There is some additional recorded history of the Maple Leaf's voyages and it provides interesting insights into the ship, its crew and its passengers in those extraordinary times.

A contemporary account of a voyage on the Maple Leaf was given by Chaplain William L. Hyde in his book, History of the 112th Regiment, New York Volunteers. Four of the regiment's companies, together with the regimental commander, Colonel Jeremiah C. Drake, boarded the steamer Convoy at Fort Monroe on August 4, 1863, bound for Folly Island. When off Cape Henry she encountered a heavy gale and began to take in water rapidly. This is Chaplain Hyde's description of what happened:

The Captain (of the Convoy) immediately put back into Norfolk and the Regiment was transferred to the steamer Maple Leaf, and the morning of the 7th left again for the South. We parted from the Convoy with regret, for, though a small boat, the Captain and other officers were gentlemen, and disposed to make our voyage as pleasant as possible. On board the Maple Leaf, the only object, from the Captain down to the deck hands, seemed to be to make money out of the necessities of the Regiment. Men were charged five cents³⁵ for the privilege of boiling their coffee, and officers the highest New York prices for board of the meanest sort; and this on board of a boat receiving an enormous sum from the government for transporting troops.³⁶

The fourth occupation of Jacksonville by the U.S. Army began on February 7, 1864. At 6:30 A.M., the Navy gunboat Norwich sailed across the bar at the mouth of the St. Johns river with the transport Island City close behind. The ships anchored near the gunboat Ottawa, which was waiting for them at Mayport Mills. Between 7:30 and 8A.M., three more transports came in from the Atlantic Ocean. At 8:50 A.M. the Maple Leaf, with the Federal commander General Truman Seymour on board, came into the river and anchored. At 9:15 A.M. a meeting was held on the Ottawa with the gunboat captains and the general present. It was decided to send the Norwich on ahead to assess the Confederate resistance at Jacksonville, while the Maple Leaf was to take on a river pilot and lead the transport convoy to the town. At 3:30P.M., the Maple Leaf and the General Hunter had docked at Jacksonville and were preparing to discharge troops.³⁷ As these activities were under way, the General Hunter was fired on by Confederate pickets, who hastily retreated before the advance of a detachment of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment (Colored). After their withdrawal, the occupation of the town was easily accomplished.³⁸

The movements of the Maple Leaf between February 8 and March 26 are not known in detail, but she was reported to have made three voyages to Palatka during that period.³⁹ During one of them she went hard aground near Palatka and had to be lightened by the General Hunter.⁴⁰

The Maple Leafs final days began on March 26, 1864, when she received orders at Hilton Head to proceed to Pawnee Landing at Folly Island. At the landing she was loaded with the camp equipage and baggage of Foster's Brigade of Vogdes' Division, which consisted of the 112th Regiment of New York Volunteers, the 169th Regiment of New York Volunteers and the 13th Indiana Regiment.⁴¹ The baggage of the Brigade headquarters and that of General Foster were also reported to be on board. This baggage, referred to at the time as traps, was stowed in the aft hold of the Maple Leaf In the forward hold were placed sutlers stores, which were reportedly valued at $20,000⁴² These stores were described by First Mate Charles Farnham, who supervised the loading at the landing:

It was sutlers goods of the ordinary kind ... tobacco, cigars, preserves, mackerel, and such stores, and tents on top of the sutlers goods and then another layer of sutlers goods right under the fore hatch.... A few old ammunition boxes were put in aft, but they were light and I think they held only some soldiers traps.

At 10:30 P.M. on March 27, loading was completed and the Maple Leaf proceeded to the mouth of the Stono River at the south end of Folly Island, where she took on passengers and mail for Hilton Head. She arrived at Hilton Head to discharge the Stono passengers and mail at 9 A.M. March 28 and departed that afternoon for Jacksonville. The following day, she sought safe harbor at Fernandina, and when the weather cleared she sailed onto Jacksonville, arriving at about 5 P.M. on March 30.

On the deck of the ship were 60 soldiers of the 112th Regiment of New York Volunteers led by Captain N.S. Scott, commanding officer of Company C.⁴³ With them were 32 horses, four Army wagons, four carts and various other cargo that had been placed aboard the Maple Leaf at Pawnee Landing. This cargo had been unloaded by 6:20P.M., but the cargo in the holds was not unloaded. The Maple Leaf was then moved down the dock and a detachment of 75 officers and men of the Independent Battalion Massachusetts Cavalry, commanded by Captain Richmond, came aboard with 87 horses, 20 bales of hay and 20 bags of oats, all destined for delivery to Palatka. Also, ten soldiers detailed from the 112th Regiment came on board to guard the baggage and the stores in the cargo holds.⁴⁴

The Maple Leaf left for Palatka at 9 P.M., sailing in convoy with the General Hunter and Harriet Weed. The convoy arrived at Palatka about 4 A.M. on March 31. As standing orders stipulated night travel on the St. Johns River,⁴⁵ the Maple Leaf left for the return journey to Jacksonville at 11:15 PM. She sailed alone, since the two other ships were to remain in Palatka. And in this way the Maple Leaf was bound for her fateful meeting with Captain Bryan's mine off Mandarin Point at 4 A.M. Friday, April 1, 1864.⁴⁶