President Grant at the beach in Long Branch, NJ
(Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, August 7, 1869)

One amusing circumstance occurred while we were lying at anchor in Panama Bay.

In the regiment there was a Lieutenant Slaughter who was very liable to seasickness. It almost made him sick to see the wave of a table-cloth when the servants were spreading it.

Soon after his graduation [from West Point] Slaughter was ordered to California and took passage by a sailing vessel going around Cape Horn. The vessel was seven months making the voyage, and Slaughter was sick every moment of the time, never more so than while lying at anchor after reaching his place of destination.

On landing in California he found orders that had come by way of the Isthmus [Panama], notifying him of a mistake in his assignment; he should have been ordered to the northern lakes.

He started back by the Isthmus route and was sick all the way.
But when he arrived back East he was again ordered to California, this time definitely, and at this date was making his third trip. He was sick as ever, and had been so for more than a month while lying at anchor in the bay.

I remember him well, seated with his elbows on the table in front of him, his chin between his hands, and looking the picture of despair.

At last he broke out, "I wish I had taken my father's advice; he wanted me to go into the navy; if I had done so, I should not have had to go to sea so much."

Poor Slaughter! It was his last sea voyage. He was killed by Indians in Oregon.