Immediately commenced the assemblage in Hampton Roads, under Admiral D.D.Porter, of the most formidable armada ever collected for concentration upon one given point.
This necessarily attracted the attention of the enemy, as well as that of the loyal North; and through the imprudence of the public press, and very likely of officers of both branches of service, the exact object of the expedition became a subject of common discussion in the newspapers both North and South.

The enemy, thus warned, prepared to meet it.
This caused a postponement of the expedition until the later part of November, when, being again called upon by Hon.

G.V.Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, I agreed to furnish the men required at once, and went myself, in company with Major-General Butler, to Hampton Roads, where we had a conference with Admiral Porter as to the force required and the time of starting.

A force of six thousand five hundred men was regarded as sufficient.

The time of starting was not definitely arranged, but it was thought all would be ready by the 6th of December, if not before.