Captain Richardson’s company from Cambridge was attached to the regiment April 16th as Company C, and on May 9th at Fortress Monroe Captain Chipman’s company from Sandwich, Capt. Charles C. Doten’s company from Plymouth, Capt. W. D. Chamberlain’s company from Lynn, and Capt. J. K. Tyler’s company from Boston, all three years’ companies, were temporarily assigned to the Third Regiment, and designated as Companies D, E, I, and M, respectively. The original companies, including Company C, embarked on the steamer _S. R. Spaulding_ April 17th, from Central Wharf, in the early evening and dropped down the harbor to await supplies. She sailed under sealed orders the next forenoon, to find when nine miles out that her destination was Fortress Monroe, which was reached at eleven A. M., Saturday, April 20th, after a voyage of forty-seven and one-half hours. That afternoon the regiment embarked on the gunboat _Pawnee_, and at five o’clock proceeded to Gosport Navy Yard under orders from Washington to destroy the dry dock construction houses and all vessels and munitions of war which could not be secured against seizure by the rebels. As they approached their destination in the darkness the vessels there were uncertain whether the unexpected troops were friends or foes of the Union, and so the _Pawnee_ and all on board were for a while exposed to imminent peril of instant destruction by a broadside from the _Pennsylvania_ and a raking fire from the _Cumberland_, whose crews and some of whose officers remained loyal to the Union, and stood with shotted guns and lanyards in hand breathlessly awaiting some sign by which the character of the mission of the approaching troops could be assured. Finally the repeated hail of the _Pawnee’s_ boatswain convinced the loyal sailors that loyal troops had come to their support, and then the night air re-echoed with enthusiastic shouts and added volume to the inspiring strains of the “Star Spangled Banner,” which was played by the splendid band on the quarter-deck of the _Pennsylvania_.