He hurried to Washington and applied for active service.

Captain Foote was busy fitting out a flotilla at St.Louis, and Winslow was sent to join him.

The work involved great labor and difficulty, and Winslow's aid was invaluable, although far from congenial.

The task of blazing away at the guerrillas in the bushes and woods along shore, of raking the muddy rivers and streams for torpedoes, and of managing the awkward, nondescript craft, was not to the liking of the naval officer, accustomed to the free air of the deep, blue ocean.

Finally his request to be transferred to sea service was granted, and in the early part of 1863 he was placed in command of the _Kearsarge_.
This sloop of war had a crew of 163 men, carried two 11-inch pivot guns, four short 32-pounders and one rifled 30-pounder, the total shot weight of the seven guns being 430 pounds.