This is indeed a merry Christmas. During the whole mid watch which I kept with Chew the gale and sea was on the increase-shipped several seas. I went on deck about 6 a.m. Just as I got up the Captain kept the ship off before the wind and sea, & close reefed the Main topsail. Battened down the hatches. At 7 a heavy sea came over the starb'd main chains and she rolled to port and took it over the port side. It was so heavy as to fill our spar deck so that some of the men swam to catch over a rope to save themselves. The guns were actually entirely covered up. I never saw a sea come onboard half as heavy. It rolled aft and went threw the wardroom filling several rooms, wetting several officers in their upper bunks. I went on the quarter deck and managed to knock out the after port allowing her to clear. The men were frightened but they soon recovered and worked hard with the water waist deep- it was very cold but I sang out Merry Christmas, and indeed it looked very little like it for I never saw much worse weather. A thing ocurred today which I suppose would not take place once in a thousand times. When we shipped the two seas Wm. West, the Capt. of the main top, was in the main hatch- the sea swept him overboard on the port side and the sea which came over to port washed him inboard again. When the second sea took him he was well clear of the ship on the port side. Toward night the gale moderated but still a fresh gale is blowing with a tremendous sea. Saw a sail in the port quarter steering to the Ed, but it is too bad weather to think of capturing anything. We had a fine Christmas dinner, but the weather was so bad that we could not enjoy it much. We drank success to our dear ones, and noble cause. Restored the Gunner to duty.

William Conway Whittle, Jr. C.S.S. Shenandoah