Saturday, December 29th, 1860

This morning I got out of my bunk nearly frozen after passing as I said in yesterday's notes a very disagreeable night. about 10 o'clk. a.m. I saw a steamer coming out of the mouth of the river. it turned out to be the Ruthven. she came along side and the passengers were immediately transfered from the Alice to the Ruthven. my feelings can better be imagined than described it was like passing from a dark and miserable prison to a luxuriant palace. after the transfer was complete the Ruthven weighed anchor and started for Galveston where we arrived about 5 p.m. The wind still blowing from the north like the devil which made it difficult to land. we succeeded however and I took up quarters at the Tremont. weather cloudy & very cold and at night it snowed to the depth of about 3 inches. so much for the sunny South.