Tuesday. My valise having given out in some unaccountable way, I proceeded to the lockmaker’s and endeavor to get it mended, but the worthy artisan did not consider himself competent to fix it and I returned with confusion of face to No. 47.
Wright and I were instructed by our friends the recruiting officers to procure passes for the South Ferry and with this object in view, we visited the Adj. General and other officials, but did not succeed in obtaining our papers. At last, however, we reached Maj. Pierce and Capt. Tetlow who expressed a perfect willingness to all us to go. We embarked on board the tug-boat Am,[erican] Union under the protection of Tetlow, Capt. of the College Company, who is a splendid fellow. He is called the first scholar in his class, and ought to be an Alpha Delta. He told me that our Society stood first in College, and the Delta Kappa Epsilon next. The Omega Lambda Chi are hard, the Psi Upsilon digs. He did not tell me why he had not joined any society. Our boys afterward told me that while he always expressed a preference for Alpha Delta Phi he had never concluded to join any Secret Society.
We had a very peaceful trip down the bay. There is some beautiful scenery along the shores but we miss the hills of Maine. […]
Diary of Horatio Fox Smith [Civil War Miscellany]