William Keeler was Acting Assistant Paymaster, USS Monitor these excerpts are from letters to his wife,

, Anna. Keeler March 4 1862 I think in my last I told you how cold & uncomfortable it was in the ward & state rooms. Since then we have had steam heaters put up in the ward room, taking steam from the boilers, which makes it very comfortable. I sleep soundly nights till the shrill whistle of the bosun about 5 in the morning & his loud hoarse call of a-l-l hands up hammocks wakes me for a short time when I turn over & take another nap till my darkey comes in to tell me 8 oclock Sir, breakfast most ready Sir. Our evenings are usually spent in reading or conversation card playing is not allowed on board a man of war so we cannot make use of that to kill time. I generally take the evenings to do my writing. Whenever I write, day or night in my state room, I have to use a candle, it is so dark. My little deck light lets in light enough for all purposes except reading & writing.