Diary of Orrin Brown, At Sea off the Maryland Shore
Tuesday–May 2nd
I got up this morning and about the first object of note that met my eyes was three of Uncle Sams Monitors two single Turrit and one double. They were quite a curiosity to most of the soldiers. We find the hand on the boat to be very kind to us if they have a piece of soft bread and meat or a cup of coffee left after eating their meals they will give it to some of the sick soldiers and they very often go and get an extra plate full and give to some sick soldier. When any of the sick men happen to get in their way they speak kindly to them instead of ordering them out of the way in snapping snarling terms. And the Capt. of the boat he is a short thick set and very fat man and he is very kind and good natured to the men not afraid to converse with any of us and always ready to answer any question asked by them. And our Surgeon in charge is also very good to us in every respect. We are not crowded but have pleanty of good comfortable quarters on the lower deck, so taking it alltogether we are haveing a very pleasant trip. While they were prepairing to take on coal this morning I went ashore and bought 2 loaves of bread for 15 cts and 1 lb of Butter for 50 cts. After taking on coal, and watter for cooking and drinking we pulled out to sea about 10.30 AM. I went out onto the Hurricane deck and had a good view of the Ft. and of that celebrated millitary prison called the Rip Raps situtated about half or 3/4 of a mile from the Ft. right in the bay or entrance of the roads. We passed Cape Charles about 1 PM. We have had a very nice day but we have had a head win all day, and we have been in sight of land all day but farther out than yesterday. I read 4 Chapts. today.
Abraham Lincoln returned to his home state. In Chicago, about 125,000 mourners paid their respects at the Cook County Courthouse. While Chicago was incorporated in 1837, there were only 112,000 residents counted in the Census of 1860. The population of the city proper peaked in 1950 at 3,620,000.
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