New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-04
GENERAL BABCOCK DROWNED.
DISASTER OFF MOSQUITO INLET.

LEVI H. IICKEY PRIVATE SECRETARY TO PREsI-
DENT GRANT, AND ANOTHER MAN ALSO LOSE
THEIR LIVES.
WAsHINGTON, June 3.-Private kilograms re-
ceved in this city and Baltimore this morning from Mr
Benjamin. an employe Of the Light House Service dated
Daytona, Fla, June 2, via Astoria, Fla, announce
that General o. T. BabcOck engineer OF the With Light
House District, Levi Luckey, his chief clerk formerly
assistant private secretary Of President Grant and Bepa
min r. Suffer- OF Washington were drowned Saturday
in Mosquito Inlet off the coast OF Florida, while supern
tending the work the lighthouse being erected at that
point Another teeg am says the casually occurred yes
Search instituted for the others but without avail
General Babcock leaves wife, who has Deen In Ill
health for some time past, ana three young cons Ihey
live In this city. Mr. Luekey, who lived IN BaunoIt'
leaves wife and four children girl aud three boys,
two OF whom are grown.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla June "a Dnytonia, Fla, dispatch
to me Times Union, dated $50 a. says: General
oryille H. Babcock. L. s. A., Levi r. Luckey OF Balti-
more b. F. Suffer- OF Washington, and one seaman were
drowned Yesterday at 23O o'clock while trying TO
Mosquito inlet Bar 10 a small boat In high wind. so
far only the body Of General Babcoc1 has been re-
covered.
FURTHER PARTICULARS or THE ACCIDENT.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, June 3.-All the particu-
lars OF the drowning OF General Babcock and party at
Mosquito Inlet obtainabe now are as follows General
BabcOc and party left Baltimore at OF May 10 on
the lighthouse tender PharOs, twO-masted schooner
bound for Mosquito inlet ninety miles below the mouth
OF the ST. Johns River the Florida Coast, where the
Government is building lighthouse. The Pbaros put
into Charleston and left there the 2Sh, having Ell
countered adverse winds all the way. heavy north
cast gale began on the 29th the midst of which the
Pharos made ST. Johns light and anchor OIL the
bar with two cables ont. pilot was sisnaed for and
although the sea was running half mast high reached
the Pharos and General BabcOcl sent the following mes
sage Dr. J. c. Lengle of this city, proprietor OF the
stean-towing tugs on the river:
ohu Il1rV ia OF i.
jacksonville Fla: The PharO sails from here this morn
ing Please have the seth Low or the May6le to TOW hr
over Mosquito Inlet bar Let her take the Pharos IN tow
If Oyertaken. o. J.. BABCOCK, Lighthouse Engineer
The sea ran high that the tug could not get out and
had gone down this morning. The neXtnews received
WAS a dispatch from Daytoud to The Times Union
nOuncing the catastrophe. when the tug comes back
from Mosquito Inlet full particulars VIII be known Ihe
probabtv l. that the PharOs anchored Of the inlet and
the General and his party undertook to go ashore III
small boat, which was Swampcd in the breakers. Inc
only way communicate with the scene OF tue disaster
Is by telegraph to Daytona several miles from there on
the Halifax River, via AsioT. .,--..,
Mr. sutter young gentleman Of great promise and
formerly Of Mount Holly, y. J where he now has Il
brother.
General Babcock born IN Vermont. He entered
West Point Military Academy when he was sixteen years
DID, and graduated there third in his class on May o.
1851 He served throughout tne Rebellion, beginning as
Lieutenant in the Corps OF Engineers He was first
stationed at Washington and was engaged In drlIlhg
volunteers and the construction of defcnces for the
Capital in May and june 1861. He was then made aide
dc-camp of General Banks in the Shenandoah Valley III
November he was made First Lieutenant OF Engineers,
and was with Banks in his movement toward Winchester
finishing works OF defence at Iarpers Ferry After this
General Bdbcock went into the Peninsula campaign lie
took part in the Siege of Yorktown and brevetted
Captain for gallant services in May, 1862 He was pro
NOTED to be Chief Engineer the left division OF the
Army OF the Potomac in November, 1862, aud In June
1863, was Chief En- gneer of the Ninth Army Corps.
He was brcyetted Major IL November Of that year,
He directed the building of deences about Louisville and
IN the siege Vicksburg served with General Grant
CAPTAIN a corps engineers He reccivedu commission
LieutenantCOlone OF stan to General Grant IN March,
1864. and brcveted Lieuenant-C Colonel In May or
that year bravery In the field He went through the
campaign in the Wilderness aud the bearer or I'M
pOrtan dispatches from Grant to sherman while the lat
ter was marching to the sci. In 1865 he was made
Colonel for services in the var lie was on General
Grants staff until Grant became President, and then
made Grants private secretary. lie advanced to be
Brevet Brgadier-Genera. In 1870 he was Indicted by
Grand Jury ST. Louis for completely IN the n0to
GUS Whiskey King frauds. In February, 1876, he was
tried and was acquitted General BabcOck had been for
lighthouse inspector for tie Vth District