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Dear Sister, For want of any better subject will give you a sort of diara of our ship. The first warning we had of starting was Sunday 2 O clock P. M., when the Des Arc sailed out and fired a salute for all hands to start, She being the flag ship with Gen. Sherman and Staff on board. Our portion of the fleet consists of fifteen transports and two Gun Boats. Boats have been starting every few minutes since Sundown last night and there are many more to come. Some are loaded with Q. M. stores, some with Canon and Amunition, others with Soldiers. I see a great many familiar boats among others the City of Alton, Past Bay, J. C. Swam, and many others that I used to see on the upper Mississippi. It is surely an exciting scene to see so many boats together with the decks crowded with men, like bees on a hive in swarming time. Two miles out from Memphis we passed the wreck of the Rebel. Ram. Beaurigard the upper deck are nearly all washed away