunk and noisy, had to arrest one a gunner Border kept him some 2 hours or more finally took him up to my quarters and gave him my bed to sleep on. just at the time I put him in our gaurd tent, our gaurd tents both came both came down and we were forced to take then to a place of safety the water being ankle deep in them already and still raising finally pitched one as 11 O Clock and kept it up until mourn for our men to sleep in. Moon now shining so bright I can read a gaurd retail without any aid but the morninglight. Went up to Drs and wrote a long letter to Jane. To [---] in morning on Constitution got no sleep at all.


Corpl. B. B. Smith:
Diary:
     Friday, March 14, 1862
     A Stormy day i wrote a few
     Lines to send home with my
     Money.  sent 40 Dolls[?] by Deams[?] & Co
     Express.  the tide is very high
     Coming within a few feet of our
     Tents the island is getting rather
     Thick settled almost inhabitants
     Enough for a city.  Butler is
     Expected here soon.