River Queen from attackers of any sort; and, should his ship be damaged, she was to take Mr. Lincoln and his party on board and to carry them to safety. The two ships got underway on the afternoon of March 23, stopped at Fortress Monroe the next morning to get fresh water for use of the President who had become ill the previous night after drinking contaminated water from River Queen's tanks, and anchored off City Point late that night. During the ensuing days, Lt. Comdr. Barnes was a frequent companion of the President, both afloat and during excursions ashore. On the evening of the 27th, General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived at City Point for conferences with General Grant and the President. Sherman's absence from his army during this critical phase of the war caused Lincoln great uneasiness and brought orders for Barnes to return the general in Bat to his troops in North Carolina with the greatest possible despatch. After filling her coal bunkers and taking on provisions, Bat—with Sherman; the General's brother, Senator John Sherman; the son and confidential clerk of the Secretary of War, Edwin Lamson Stanton; and a number of prominent Army officers embarked—got underway on the morning of the 28th and proceeded at top speed to New Bern, North Carolina, which she reached late on the evening of the 30th. After disembarking her passengers and refueling, she began the run back to the James the next day and reached City Point on the evening of April 2. By this time, the defensive works that had protected the Confederate capital had crumbled. The First Lady—after being indisposed during much of her visit to City Point—had returned to Washington; and her husband had joined Porter in the Admiral's flagship, Malvern. About mid morning on the 4th, Bat got underway to follow Malvern and River Queen up the James toward Richmond, as those ships threaded their way along a channel cleared of mines and obstructions. When Malvern ran aground a short distance below the Confederate capital, Porter invited the President into his barge, in which they were rowed ashore. Barnes followed in a boat from Bat and accompanied Lincoln when he visited the Southern executive mansion—from which President Jefferson Davis had just fled—and during much of his subsequent tour of the burning city. That evening, Lincoln and Porter reembarked in Malvern and Barnes in Bat. The next day,