Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy

A naval surgeon recounts two years of service in the Union navy during the Civil War, describing his appointment and duties aboard vessels such as the Princeton and Valley City, daily life aboard ship, medical practice, and small-boat seamanship. He details operations along the North Carolina coast — Newbern, Roanoke River, Dismal Swamp Canal, and Hampton Roads — including blockading cruises, skirmishes, captures, the campaign against the Confederate ram Albemarle and its destruction, shore visits, repairs and hospital transfers, and concludes with the voyage home and honorable discharge.